What Should You Sugar Level Be

What To Do When Your Blood Sugar Is High Or Low

High blood sugar can harm you. If your blood sugar is high, you need to know how to bring it down. Here are some questions to ask yourself if your blood sugar is high.

• Are you eating too much or too little? Have you been following your diabetes meal plan?
• Are you taking your diabetes medicines correctly?
• Has your provider changed your medicines?
• Is your insulin expired? Check the date on your insulin.
• Has your insulin been exposed to very high or very low temperatures?
• If you take insulin, have you been taking the correct dose? Are you changing your syringes or pen needles?
• Are you afraid of having low blood sugar? Is that causing you to eat too much or take too little insulin or other diabetes medicine?
• Have you injected insulin into a firm, numb, bumpy, or overused area? Have you been rotating sites?
• Have you been less or more active than usual?
• Do you have a cold, flu, or another illness?
• Have you had more stress than usual?
• Have you been checking your blood sugar every day?
• Have you gained or lost weight?

Symptoms Of A Low Blood Sugar Level

A low blood sugar level can affect everyone differently. Youll learn how it makes you feel, although your symptoms may change over time.

Early signs of a low blood sugar level include:

• sweating
• a fast or pounding heartbeat
• becoming easily irritated, tearful, anxious or moody
• turning pale

• seizures or fits
• collapsing or passing out

A low blood sugar level, or hypo, can also happen while youre sleeping. This may cause you to wake up during the night or cause headaches, tiredness or damp sheets in the morning.

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What Causes High Blood Sugar At Night

Hyperglycemia, the technical term for elevated blood sugar, occurs when glucose levels are greater than 180 mg/dL.

For people without diabetes,average blood sugar ranges are:

• Fasting glucose: < 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L
• Glucose range before eating: 80â130 mg/dL or 4.4â7.2 mmol/L
• Glucose range 1â2 hours after eating: < 140 mg/dL or 7.8 mmol/L

For people with diabetes, average blood sugar ranges are:

• Fasting glucose: 126 mg/dL or higher
• Glucose range before eating: 80â130 mg/dL
• Glucose range 1â2 hours after eating: < 180 mg/dL

If your blood sugar readings at bedtime are higher than your goal, consider whether one or more of the following factors could be the cause.

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How Long Does It Take To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

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Symptoms Of High Or Low Blood Sugar

When the person has low blood sugar, they may experience hypoglycemia which can be characterized by-

• Sweating

• Dry mouth
• Headache

People with type 2 diabetes may experience symptoms of high or low blood sugar. The levels can be checked by pricking a finger to get a drop of blood and putting it on a glucose meter.

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Signs & Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar

Keeping blood glucose levels in a healthy range can be challenging.

When the amount of sugar in your blood has dropped below your target range , it is called low blood sugar .

If your blood sugar has dropped, you may feel:

• shaky, light-headed, nauseated
• numbness or tingling on your tongue or lips

Symptoms of very low blood sugar are more severe and can make you:

• confused and disoriented
• lose consciousness
• have a seizure

Make sure you always wear your MedicAlert® identification and talk to your doctor or diabetes educator about prevention and emergency treatment for severe low blood sugar.

How Accurate Are A1c Tests

A1C levels rise well before the clinical onset of diabetes, making early diagnosis possible according to the 2017 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes by the American Diabetes Association . Sometimes, however, in the early stages of diabetes, blood sugar levels are not high enough to show up as problematic. Testing environments, such as temperature in the lab, equipment used, and handling of samples, can affect the results however, this is more common in the fasting plasma glucose and the OGTT than in the A1C. Strict quality controls and advancements in testing have made the A1C test more precise than in the past, according to the NIDDK. Doctors should be aware of laboratories that use an NGSP-certified method of testing for A1C levels. The NIDDK warns that blood samples taken at home or analyzed in a healthcare providers office should not be used for diagnosis.

There are some health conditions and situations that might skew the results of the test. These include:

• Anemia
• Dialysis
• Blood loss or blood transfusions

Also, the test can be unreliable for people of African, Mediterranean, or Southeast Asian descent, people with a family member with sickle cell anemia, and those with thalassemia. For those who fall into these groups, a healthcare provider might suggest a different test or a specialized A1C.

