low blood sugar | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

Normal Random Blood Sugar Levels

Normal random blood sugar levels fall within a standard range of between 70mg/dl to 150mg/dl. This variation can be attributed to various factors including the time, type, and volume of food consumed during previous meals.

When you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, pancreatic secretions of glucagon and insulin regulate the glucose levels. However, the main problem arises when the pancreas does not secrete sufficient amounts of insulin to convert glucose into energy.

The condition of extremely high blood sugar is known as Hyperglycemia which can damage various organs resulting in kidney damage, nerve damage, loss of vision, and heart disease. The other extreme of low blood sugar is known as hypoglycemia and the patient might lose consciousness in case the blood sugar level is too low.

In case your blood sugar level does not fall within the normal range, appropriate action should be taken to diagnose the condition. Here are some tests to help diagnose diabetes and help diabetics ascertain how to manage the disease in the best way possible.

Random Blood Glucose Test

Normal random blood sugar levels

Random blood glucose tests are used to measure the amount of blood sugar or glucose circulating in your blood. Random blood sugar levels are used to determine whether you’re likely to have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. However, other tests are usually necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

What is random blood sugar testing?

Random glucose tests measure the amount of blood glucose at any given time during the day. Many blood glucose tests involve either continuous or fasting monitoring, but a random blood sugar test does not. However, random tests are particularly useful for someone who needs a speedy diagnosis and medical attention. Moreover, random blood sugar testing is an essential tool for diabetics because it helps determine how well the condition is being managed.

Reasons for random testing

Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to produce, release or use insulin once sugar is converted to glucose. Therefore, your doctor might recommend a random blood sugar test if you’re showing symptoms of diabetes. Early signs and symptoms of diabetes include:

Excessive thirst and urination
Blurred vision
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Slow healing of cuts, bruises, and wounds
Tingling in legs and arms (diabetic neuropathy as a result of uncontrolled diabetes)

Type 2 diabetes tends to develop slowly and symptoms can be hard to detect especially during the early stages.

Random glucose testing and diabetes management

In people without diabetes, blood sugar levels are controlled through the actions of insulin and the cells’ use of glucose for energy. Therefore, their random blood glucose test results would remain relatively stable over the course of the day. There are no significant changes even if they:

Experience stress
Eat at different times of the day
Vary their diet

However, if you have prediabetes or diabetes, your random blood sugar levels can vary significantly throughout the day, especially if the disease is not managed well.

Random blood sugar tests are performed outside the normal testing schedule. If you have normal random blood sugar levels, you may not be suffering from diabetes. However, as mentioned earlier, your doctor may recommend additional tests to confirm the diagnosis. On the other hand, if you have diabetes and your random blood sugar levels are within the acceptable range, your management plan is probably working.

Wide variations in your random blood sugar levels typically suggest the need to change your strategy. It is essential to ensure that your random blood sugar levels are within the normal or acceptable range to avoid the complications caused by consistently high blood sugar levels.

When to test

For people with diabetes, it’s very important to pay attention to the symptoms. If you’re experiencing any signs of low blood sugar, test immediately. Random blood sugar tests can help you detect hyperglycemia and reduce the risk of serious and potentially fatal complications.

If you have diabetes, testing your blood sugar levels at various different times over the course of the day is very important as it can help you manage your condition more effectively and lower the risk of serious diabetes complications.

If random glucose test results indicate that your blood glucose levels are higher than expected, the doctor usually orders follow-up tests to confirm the diagnosis. Follow-up diabetes tests usually include:

Fasting glucose test:

This blood sugar test measures the blood glucose level after staying for at least 8 hours without eating or drinking anything except water. The fasting blood sugar level for a healthy person ranges between 70 mg/dl and 100 mg/dl. If the fasting glucose level exceeds 125 mg/dl for two consecutive tests, the person might be suffering from diabetes. Fasting glucose tests are usually performed in the morning before you’ve had breakfast.

OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test):

Sometimes, people with diabetes can demonstrate normal blood glucose results in the random test or fasting test yet still have diabetes.

If your doctor suspects that you have diabetes, they usually recommend an oral glucose tolerance test which also requires you not to drink or eat for at least 8 hours. After the doctor takes the first blood sample, you’ll drink a glucose solution and then the doctor will take more samples over the next 2 hours.

