What is a Normal Blood Sugar Level?

The amount of sugar (glucose, measured in mg/dL) in the blood fluctuates throughout the day. Blood sugar levels usually depend upon what, how much and when you’ve eaten. Your levels can also change depending on your exercise regimen.

Depending on your treatment plan, your diabetes educator or doctor may recommend checking your blood glucose levels once a week or even up to 10 times a day. Rather than classifying blood sugar levels as being ‘normal’ or abnormal, you can think of them as being “at goal”, “in target” or “in range”.

Although the ADA (American Diabetes Association) provides clear guidelines for blood sugar goals for people living with diabetes, the goals usually vary depending on the time you’re checking your blood glucose.

Normal Blood Sugar:

Fasting normal blood sugar (before eating the first meal)

Normal fasting blood sugar level (no food for 8 hours) for a person without diabetes: 3.9-5.5 mmol/L (70-99 mg/dL)
American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendation for people with diabetes: 4.4-7.2 mmol/L (80-13 mg/dL)

Postprandial (Normal blood sugar two hours after meals)

Normal for people without diabetes: Lower than 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL)
American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendation for people with diabetes: Lower than 10.0mmol/L (180mg/dL)

HbA1c

Normal for people without diabetes: Lower than 5.7%
American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendation for people with diabetes: Lower than 7.0%

Blood Glucose Levels and Diabetes

what is a normal blood sugar levels — Blood Sugar Levels Chart

Most people who have been diagnosed with diabetes have wondered at some point what their blood sugar level should be.

Although the responsibility of giving patients the answer to this question rests upon your doctor, physician, nurse practitioner or whoever diagnosed you, not every diabetes patient is given blood glucose goals.

In some cases, you might have been given your glucose goals a long time ago, and they have since been forgotten. However, this shouldn’t be cause for concern – we will discuss all that.

What is blood sugar, anyway?

Blood sugar (or glucose), is glucose that is in the blood. It mainly comes from the food we eat and the main contributors to blood sugar are foods that are rich in carbohydrates, such as fruit, pasta and bread. The cells in your body need sugar for energy in order to perform various functions such as breathing, moving, learning, and thinking. The brain is the body’s command center and it uses about 50% of the energy from blood sugar.

How do things go wrong?

The pancreas is responsible for releasing enzymes and hormones that metabolize food and help the body handle the high glucose levels. Insulin is the main hormone that helps manage blood glucose levels. This is where things can go awry. If your pancreas stops making insulin or doesn’t make enough of it, blood glucose levels can rise too high (type 1 diabetes). Another possible scenario is insulin resistance, where the cells have trouble using insulin properly. This is the main cause of type 2 diabetes.

High blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) can have a wide range of symptoms in the short term, including fatigue, frequent urination and weight loss. If untreated, serious complications can arise, such as ketoacidosis. In the long run (chronic high blood sugar levels), it can lead to more serious complications such as, heart disease, nerve damage, eye disease, as well as disease.

Measuring Blood Glucose Levels

Unless your blood glucose level is too high or too low, you may not always have the signs and symptoms of either low or high blood sugar. In fact, studies show that most people with type 2 diabetes rarely have the symptoms of high blood sugar. As a result, they may go undiagnosed for several years.

One of the best ways to know your blood sugar level is to check it using a glucose meter. The procedure is quite simple and straightforward. It involves doing a finger-stick with a lancet to draw a drop of blood onto the test strip and inserting it into the glucose meter for a reading.

An alternative way of knowing your blood glucose levels is by using a continuous glucose monitor. The continuous glucose monitor (CGM) reads glucose in the fluid stored between cells (interstitial fluid) approximately every 5 minutes.

While some doctors are able to provide patients with glucose meters free of charge, continuous glucose monitoring can be expensive, and is not covered by some health plans.

Therefore, it’s important to consult your health plan for clarification whether they have any “preferred” meters.

Understanding the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia refers to a condition caused by low blood glucose levels. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy and a hormone known as insulin aids cells in absorbing and using glucose.