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Are High Levels Of Blood Sugar Dangerous

• death.

Low blood sugar levels begin at 70 mg/dL or less.

• People with diabetes who take too much medication or take their usual amount but then eat less or exercise more than usual can develop hypoglycemia. Although much rarer, hypoglycemia may develop in some people without diabetes when they take someone elses medication, have excessive alcohol consumption, or have hepatitis or a rare tumor of the pancreas .
• The treatment for hypoglycemia is oral glucose intake (15.0 grams of sugar, for example, 1 tablespoon of sugar, honey, corn syrup, or IV fluids containing glucose. Rechecking your blood sugar levels in about 15 minutes after the treatment is advised.

Beyond Normal Goals: Whats An Optimal Glucose Level And Why Does It Matter

Exact numbers for what is considered optimal glucose levels to strive for while using CGM to achieve your best health are not definitively established this is a question that is individual-specific and should be discussed with your healthcare provider. With that said, research shows that there is an increased risk of health problems as fasting glucose increases, even if it stays within the normal range, making finding your optimal glucose levels all the more important.

While the International Diabetes Federation and other research studies have shown that a post-meal glucose spike should be less than 140 mg/dL in a nondiabetic individual, this does not determine what value for a post-meal glucose elevation is truly optimal for your health. All that number tells us is that in nondiabetics doing an oral glucose tolerance test, researchers found that these individuals rarely get above a glucose value of 140 mg/dL after meals.

So, while this number may represent a proposed upper limit of whats normal, it may not indicate what will serve you best from a health perspective. Many people may likely do better at lower post-meal glucose levels. Similarly, while the ADA states that a fasting glucose less than 100 mg/dL is normal, it does not indicate what value is optimal for health.

Repeated high glucose spikes after meals contribute to inflammation, blood vessel damage, increased risk of diabetes, and weight gain.

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Techniques To Manage Your Blood Sugar In The Morning

Based on your glucose levels and trends, there are a few things you can do to manage your glucose levels so they dont run high in the morning. Some of these strategies focus on adjusting medications to better suit your needs. Other strategies include adjusting your exercise routine, as well as what and when you are eating before bed.

Normal Range Of Blood Sugar Levels

The normal range of blood glucose levels for individuals with diabetes is between 80 and 130 milligrams per deciliter . When levels are too low, the person may experience hypoglycemia, which is characterized by shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or confusion. When blood sugar levels are too high, the person may experience hyperglycemia, which is characterized as extreme thirst and urination and blurred vision. Blood glucose levels can be checked by pricking a finger to get a drop of blood and putting it on a glucose meter.

The normal blood sugar range is between 80-120 mg/dL .

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• Fruit juice
• Cereal

Grapes are deemed healthy, however, overdoing do them could negatively affect your blood sugar levels, warns Diabetes.co.uk

The health body explains: “While there are properties of grape seeds that help to lower blood glucose levels, a single grape contains approximately 1g of carbohydrate.

“Because of this, diabetic people should moderate their grape consumption, particularly if they are prone to high blood sugar levels.”

“If you consider a serving of dried fruit is only a tablespoon and packs in 20g carbs total sugar, you can see how easily this happens,” added Diabetes.co.uk

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

If your test results show you have prediabetes, ask your doctor or nurse if there is a lifestyle change program offered through the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program in your community. You can also search for an online or in-person program. Having prediabetes puts you at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, but participating in the program can lower your risk by as much as 58% .

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What Is Blood Sugar

Blood sugar, or glucose, is your body’s main energy source. We get glucose from the food we eat, and our blood carries it around to all the cells in the body to give them energy to function. Glucose mainly comes from the carbohydrates we eat, though our bodies can convert protein and fat into sugar too if needed.

Glucose from protein is typically stored in the liver and doesn’t enter the bloodstream, so eating protein-rich foods won’t raise your blood sugar too much. Fats slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, which causes a delayed rise in blood sugar. High blood sugar can be an issue because it usually leads to sugar crashes, which are no fun — symptoms include fatigue, headaches and the jitters. So, eat meals balanced with protein, fat and carbs to avoid this.