This test is usually used to evaluate the body’s response to sugar. The present blood sugar level is measured first after which a glucose solution (175 gm glucose) is given to the patient. After this, the blood glucose level should be measured at 30-minute intervals six times. For non-diabetics, the blood sugar level does not rise above 140 mg/dl at any time.

However, a blood glucose level of between 140 mg/dl and 199 mg/dl indicates that the person might be pre-diabetic. A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dl or more suggests that the person is suffering from full-blown diabetes. The main objective of a glucose tolerance test is to assess the reaction of your body to the sudden influx of glucose.

Glycated Hemoglobin Test:

Although the glycated hemoglobin test is not for the diagnosis of diabetic conditions, this test shows how well the patient has been managing diabetes for the past 3 months. These normal blood sugar levels should always be less than 7%. In case the level is above 7%, it is vital for the doctor to change your treatment plan.

Managing the blood glucose level (and maintaining normal blood sugar levels) is a vital aspect of controlling various diabetic conditions. Moreover, you can test your blood sugar from anywhere by simply using the correct equipment and paying attention to directions. You should also keep a good record of your test results in order to identify potential problems.

Interpreting random blood sugar test results.

The amount of glucose in your blood is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Normal random blood sugar levels for a person without diabetes should be below 200 mg/dL.

According to one 2015 study, random glucose test results of over 100 mg/dL is a great risk factor for diabetes. A result of 200 mg/dl or more indicates that you may have diabetes. However, the doctor may repeat the random test on another day and recommend a different test for a reliable diagnosis.

Help yourself to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar Levels!

You know a lot of diseases can be managed and even reversed, by regular exercise, a good healthy eating plan, (monitored carefully by your health care professional), keeping well hydrated, and getting plenty of rest.

Read on here for more about Diabetes and Diet.

Best Treatment for Low Blood Sugar?

Maintaining your blood glucose levels within the target range can help delay or prevent serious health complications. Although this is very important, close management of blood glucose levels can also increase your risk for hypoglycemia.

Levels below 70 mg/dL are considered low. In case you suspect your blood sugar level is low, be sure to check it and treat it.

If left unresolved, low blood glucose can be very dangerous. Therefore, it’s important for people with diabetes as well as their caregivers to know how to treat it quickly and properly.

You are at a higher risk of having low blood sugar reactions if you:

Delay or skip a snack or meal
Exercise
Consume alcohol without eating carbs
Eat too few carbs or administer too much insulin

Check your blood sugar level if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Sweating
Fatigue and/or weakness
Anxiety
Headache
Increased heartbeat
Shaking
Dizziness

Follow the 15-15 rule

If your blood sugar level is between 55 and 69 mg/dL, you can raise it using the 15-15 rule.

Have 15 grams of carbohydrates and check it after 15 minutes.

If your blood sugar is still not within your target range, repeat this procedure until it’s within the target range. After raising it to your target level, eat a snack or nutritious meal to prevent it from getting too low again.

Items that have 15 grams of carbohydrates include:

½ cup (4 ounces) of regular soda or juice (apple, orange, pineapple, grape, prune, or cranberry juice).
1 tsp of syrup, honey, or sugar.
Gumdrops, jellybeans, hard candies (check the food label for the amount you should eat).
1 dose (1 tube) of glucose gel (follow instructions).
3-4 glucose tablets.
12 gummy bears
6 large jelly beans
15 skittles
4 starburst
5 small gumdrops
1 tube glucose gel
3-4 glucose tablets
5 lifesavers
1 tsp sugar in water
1 cup fat-free milk
1 small orange
15 grapes
1 small apple
½ banana
½ cup applesauce
2 tsp of raisins

Note: The foods listed above are easily absorbed and will raise blood sugar levels quickly. Foods that contain protein or fat – such as chocolate, candy bars, ice cream, cookies, crackers, and bread – don’t raise blood sugar quickly enough.