Hypoglycemia typically occurs with several conditions but is most commonly associated with diabetes medications, such as insulin. It is particularly common in individuals with diabetes who also have issues with food, medication, or exercise. However, other drugs and conditions can also cause low levels of blood sugar in people without diabetes. There are two types of non-diabetic hypoglycemia:

Fasting hypoglycemia, which can be linked to a disease or some medications
Reactive hypoglycemia, which typically occurs a few hours after eating a meal

What are the Symptoms of Hypoglycemia?

For most people, the symptoms of hypoglycemia usually appear when their blood glucose is 70 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) or lower. However, this number might vary between individuals and the symptoms can also be different. Common signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

Anxiety
Shakiness
Pale skin
Hunger
Sleepiness
Irritability
Numbness of the cheeks, lips or tongue
Irregular or fast heartbeat
Sweating
Crankiness
Dizziness

As the blood sugar level goes lower, symptoms can include:

Confusion
Loss of consciousness, passing out
Seizures
Blurred vision

Causes of hypoglycemia

Possible causes in people with diabetes

People with diabetes might not be responsive to insulin (type 2 diabetes) or they might not make enough of it (type 1 diabetes). This causes glucose to accumulate in the blood stream to high levels. Therefore, most people with diabetes take medications such as insulin to correct this problem by lowering blood sugar levels.

However, too much insulin may cause blood glucose levels to drop to extremely low levels, causing hypoglycemia. Other factors that can cause hypoglycemia include eating less than you normally do especially after taking diabetes drugs, or exercising more than usual.

Possible causes in people without diabetes

Causes of hypoglycemia in people without diabetes include:

Excessive alcohol consumption: Heavy drinking without eating blocks the liver from releasing glucose, causing hypoglycemia.
Medications: Taking oral diabetes medication without a prescription is one of the possible causes of hypoglycemia. Various medications, such as quinine can also cause hypoglycemia in people with kidney failure or in children.
Long-term starvation: Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, might result in low blood glucose levels.
Some illnesses: Liver illnesses such as severe cirrhosis or hepatitis can cause low blood glucose levels and ultimately hypoglycemia. Some severe kidney illnesses can also cause hypoglycemia by keeping the body from excreting medications and causing a buildup of medications which can affect glucose levels.
Hormone deficiencies: Some pituitary tumor and adrenal gland disorders can cause a deficiency of hormones that are responsible for regulating glucose production. In children, hypoglycemia can occur if they have extremely low levels of growth hormone.
Insulin overproduction: Insulinoma (tumor of the pancreas) can cause excessive insulin release, which can result in hypoglycemia. Various other tumors can also result in overproduction of insulin-like substances in the body. Enlargement of pancreas cells can cause overproduction of insulin, causing hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia after meals

Although hypoglycemia typically occurs when you’ve not eaten, this is not always the case. Sometimes the symptoms can occur after eating certain foods high in sugar, triggering the body to producing more insulin than needed. This condition is known as postprandial hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia and it can occur in people who have undergone stomach bypass surgery. However, it can also occur in individual who haven’t undergone this surgery.

Hypoglycemia Complications

If untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to:

Weakness and dizziness
Loss of consciousness
Seizure
Injuries
Falls
Motor vehicle accidents
Greater risk of dementia particularly in older adults
Death

What is Hypoglycemia Unawareness

Recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia can cause hypoglycemia unawareness, a condition whereby the body no longer produces symptoms that warn of low blood sugar level, such as irregular heartbeats and shakiness. As a result, the risk of severe hypoglycemia increases.

For people with diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness, their doctors might recommend blood sugar awareness training, raise their blood sugar level goals and modify treatment.

Under treated Diabetes

For people with diabetes episodes of hypoglycemia can be frightening and uncomfortable. This fear can cause them to modify their treatment without consulting a physician, which can cause uncontrolled diabetes. Hypoglycemia can be a life-threatening condition. Moreover, you should not change your medication dose without consulting your doctor.

Therefore, it’s extremely important to seek medical attention if you experience the symptoms of hypoglycemia or if hypoglycemia is not responding to treatment, whether you have diabetes or not.

