individual | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

What is a Normal Blood Sugar Level?

Though in many cases the so called normal range for blood glucose is between 60 and 120 this can vary for any number of reasons and it can be a challenge to ascertain what is a normal blood sugar level is for each individual. Glucose, which is the primary source of energy for the body’s cells, is also quite toxic at high levels and when levels are too low the body shuts down due to lack of energy.

What is a normal blood sugar level can be an extremely tricky animal to track down due to the fact that many different factors, like age, weight, underlying health conditions and even types of food eaten can cause what would be a normal blood glucose level to be wildly incorrect for the next person.

Diabetics live by knowing what is a normal blood sugar level, and keep careful records, often checking blood glucose many times per day with a device called a glucometer. A glucometer is a small device which, with the help of a specially designed test strip, is given a drop of blood. The glucometer then measures the amount of glucose in the blood. The glucometer is an invaluable asset to those suffering from diabetes or any of the associated metabolic disorders as it allows them to track and trend their blood glucose level and maintain as much as possible an acceptable blood glucose level.

If you or someone you know is a diabetic, or simply feels the need to maintain a certain blood glucose level, there are no hard and fast rules as to what is a normal blood sugar level. The only way to be sure what is normal for you is to visit your doctor and get his or her advice on what should be “normal’ for you with consideration to any other conditions that you may have.

Normal Blood Sugar Count

As the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise the question of what is a normal blood sugar count has become one of the most frequently asked questions in doctor’s offices all around the world. While there are no hard and fast rules, normal blood glucose is generally thought to be between 60 and 100 milligrams per deciliter. Though this the normal rule in some cases blood sugar levels can be affected by other underlying medical conditions, including the age, weight, and overall health condition of the patient, the only one who can determine what a normal blood sugar count for the individual is the individual’s physician.

If you are a diabetic, the best way to keep your diabetes in control and in check is by regularly checking your blood sugar level and maintaining them as close to normal as possible. Only by maintaining a normal blood sugar count can the worst of the health effects of diabetes be headed off. A healthy blood sugar level is the only way to prevent diabetes related neuropathy, blindness, kidney disease and other long term effects of abnormal blood sugar levels. Whether you have type one or type two diabetes, whether you control your blood sugar by diet alone, or with a combination of diet and medication, the blood sugar is the key to the prevention of long term detrimental health effects.

A normal blood sugar count can be maintained, but it does take a great deal of discipline, especially when it comes to counting carbs and regulating sugar intake as a means of keeping the sugar in check. Let’s face it the foods that we love the most are the ones that are highest in sugars and the kind of carbs that we shouldn’t be eating if we want to keep ourselves healthy. Regardless of the difficulty the only way to stay healthy is to wake up each morning aware of a normal blood sugar count and do what it takes to maintain it.

Good Foods for Diabetics

Good foods for diabetics are generally the kinds of foods that would be good for anyone. The key issue in controlling diabetes by diet is to eat foods that will provide good healty nutrition without throwing glucose levels abnormally high. Since glucose is a simple form of sugar which the cells of the body need for fuel and glucose is present in nearly all foods it is therefore important for the diabetic to simply limit the consumption of foods that contain high levels of sugars and carbohydrates or starches which can be converted by the body into a large amount of glucose. This limiting of the glucose, or sugar, intake has the result of decreasing calorie intake to a large degree and therefore many of the diets that sre designed for weight loss are also good foods for diabetics. This means that to help maintain a glucose level that’s not too high the diabetic should limit their intake of sweets, potatoes, breads, pasta, and rice. As a general rule, white foods contain a good deal of starch which is easily converted into large amounts of glucose.

When good foods for diabetics, or even for weight loss, is considered one key thing to remember is that high protein foods are absolutely essential to maintain the muscles and keep the body healthy. Carbohydrates must be a part of everyone’s diet because they convert into glucose which the body needs for fuel, so no healthy diet can be a simple matter of not eating, the key is to eat the right foods in the right amounts.

The best place to get advice about good foods for diabetics is from the doctor responsible for the diabetic individual’s treatment. The doctor will be familiar with the individual’s dietary needs, medications, and overall health condition and will be able to either directly offer dietary advice or put the diabetic in touch with a nutritionist for assistance.

Glucose Levels After Eating

As the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise the question of what are acceptable glucose levels after eating has become one of the most frequently asked questions in doctor’s offices all around the world.

While there are no hard and fast rules, normal blood glucose is generally thought to be between 60 and 100 milligrams per deciliter. Though this the normal rule in some cases blood sugar levels can be affected by other underlying medical conditions, including the age, weight, and overall health condition of the patient, the only one who can determine what normal glucose levels after eating are for the individual is the individual’s physician.

If you are a diabetic, the best way to keep your diabetes in control and in check is by regularly checking your blood sugar level and maintaining them as close to normal as possible. Only by maintaining a healthy blood sugar level can the worst of the health effects of diabetes be headed off. A healthy blood sugar level is the only way to prevent diabetes related neuropathy, blindness, kidney disease and other long term effects of abnormal blood sugar levels. Whether you have type one or type two diabetes, whether you control your blood sugar by diet alone, or with a combination of diet and medication, the blood sugar is the key to the prevention of long term detrimental health effects. The trouble is that it can be very difficult to maintain normal glucose levels after eating when you are a diabetic.

A healthy blood sugar level can be maintained, but it does take a great deal of discipline, especially when it comes to counting carbs and regulating sugar intake as a means of keeping the sugar in check. Let’s face it the foods that we love the most are the ones that are highest in sugars and the kind of carbs that we shouldn’t be eating if we want to keep ourselves healthy. Regardless of the difficulty the only way to stay healthy is to wake up each morning aware of attaining and maintaining healthy glucose levels after eating.

Medication for Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which some form of damage is occurring to the nerves of the body that are located outside the brain and spinal column, medication for peripheral neuropathy can be any one of a large number of drugs that are commonly prescribed.

The disease most often afflicts those who suffer from diabetes, though it can be caused by other processes. Peripheral neuropathy may involve severe pain, numbness and loss of sensation, and even problems with motor control and even autonomic function. The disease can be divided into two subgroups, mononeuropathy when only a single nerve is affected, and polyneuropathy when many different nerves are affected.

Medication for peripheral neuropathy is often dependent on which symptoms the disease presents with in a particular individual. In cases where only minor nerve damage is present and the pain and associated symptoms are also minor, over the counter pain medications may be sufficient to alleviate the symptoms. In more severe cases narcotic pain relievers are sometimes prescribed, but these are usually frowned upon due to the risk of drug dependency.

Some anti seizure medications like gabapentin and phenytoin which are generally prescribed for epilepsy have shown to be very effective in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. One of the newest types of medication for peripheral neuropathy is the tricyclic anti-depressant. Tricyclic anti-depressants are effective at treating peripheral neuropathy due to the fact that they interfere with the way the chemical pain signals are processed by the brain and spinal column.

Even though medication for peripheral neuropathy is available and can be highly effective, the best way to treat the disease is to avoid it in the first place. This is especially true for diabetics who can often head off the nerve damage before it happens of becomes too severe by keeping their blood glucose under control and following a regimen of diet and exercise.