There is a normal range for sugar blood level that every person should be aware of. The goal among individuals, especially diabetic patients is to ensure that they follow healthy practices and continue to monitor their condition to avoid any further adverse symptoms and health complications. A physician can help you determine the best level for your condition. Certain lifestyle and dietary changes are needed to maintain it for life.
Sugar Blood Level for Diabetics
There are specific ranges during different periods that every person needs to be in. Before meals, diabetes blood sugar should fall between 70 and 130 mg/dL. Just before your bedtime snack or 1 to 2 hours after your last meal, sugar blood level should be lower than 180 mg/dL. Every 3 months HbA1c, the level should be lower than 7%. Call your doctor if you experience more than one sudden low blood glucose reaction in a week, together with blood sugar lower than 70 mg/dL. Also alert medical attention if blood sugar is less than 180 mg/dL over a week or if there are already 2 straight readings bigger than 300 mg/dL.
Women with gestational diabetes should also consider proper management. They need to have a fasting glucose below 105 mg/dL plasma or below 95 mg/dL of whole blood. 2 hours after meals, they need to have less than 130 mg/dL plasma or below 120 mg/dL of whole blood. Diabetes testing is available in several clinics, so you can consult a physician to have your diabetes blood sugar checked. There are also glucose monitors to help you independently watch current levels.
Regular Monitoring
Diabetics should check their diabetes blood sugar several times over the week if they notice changes, such as increased level of stress, presence of illness and altered state of consciousness. You should also check frequently if you change your current diabetic medication or start to take more medicines for your condition. Assess your current condition if you alter your diet or change the current activity level or exercise routine. Your doctor will most likely provide testing recommendations. Continue to test frequently until SMBG goal values are maintained for a period of 1 week.
Find the Potential Triggers
Try to look for the main reasons that you may experience fluctuations in your diabetes blood sugar. Most individuals experience low blood sugar levels due to the medications they take to manage their condition. A hormone called insulin or diabetes pills work by helping the body use sugar in the bloodstream by taking the sugar out of the blood and letting it enter cells in the body.
Some of the potential triggers for hypoglycemia or low sugar blood level include skipping snacks and meals, getting too much insulin, not eating enough food during meals or snacks, excessive exercise without enough nutrition and wrong timing of the insulin doses with exercise, meals and snacks. Taking a hot bath immediately after an insulin injection also boosts blood flow, which might trigger quicker absorption of insulin.
Final Tips
When you start feeling adverse symptoms, immediately take a snack with sugar that can immediately be absorbed in the bloodstream. Some of the instant fixes include soda, cake icing and orange juice. Use a glucose meter to check and ensure that sugar blood level is back to normal after 10 minutes.
Leave a Reply