Read more about dealing with HYPOS and HYPERS in diabetes!

The Non Invasive Glucose Meter

Post updated: 20th May 2023

Besides the inconveniences associated with being diabetic, such as monitoring what and when you eat, the greatest inconvenience is constantly monitoring the blood sugar level.

Nobody enjoys pulling out their meter consistently and having to prick their skin constantly in order to take a blood sample!

However, the development of the non-invasive glucose meter is changing all that. This means that you don’t have to stick your skin in order to get a blood sample. This is highly beneficial, especially from a pain viewpoint, and also because constantly sticking leads to the formation of scar tissue on your fingers. This makes it more difficult to get a blood sample and it requires sticking your finger deeper and harder.

This exciting development in diabetes technology will soon be available, in styles like the glucowatch, which is designed to be worn on the wrist. These meters work by drawing interstitial fluid through the sweat glands in the skin by using a small electric current.

This electric current is so small that the only real discomfort associated with using the device is some possible irritation caused by wearing the device around the wrist or arm, and this is usually no more uncomfortable than wearing a large watch or MP3 player.

There are loads of ADVANTAGES when it comes to the Non Invasive Glucose Meter

1. Ear clip:

Whether the device measures your blood glucose level using ultrasound or spectroscopy (light technology), the device will clip on your ear as you take the measurements.

2. Data storage

Every patient wants to see and categorize progress; therefore, devices such as the GlucoTrack can store thousands of readings and you can look at any particular range of dates.

3. Small and portable:

A non-invasive glucose meter is portable, small, cute, and handheld. The compact design of these devices offers a high level of privacy and diabetics can live discreetly.

4. A fast read:

The devices boost convenience because you will get accurate readings of your blood sugar level in less than 10 seconds. Therefore, these devices provide a fast, highly discrete, and simple testing experience. Moreover, testing can be done anywhere and at any time and the data sent securely to your tablet or Smartphone.

5. Living smart:

The non-invasive glucose meter such as the Glucowise uses smart cloud technology and applications that deliver personalized alerts and advice helping you to manage your condition fully.

For instance, intelligent analytics uses your historical and current data to forecast trends in the blood glucose level. This enables you to adjust your food and medication intake according to how you are feeling and your activities.!

6. Living affordably:

With a no-stick glucose meter, you can test your blood glucose level as often as you want without worrying about the pain or cost.

7. Living safely:

Besides being highly reliable, a non-invasive glucose meter offers high standards for accuracy and you can easily avoid sudden and dangerous hypoglycemic events.

By using this type of glucose meter you can have a blood glucose reading every 20 minutes for up to a 12-hour period and as many as four thousand readings can be stored in memory and viewed at the touch of a button. These types of glucose meters can also be set to alert you if your blood sugar gets too high or too low.

Read about the Dexcom G6 CGM HERE!

Latest Developments on the Non-Invasive Glucose Meter.

This type of technology is brand new, and while there have been quite a few different styles and prototypes developed, none are FDA approved as yet, but that should change in the not-too-distant future! Imagine…no more constant finger pricks, leaving us all with sore and swollen fingers – we’ll keep you posted as to when we can expect the non-invasive glucose meter to be available commercially just follow this link for more info.

Childhood Diabetes Syndrome

A 2017 report by the National Institutes of Health shows that 208,000 kids under the age of 20 years had received a diagnosis of diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) in the U.S.

Each year, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes increases by 4.8% and type 1 diabetes by 1.8%. From 2011 to 2012, 5,300 people aged 10 to 19 years were diagnosed with diabetes and 17,900 children under 20 years received a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

Children who develop diabetes have a greater risk of developing other health challenges later in life. Therefore, being able to identify the signs and symptoms of childhood diabetes syndrome helps children get early diagnosis, which gives them a chance of better outcome.

How does Diabetes affect Children?

Childhood diabetes syndrome affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. Despite being different diseases, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes affect the body’s ability to produce or use insulin. Rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the rise.

