disease | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

The Average Blood Glucose Level

Not long ago very few people ever had any concerns as to the average blood glucose level. In those days people rose early, drank coffee, ate eggs, biscuits, gravy, home fries, and any other high calorie, high cholesterol thing they could find, then went off to work with nary a though.

Those same people worked hard all day, smoked cigarettes by the pack, drank heavily and usually lived to the ripe old age of fifty or sixty before dying of heart disease, stroke, cancer, or diabetic complications. In modern times most people are a little more health conscious that their ancestors, and when you couple this with modern medicine this has led to an increase in life span and quality of life.

These days’ death and disability from heart disease, stroke, and cancer are on the decline, yet the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to climb each year. The average blood glucose level is becoming a chief concern of a growing number of people.

The average blood glucose level of a normal, healthy person is generally between 60 and 110. This isn’t a hard and fast rule however, as the average blood glucose level for the individual can vary according to age, weight, and other existing health problems, as well as time since the last meal was eaten. If you have a family history of diabetes and you start to experience increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination it may be time to be concerned with your average blood glucose level. If you experience these symptoms it is time to go see your doctor for a glucose tolerance test. Your doctor can tell you exactly what your average blood glucose level should be, and if you are diagnosed with diabetes your doctor can put you on track to knowing how to maintain your average blood glucose level.

What is a Good Blood Sugar Level?

What is a good blood sugar level? This is becoming a question that is being asked more and more often in doctor’s offices and other healthcare facilities all across the globe. In most places heart disease, stroke, and cancer rates are on the decline, but the numbers of new cases of diabetes continue to rise each year. Not long ago, very few people would have ever thought to ask such a question as “what is a good blood sugar level?” but nowadays the question may be the answer to the difference between a long and happy life and a shorter life plagued with diabetes associates health problems.

Diabetes occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells of the body have become resistant to the action of the insulin that is produced. In either case the lack of insulin action will not allow the glucose in the blood to pass into the cells to be used up for energy.

This results in a build-up of insulin in the bloodstream. Glucose, a simple sugar, is usually used by every cell in the body as fuel, but when glucose levels get too high the glucose can cause damage to nearly every system in the body. This damage may manifest itself as heart disease, kidney failure, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, or even coma and death. So, “what is a good blood sugar level?” is a very important question.

“What is a good blood sugar level?” can be a difficult question to answer due to the fact that everyone is different, but generally speaking a blood glucose level between 60 and 110 is considered normal. If you or anyone you know begin to develop the symptoms of sudden increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination it may be time to visit the doctor and ask the question, “what is a good blood sugar level for me?”

What Are Normal Glucose Levels?

What are normal glucose levels? This is the kind of question that most people never ask. Most people could care less about blood glucose levels and live blissfully unaware of how glucose levels can affect health, unless they suddenly find themselves diagnosed with diabetes.

Heart disease, cancer, and stroke rates are all on the decline, but diabetes rates are rising at a staggering rate and an increasing number of people find themselves concerned with the question of, “What are normal glucose levels?”

In order to answer the question, “what are normal glucose levels?” one should first understand what glucose is and how it works. Glucose is basically what fuels every cell in the body. When we ingest sugars and carbohydrates the body metabolizes them into glucose which is actually a type of simple sugar. The glucose goes into the bloodstream where insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, causes the cells to “open up” so that the glucose can enter the cell and be used for fuel.

Without glucose the body would cease to function as surely as trying to run a car without gas, and higher than normal levels of glucose can damage many different body systems, causing kidney damage, heart problems, neuropathies, glaucoma, or even coma and death. Like most everything in medicine the answer to the question, “what are normal glucose levels?” may vary from patient to patient based on factors such as age, weight, other health conditions, and even exercise levels. Because of this, there are no hard and fast answers, but in most cases if you asked a doctor “what are normal glucose levels?” he would answer that normal glucose levels are usually between 60 and 110 in a normal person. If you check your sugar regularly and find that it is running higher than 110 or lower than 60 it is probably a good idea to stop asking “what are normal glucose levels?” and go see your doctor to find out if your body is metabolizing glucose correctly.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a general term that means nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system. This damage may occur due to some sort of trauma to the nerves or as a result of any of several disease processes. Peripheral neuropathy may occur in any one of several varieties, but the most common type, and the type most people think of when the name is mentioned is symmetric polyneuropathy which generally effects the feet and legs and is commonly seen in diabetic patients. The reason this type of peripheral neuropathy is so common is that while heart disease and hypertension rates are currently on the decline, the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes each year continues to climb steadily each year.

The Importance of a Normal Fasting Blood Glucose

If you or someone you know has a family history of diabetes or has already been diagnosed with diabetes a normal fasting blood glucose is one of the most important things that can be had to control the detrimental health effects of the disease.

While glucose is important to the body because every cell in the body uses glucose for fuel, when glucose levels rise to the point where a normal fasting blood glucose cannot be maintained the high glucose levels can begin to damage nearly every body system. Most people are familiar enough with diabetic complications to know that highly elevated blood glucose can lead to heart and kidney problems, neuropathy, coma, and even death.

A normal fasting blood glucose is generally considered to be between 60 and 100 mg/dl, but of course this isn’t a hard and fast rule because it can be affected by age, weight, and underlying health conditions. Only a doctor can say for sure what your normal fasting blood glucose should be. Once this has been determined it is up to you as the patient to work with the doctor, keep track of your blood glucose levels, take your medications and follow dietary restrictions as prescribed. This is the only way to maintain your normal fasting blood glucose level as much as possible.

If you or someone you know begins to develop the three most common indicators of high glucose, which are increased thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination, it may be time to visit your doctor for a glucose tolerance test. This painless test involves ingesting a known quantity of a glucose solution then having your blood glucose checked periodically over what is generally a 2 hour period. In this way you will know if your body is able to maintain the normal fasting blood glucose.