What is blood sugar level?

Blood glucose or sugar is a sugar present in your blood. This sugar comes from the food you eat. Insulin secreted by the pancreas converts the sugar to energy and makes this energy available to your body’s cells. When your body cannot produce insulin or cannot utilise the insulin, too much sugar remains unconverted in your bloodstream. This raises your blood sugar levels. An increase in the blood sugar levels in your body leads to diabetes. Read on to find out what is normal diabetes level. Know about how to reduce blood sugar level.

What Factors Affect Blood Sugar Level?

Many factors can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels: 

• Food: If you have diabetes, you must watch your carbohydrate intake. You should limit your rice, pasta, cookies, and white bread intake. Eating a balanced diet that consists of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fibre would be beneficial to reduce sugar levels. To keep the blood sugar levels consistent, you must go every 3 to 5 hours. Do not skip meals. Three nutritious meals and some healthy snacks can steady your blood sugar levels. Drink water instead of juice or soda. 

• Physical Activity: Exercise can be highly beneficial in maintaining your blood sugar levels since physical activities burn energy. Regular exercise helps in keeping your blood sugar within the normal range. 

• Medications: Certain medications can raise your blood sugar levels. Also know about ayurvedic medicine for diabetes.

1. Common steroids such as hydrocortisone and prednisone used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and allergies can affect your blood glucose levels. 
2. Drugs that treat high blood pressure, such as thiazide diuretics and beta-blockers, may affect your blood sugar levels.
3. Birth control drugs 
4. Statins used to lower cholesterol 
5. Isotretinoin for acne 

• Medical conditions: Hormonal conditions: Your body produces hormones to fight illnesses. These hormones can raise your blood sugar levels. 

• Age: Blood glucose levels increase with age. Understand blood sugar levels chart by age

• Stress: Stress is another factor contributing to increased blood glucose levels. 

• Dehydration: Dehydration raises your blood sugar levels, and it would be beneficial to keep yourself hydrated to manage your blood sugar levels.

• Menstrual periods: Hormonal changes in women during the premenstrual phase can cause high blood sugar levels. If you notice that your blood sugar levels are raised during the week before your period, it would be helpful to reduce your carbohydrate intake during that time.

• Alcohol: Alcohol consumption in moderation does not pose a problem. However, people consuming alcohol excessively drain their energy storage within a few hours, reducing the effectiveness of insulin. It can lead to very low blood sugar levels. Know about pp blood sugar

Also read about sugar free sweeteners

What is Normal Blood Sugar Level for Teen and Adult

High Blood Sugar Level for Teen and Adult

If you have been wondering the maximum level for diabetes patients, read on to find out the symptoms and causes of high blood sugar levels. Know about medications for diabetes.

High blood glucose or hyperglycemia occurs due to too much sugar in your bloodstream caused by insufficient insulin. 

High blood sugar levels occur if you have not taken your diabetes medication or insulin. 

Not following your diet and exercise regimen may lead to high glucose levels in your blood. Stress and illnesses also contribute to an increase in your sugar levels.

The symptoms associated with high blood sugar are: 

• Vomiting
• Excessive thirst and hunger 
• Rapid heartbeat 
• Vision problems 
• Frequent urination 
• Weakness 

The high blood sugar level chart below describes the sugar levels of a diabetic patient. 

Targeted  Blood Sugar Level for Teen and Adult

To achieve the targeted blood sugar levels, follow a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and take your medications on time. Study the targeted blood sugar level chart to know a good sugar level for a person with diabetes.

Also read about sugar in urine

Bottomline

Blood glucose is a sugar present in your blood.  If you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels fluctuate based on factors such as the food you eat, physical exercise, medications, medical conditions, age, stress, menstrual periods, and alcohol. High blood sugar is caused by insufficient insulin in your body or inadequate insulin production in your body. Skipping medication or insulin, eating carbohydrate-rich meals, getting inadequate physical exercise, and stress cause high blood sugar levels.

Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly. Learn how to check diabetes levels with a blood glucose meter. Monitoring your blood sugar levels gives you a fair idea about whether your diabetes medication has been effective or not. If your medication hasn’t been effective, your doctor may change your medication or suggest a combination of medication.

Also read about the random blood sugar levels

FAQs

What is anblood sugarAcceptable Blood Sugar Level?

Adults who have not eaten for the past eight hours should have a blood sugar level of less than 100mg/dL. This level can fluctuate and be in the range of 0 to 110 after two hours of having a meal. These levels are considered normal or acceptable. But if you have a reading between 140 and 199mg/dL, it indicates prediabetes. And a blood sugar reading of more than 200 mg/dL indicates diabetes.  

What Factors Affect Blood Sugar Levels?

The reasons influencing blood sugar levels can be many. Some factors include dehydration, illness, hormonal changes, certain medicines, food choices, stress, etc. To see how these various factors fluctuate blood sugar levels, you have to check blood glucose levels using a blood glucose reader. If you’re serious about maintaining healthy blood glucose levels, consider using a constant glucose meter. Also know about fasting blood sugar level.

What is the Normal Range of Blood Sugar After Eating?

After two hours of eating, normal blood sugar levels should be less than 140 mg/dL. This level can be less than or equal to 100 mg/dL if you haven’t eaten anything in the past eight hours. Blood sugar levels tend to be at their lowest during the daytime, just before meals. Also know about sugar measuring machine.