Juvenile diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes in children, is caused by the pancreas’ inability to produce insulin. As a result, cells are unable to absorb glucose from the blood, and this can result in high blood sugar levels.

Treatment:

Lifelong blood glucose monitoring and insulin use
Exercise and diet management to stabilize blood sugar levels

Although type 1 diabetes typically appears during childhood, it can occur at any time. On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is typically less common among kids, but it can occur when the body does not produce enough insulin or when insulin does not work properly. As a result, glucose can gradually accumulate in the child’s bloodstream.

How Can you Manage Childhood Diabetes Syndrome?

Maintaining a healthy weight
Changes in diet (adopt a healthy diet specifically tailored for the individual)
More exercise
Sometimes the child will need medication

The chance of developing type 2 diabetes usually increases as we get older, but kids and adolescents can also get it.

What are Symptoms of Childhood Diabetes Syndrome?

Type 1 Diabetes

The most common signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes among kids (children and adolescents) include:

Hunger
Increased urination and thirst
Blurred vision
Fruity smell on the breath
Irritability
Weight loss
Girls may develop yeast infection.

Type 2 Diabetes

Frequent urination, especially at night
Tiredness
Increased thirst
Slow healing of wounds and cuts
Itching around the genitals (might be caused by yeast infection)
Blurred vision
Unexplained weight loss

Other signs and symptoms of insulin resistance may include:

PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Dark patches of skin (acanthosis nigricans)

Type 1 diabetes symptoms in children usually develop very fast over a few weeks. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes may develop more slowly and getting a diagnosis can take months or years. Therefore, it’s important to take your child to your healthcare provider if you notice any of the above signs and symptoms.

Warning Signs of Childhood Diabetes Syndrome.

A 2012 study by Diabetes U.K. shows that only 9% of parents were able to recognize the 4 main type 1 diabetes symptoms in children. This figure increased to 14% by 2013. The inability to identify symptoms of childhood diabetes is one of the main reasons why many children only receive a diagnosis when their symptoms are severe, or even fatal.

Don’t miss the symptoms

Although children with diabetes typically experience 4 main symptoms, many children and adolescents will only have one or two symptoms. In some cases, children will show no symptoms. Moreover, if your child suddenly becomes more tired or thirsty, or urinates more frequently, you may not consider childhood diabetes syndrome a possibility. Since diabetes is typically less common among kids, some doctors may also attribute these symptoms to other illnesses. Therefore, it’s very important for parents and doctors alike to be aware of the possible symptoms of diabetes in children in order to get a diagnosis as soon as possible.

Complications of Childhood Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes

DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)

This is one of the most serious complications of undiagnosed or untreated type 1 diabetes. Encouraging your child to make healthful choices reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Diabetic ketoacidosis is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

If the body is unable to use glucose for energy due to low levels of insulin, the body starts breaking down fat for energy. This can lead to the production of ketones, which are toxic at elevated levels. A high level of ketones causes the body to become acidic leading to DKA.

A research in 2008 found that diabetic ketoacidosis was more common among children and teenagers with an incorrect and hence delayed type 1 diabetes diagnosis. In rare cases, undiagnosed or untreated type 2 diabetes can also cause DKA.

Type 2 diabetes

Younger people with type 2 diabetes have a greater chance of complication such as:

Kidney and eye disease
High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure
Blood vessel disease

Type 2 diabetes in kids almost always occurs with obesity, which has been linked to these higher risks. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes is very crucial.

More information on FAQ on diabetes HERE!

What You Should Know About Glucose in Urine

What is Glycosuria?

Glycosuria is a condition that occurs when your urine contains more glucose or sugar than it should. Some of the main causes of glycosuria include kidney damage or high blood sugar levels. Glucose in urine is a symptom of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

When the blood contains too much glucose, the kidneys may be unable to retain it all and the body excretes blood sugar through the urine. For glycosuria to occur, blood sugar concentration has to exceed 10 mmol/L or 180 mg/dl.

Glycosuria can also occur when a person has low or normal blood glucose levels. This suggests a condition known as renal glycosuria.