Tips you should keep in mind

Young kids usually require less than 15 grams of carbohydrates, especially toddlers and infants. Your doctor can provide guidance on how much carbs your child needs.
Avoid eating carbs rich in fiber, such as lentils or beans, or carbs that have fat. Fat and fiber slow down the absorption of sugar.
Raising your blood sugar takes time. Allow some time for the 15-15 treatment to work.
When the risk of lows is high, check your blood sugar more often. The risk of lows is higher when you travel or when the weather is hotter.

How do you treat severely low blood sugar?

If your blood sugar is below 55 mg/dL, it is considered too low and you may be unable to regulate it using the 15-15 rule. In fact, checking your blood sugar or treating it by yourself might be impossible, depending on the symptoms.

Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your caregivers, friends, and family know the signs of severely low blood sugar so they can help with treatment if needed.

One of the best ways of treating severely low blood sugar is using glucagon. However, a glucagon kit requires a prescription. Consult your healthcare provider to see if you need a kit and learn when and how to use it. Inform those close to you (friends and family members) where you keep the kit and train them on how to use it.

Contact your healthcare provider for emergency treatment after administering a glucagon injection. In case the person passes out (faints) due to extremely low blood sugar, they typically wake up 10-15 minutes after the injection. Administer one more dose if they don’t wake up 15 minutes after the glucagon injection.

Once they wake up and are able to swallow:

Feed them fast-acting sources of sugar (fruit juice or regular soft drink).
Have them eat long-acting sources of sugar (a sandwich with meat, cheese, and crackers).

It is important that people you are around often (family, friends, teachers, co-workers, and coaches) know how to test blood sugar and treat low blood sugar as well as severely low blood sugar. Medical IDs such as necklaces and bracelets can be critical in keeping diabetes patients healthy and safe. Emergency medical responders are usually trained to look for medical IDs when caring for people who are unable to speak for themselves.

When should you call 911?

Your helper, relative, or friend should call 911 if:

You’ve passed out and a glucagon kit is not available.
You had a glucagon injection but are still feeling confused.
You’ve had the first dose of glucagon but have not woken up after 15 minutes
Your blood sugar is still low 15-20 minutes after administering treatment or does not respond to the usual treatment

After treating low blood sugar

If you had mild low blood sugar (55-69 mg/dL), you can resume your normal activities after successful treatment. Be sure to confirm whether your blood sugar is in your target range.

Early signs of low blood sugar may go unnoticed for 48 to 72 hours. Check your blood sugar level more often to ensure it’s within your target range, especially before physical activity, driving a car, or eating.

If you administered glucagon injection to treat severe low blood sugar (below 54 mg/dL), call your doctor immediately for emergency treatment. Moreover, if you have had several lows close together (whether severe or not), be sure to notify your doctor. They may recommend changing your diabetes treatment plan.

Keep an accurate record of your numbers

If low blood sugars continue to occur, be sure to share your insulin, blood sugar, food, and physical activity logs with your healthcare provider.

They will look for patterns and may be able to prevent lows by changing the amount and timing of your meals, physical activity, and insulin.

What are High Blood Sugar Numbers?

The question of “what is high blood sugar numbers?” is a valid one. A person who has diabetes, heart problems, hypoglycemia or some other medical condition should carefully monitor his or her blood sugar level. If a person’s blood sugar level is more or less than what it should be, this could cause serious heart problems.

What is an Average Blood Sugar Range?

Medical website lifeclinic.com notes that the average person should have a blood sugar level ranging from 70 mg/dl to 120 mg/dl most of the time. Blood sugar up to 140 mg/dl is acceptable right before bedtime. However, each person is different and some people do have a different “safe range” than the one noted above. This range can vary for reasons such as age, family history, eating patterns, daily sugar intake and even ethnic background.

Consulting a medical professional is the only way for a person to establish his or her safe blood sugar average.

What are High Blood Sugar Levels for the Morning?

The question of what’s considered high numbers for blood sugar in the morning, is difficult to answer across the board for everyone, but generally speaking a person should never have more than 200 mg/dl at this time.

It is interesting to note that even healthy people can expect to have high morning blood sugar numbers.

The reason for this is that your body produces extra blood sugar between three and eight in the morning. At the same time, hormones are released that lower your sensitivity to the high blood sugar level.