Blood sugar is closely related to insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps your body use glucose that’s in the carbohydrates you eat. Insulin helps regulate your blood sugar levels — if you eat more sugar than you need in the moment, the hormone helps store the glucose in your liver until it’s needed for energy.

You probably also know about blood sugar in the context of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which people are unable to make insulin, so they need to inject the hormone in order to keep their blood sugar levels stable. People with Type 2 diabetes, which usually occurs later in life, either don’t secrete insulin or are resistant to it.

How Is Dka Treated

DKA is very serious, but it can be treated if you go to the doctor or hospital right away. To feel better, a person with DKA needs to get insulin and fluids through a tube that goes into a vein in the body .

Let your parents or someone on your diabetes health care team know if you have any of these symptoms or are sick and donât know what to do to take care of your diabetes.

Always wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace that says you have diabetes. Then, if you are not feeling well, whoeverâs helping you will know to call for medical help. Medical identification can also include your doctorâs phone number or a parentâs phone number.

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How Often Is A1c Tested

To keep A1C levels in check, patients should have the test repeated regularly. If the A1C is less than 5.7, indicating you dont have diabetes, you should have it checked every three years, according to Robert Williams, MD, a family doctor and geriatrician in Lakewood, Colorado, and a medical advisor for eMediHealth. If it is between 5.7 and 6.4, indicating you are at risk of developing diabetes, you should have it rechecked every one to two years. If you have a confirmed diabetes diagnosis, and your blood sugar is well-controlled, you should have an A1C test every six months. If you already have diabetes and your medications change, or your blood sugar is not well-controlled, you should have an A1C test every three months.

High Blood Sugar At : What Causes It

Poor diet and lack of medication are the biggest culprits of high blood sugar. Well be covering diet more below.

There are a few other causes for high blood sugar that may explain your high reading.

These include:

• Illness, such as having the flu, also raises stress hormones
• General stress, which is why its not good to panic when your blood sugar is high
• Certain medications, such as steroids

Work with your healthcare team to address any of the above concerns to optimize your glucose control.

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How Can I Pay For Tests And Diabetes Supplies

Medicareexternal icon, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans pay for the A1C test and fasting blood sugar test as well as some diabetes supplies. Check your plan or ask your health care team for help finding low-cost or free supplies, and see How to Save Money on Diabetes Care for more resources.

Fasting Blood Sugar Test

This test can be done in the lab or the healthcare providers office with a simple finger stickor your doctor may prescribe a meter and have you test regularly at home.

A fasting blood sugar level indicates what your blood sugar is when you havent eaten for at least 8 hours. For adults without diabetes, a normal fasting blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL. A fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

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What Else Can I Do To Help Manage My Blood Sugar Levels

Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity can all help. Other tips include:

• Keep track of your blood sugar levels to see what makes them go up or down.
• Eat at regular times, and dont skip meals.
• Choose foods lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt.
• Track your food, drink, and physical activity.
• Drink water instead of juice or soda.
• Limit alcoholic drinks.
• For a sweet treat, choose fruit.
• Control your food portions .

How Can One Tell If I Have Diabetes By Examining My Blood

Your body converts sugar, also called glucose, into energy so your body can function. The sugar comes from the foods you eat and is released from storage from your bodys own tissues.

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Its job is to move glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of tissues. After you eat, the level of glucose in the blood rises sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing enough insulin to handle the increased level of glucose moving the glucose out of the blood and into cells. This helps return the blood glucose level to its former, lower level.

If a person has diabetes, two situations may cause the blood sugar to increase:

• The pancreas does not make enough insulin
• The insulin does not work properly

As a result of either of these situations, the blood sugar level remains high, a condition called hyperglycemia or diabetes mellitus. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, blood vessels and other organs can be damaged. Measuring your blood glucose levels allows you and your doctor to know if you have, or are at risk for, developing diabetes.

Much less commonly, the opposite can happen too. Too low a level of blood sugar, a condition called hypoglycemia, can be caused by the presence of too much insulin or by other hormone disorders or liver disease.

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