What is Renal Glycosuria?

Renal glycosuria is a rare condition that is typically caused by kidney damage. This condition occurs when a person’s kidneys are unable to reabsorb blood glucose despite the person having normal blood sugar levels.

As a result, glucose spills into the person’s urine in increasingly large amounts. Therefore, renal glycosuria is largely a problem with how the person’s kidneys are functioning. Glucose can also enter the urine with other substances such as uric acid and amino acids.

An example of renal glycosuria is Fanconi Syndrome, a genetic or acquired condition where the urine contains excess substances. On the other hand, people with diabetes who are taking SGLT-2 inhibitors, such as Jardiance and Invokana, might also have excess sugar in the urine.

Symptoms of Excess Glucose in Urine

A person with glycosuria can go for a long time without experiencing any significant symptoms. Urine tests can help reveal that they have the condition before the person even realizes they have it. This is usually a red flag for undiagnosed diabetes.

If untreated, glucose in the urine may cause symptoms such as:

Dehydration or extreme thirst
Extreme hunger
More frequent urination
Accidental urination
Nighttime urination

People with diabetes may also experience other symptoms such as:

Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Slow-healing abrasions and cuts
Darkened skin near areas where the skin folds such as around the neck and near armpits
Vision trouble
Frequent infections
Irritability
Unusual sensations such as tingling in the feet and hands

An abnormally high amount of glucose in the urine is usually the result of high levels of blood sugar, which usually occurs in undiagnosed and untreated diabetes. Therefore, you should talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have glycosuria accompanied by other serious symptoms, including a foggy mind or the inability to think clearly, chest pains, unresponsiveness or passing out, and seizure.

Causes of Glucose in Urine

Glucose in urine is usually caused by conditions that result in elevated blood sugar levels such as diabetes or prediabetes, especially when untreated. Common causes of glycosuria include:

Hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels)
Diabetes (affects the body’s ability to use glucose for energy)
Prediabetes (abnormally high blood sugar levels that do not meet the criteria for diabetes diagnosis)

Other causes of Glucose in Urine

Glycosuria can also be caused by other conditions that are not linked to high blood sugar levels including:

Pregnancy
Nephrotic syndrome
Kidney transplant
Benign glycosuria: an inherited trait in which the kidneys’ filtering mechanism allows glucose to pass into the urine.

Potential Complications of Glucose in Urine

Glycosuria may also be associated with serious complications. Because diabetes is one of the main causes of glucose in the urine, untreated diabetes can result in life-threatening complications. Therefore, once the cause for sugar in the urine is diagnosed, you should adhere to the treatment plan designed by your doctor to reduce the risk of serious complications such as:

Life-threatening cardiovascular complications, such as peripheral artery disease, cardiac arrest, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure (hypertension), and stroke.
Kidney failure or kidney infection
Eye problems including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, glaucoma, or blindness.
Nerve damage
Sores on feet and hands

How is Glycosuria Diagnosed?

Glucose in urine (glycosuria) can be diagnosed in several different ways, but a urine test (urinalysis) is one of the most common approaches.

For urinalysis, you’ll be asked to urinate on a test strip that will be sent to the laboratory for testing. If the amount of sugar in your urine is higher than 180mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) in a single day, you may have glycosuria.

Your doctor may also conduct a blood test to check your blood sugar level. If you have elevated blood sugar levels and diabetes has not been previously diagnosed, your doctor may also perform A1C (glycated hemoglobin) test to get detailed information about your blood glucose levels over the past few months.

How is Glycosuria Treated?

Glucose in urine is not a cause for concern if you don’t have any underlying conditions that are causing you to pass abnormally high amounts of sugar in your urine. However, if conditions like diabetes are causing your glycosuria, your healthcare provider will create a treatment plan specifically for you.

If diabetes is the cause of your glycosuria, your outlook will improve if you maintain a consistent management or treatment plan. Taking medications prescribed by your doctor, eating well, and exercising every day can keep you from developing any additional complications.

More information HERE on Diabetes complications!