The fact that the body makes extra blood sugar for the morning is not bad; in fact, it helps to prepare the body for the day. However, if your blood sugar number is too high, it could indicate that he or she has out of control diabetes and/or needs to make some dietary changes.

High Blood Sugar Level Effects on the Heart and Lungs

Along with the question of “What is high blood sugar numbers” you should also ask the question, “How does high blood sugar affect my heart?” Too much sugar in the blood will cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

This can result in heart palpitations, an inflammation of the membranes around the heart or even cardiac arrest. Research has determined that having overly high blood sugar for an extended period of time can and does impair lung function. It can make it more difficult for a person to breathe and can exacerbate a lung condition known as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

What Happens if you Ignore High Blood Sugar Numbers?

If you leave high blood sugar untreated, it can cause the body to start shutting down, organs to start being overworked and a person’s body to go into shock. If a person starts having high blood sugar numbers and leave them untreated or does not administer the proper amounts of insulin when needed the person can start showing symptoms such as :

rapid heartbeat,
stroke,
dizziness
and even can go into a diabetic coma.

Generally a high blood sugar number is considered high if the number falls over 150-177 range, but due to body mass, age and heredity the numbers can vary from person to person.

How Often Should I Monitor Blood Sugar Readings?

When a person is first diagnosed as being a diabetic they are asked to monitor their blood glucose readings very closely normally 2-3 times a day because this will allow the doctor and patient to determine what a high blood sugar number as well as a low number for that specific patient.

If the patient’s blood glucose numbers fall within those categories then they need to contact their doctor or seek treatment immediately, don’t let the symptoms go untreated for long periods of time because if so you could be doing more damage to your body than you realize.

Read about normal sugar levels for diabetics and non-diabetics HERE!

Final Thoughts on Blood Sugar Numbers

So the answer to the question “what is high blood sugar numbers?” is that any number over 120 mg/dl – 140 mg/dl is too high. However, a person who has just woken up should not be alarmed to find that he or she has very high blood sugar.

As with any medical diagnosis always listen to your doctor and follow his or her instructions, although it may be difficult, their advice can help save your life.

More on what is considered high blood sugar HERE

The Dangers of Extremely High Blood Sugar Levels

There are many dangers of having an extremely high blood sugar level. When the insulin levels are low the glucose skyrockets, which can permanently damage the body. The damage that the body can sustain includes heart damage and the increased chance of getting:

heart disease
nerve damage
blindness and
kidney damage

which can be life threatening in the end. Extremely high blood sugar symptoms include tiredness, dehydration, a very dry mouth, vomiting and nausea, excessive urination, stomach pain and other side effects. Hypoglycemia, or extremely low blood sugar, is also very dangerous and can lead to fainting, dizziness, confusion, hunger, feeling sweaty or clammy, increased heartbeat and other serious life threatening problems that can be dealt with by adding some simple sugar to the system.

If your blood glucose levels remain too low, or too high, for a long period of time, this can cause what is called a diabetic coma.

So what happens when a person goes into a Diabetic Coma?

It is a life-threatening complication of diabetes that causes unconsciousness – if you don’t seek medical help immediately, this can be fatal. All people with diabetes are at risk of diabetic coma. The very first this you would do if faced with this situation is to call 911. This is an emergency situation.

Treatment for a diabetic coma

Hyperglycemic diabetic coma: Which is if you have extremely high blood sugar levels, the medical professional will administer insulin and rehydrate the patient.

Hypoglycemic diabetic coma: The patient would be injected with glucagon and give glucose.

How to Care for Extremely High Blood Sugar.

Monitoring your blood glucose levels constantly: helps diabetics to avoid the complications that can arise. This is done with a blood glucose meter. There are many different kinds of meters to choose from. Many of the meters available today are quite small and easy to use.

Most of the meters available have fast test times, only really require a tiny blood sample and you are able to download the results to keep good records of your levels.

Here’s some of the popular, portable and preferred pocket-sized meters you may want to look into:

Lifescan One Touch Ultraeasy
Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle
Accu-Chek Mobile
Accu-Chek Aviva Nano
Truone by Home Diagnostics
Bayer’s contour Next USB

Diets can easily help with your extremely high blood sugar.

The correct diet for diabetes, will certainly help to lower your high blood glucose levels and maintain them. The foods you choose to eat can be so important to your overall health and wellbeing. What you eat can make an enormous difference to your blood sugar levels, to your cholesterol and also your blood pressure levels.

These days we are advised by our diabetes health care professionals to focus more on creating healthy eating patterns, lower in saturated fats and higher in fiber, and our overall weight control.

High Fiber Foods:

High fiber foods are beneficial as they have a low glycemic index. They regulate blood sugar metabolism and improve the health of the digestive system. A fiber-rich diet is generally lower in fat and sugar and makes you feel “fuller” for longer! You can find soluble fibers in oat bran, barley, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seed husks and flaxseed.

Plant Foods:

All fresh, whole, unprocessed plant foods are beneficial. Below are a few of these listed, that have been shown to improve blood sugar management.

Green tea
coffee
cocoa
black rice
Pumpkin, beans, eggplant
Blueberries, black currants, raspberries and strawberries

Protein Foods:

Animal proteins that contain very little carbohydrates will reduce the glycemic index of foods they are eaten with and help to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Lamb is a great option. Free range preferably organic chicken is a good source of protein – but the best you could probably get would be fish! Make sure it’s wild fish though, as fish farming is becoming an increasing problem with all the chemicals and the antibiotics used in the farming processes.

Exercise is Vital for Extremely High Blood sugar

I’m sure we could probably all gain from a few lifestyle changes – one of the main one being exercise! Some of these changes can certainly be challenging, but if you have diabetes, you really do need to make them a priority in your life. It’s no secret that losing those extra kilos and keeping them off, will definitely help to control your blood sugar levels. Apart form losing weight, regular exercise also increases insulin sensitivity. It’s recommended that a diabetic perform at least two and a half hours of medium to vigorous intensity exercise in a week. some examples would be fast walking, swimming, jogging, water aerobics.

So talk to your doctor about lowering your dangerously high blood sugar levels!.

Facts on What is Good Blood Sugar Level

What is good blood sugar level?

This is a question everyone should know the answer to. A blood sugar test measures the amount of a particular type of sugar, glucose, in the blood. Knowing and maintaining a normal blood sugar level ensures that the body continues to function properly. It is also important to know what levels indicate high or low blood sugar levels. They could be indicators of other underlying conditions.

Test that Determines What a Normal Blood Sugar Level is.

Blood tests vary depending on when blood is taken. The fasting blood sugar test is done after going eight hours without eating or drinking anything except water.

This is usually done before breakfast or a morning dose of insulin is taken. Good blood sugar levels are expected to fall between 70 and 99 milligrams per deciliter. If it is 126mg/dL or more, it is high. If it is 40mg/dL it is too low.

Post-Meal blood sugar level is done exactly two hours after you start to eat your last meal. This level is expected to be higher than at any other time. This is because it takes about two hours for any carbohydrates you have eaten to be converted into glucose and absorbed into the blood. Normal blood sugar levels range between 70 and 145 milligrams per deciliter. Random tests are done to measure blood sugar level at any time of the day. If sugar levels are normal then the results will not vary much. Normal blood sugar levels range from 70 to 125 mg/dL. If it is 200ml/dL, it is too high.

What It Means When Test Shows Levels are Above or Below Normal Blood Sugar Levels

When blood sugar level is high, it could mean that there is insufficient insulin in your blood. Diabetes may be the cause of this. If glucose levels remain high, it could cause damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves. Other tests will have to be done to accurately determine whether you have diabetes. When levels fall below what is good blood sugar level, it could indicate high amounts of insulin in your system. This comes about due to the presence of a tumor that is releasing too much insulin, malnutrition, eating disorders, or hypothyroidism.

Importance of Knowing Normal Blood Sugar Levels

It is important to know what range your blood sugar should be in. To fully appreciate the importance of this, you should know what higher and lower levels mean to your health. Simple blood tests can be carried out to determine these levels. Some of the tests require a bit of preparation, but the casual (random) test needs none. Before concluding that you have any other underlying condition, it is advisable that you have a doctor carry out more tests to accurately measure your blood sugar levels.

Random Blood Glucose Test