Glucose Levels

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Posted on December 16, 2011 by

Glucose levels, as the name suggests, indicates how much glucose is in your blood. Otherwise known as blood glucose levels or blood sugar levels, this is usually measured to check if a person has diabetes or some other illness. Normally, glucose levels rise once you eat, since your body will extract the glucose from the food you’ve eaten, which will then be used as fuel or energy. However, some people may experience high or low glucose levels, which can lead to health problems.

Different glucose levels

There are three different types of glucose levels:

Normal. Most people have normal blood glucose levels.
High. A high glucose level can indicate hyperglycemia, a condition wherein the body is unable to produce enough insulin in order to regulate the amount of glucose in the person’s blood. Retaining a high blood sugar level can lead to ailments such as diabetes mellitus, vision and nerve problems, and increased vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases.
Low. Low glucose levels can indicate hypoglycemia. Low amounts of glucose in the system can cause weakness, even to the point of fainting.

Different glucose levels scales have been created to determine whether a person’s blood sugar level falls within normal range or not. Furthermore, different laboratories use different scales in order to determine whether the glucose levels are within normal range or not. Your doctor will also take your glucose levels into consideration vis-a-vis your other laboratory results to diagnose what your health problem is.

Tests that monitor glucose levels

There are several tests that may be conducted in order to determine and monitor a person’s glucose levels. These include:

Blood tests. Most blood tests will require a person to fast for about 8 hours before they can go through the tests. However, exceptions are made for diabetes patients, given that their glucose levels will need to be constantly monitored, especially for those who have a severe form of the condition. There are various kinds of blood tests that may be conducted in order to determine a persons glucose levels. These include:
Fasting glucose levels. The test to check for fasting glucose levels will require the patient to fast for 8 hours before getting the test.
Glucose tolerance test. After fasting, the patient will be asked to drink a sugar-water solution. A sample of his or her blood will then be tested after a few hours to check whether his or her glucose levels have risen and fallen quickly, which is a sign of diabetes.
Random blood glucose test. The normal glucose levels for the random blood glucose test are from the low to the mid-100s.
Two-hour posttprandrial blood sugar. This test measures a person’s glucose levels two hours after he or she starts eating a meal.
A continuous glucose monitor. Those who have diabetes may be asked to wear a continuous glucose monitor, which is a small sensor wire that is inserted beneath the skin in the abdominal area in order to take the person’s glucose levels every five minutes for easy monitoring.
Blood test kit. Those who will need to monitor their glucose levels regularly but not as frequently as diabetes patients who need to wear a continuous glucose monitor may be asked to use a blood test kit that allows them to see what their blood sugar levels are by putting a blood sample on a strip and inserting it in the measuring device.
Urinalysis. A person’s glucose levels may also be determined through urinalysis.

Should you monitor your glucose levels?

Not everyone is required to monitor their glucose levels. For example, those who have normal blood sugar levels don’t need to go through these tests regularly, since they don’t have any problems with their blood sugar. However, there are also individuals who will need to have their glucose levels tested. These include:

Diabetes patients. Diabetes patients have fluctuating glucose levels, which is why it is important for their glucose levels to be monitored in order to see if they still fall within the healthy range or not.. However, some diabetes patients may need more careful monitoring compared to others, given the severity of their condition. For diabetes patients who need to monitor their blood sugar levels, the most important times to check their glucose levels are upon waking up, before bedtime, and anytime when they suspect their blood sugar levels fluctuating.
Those who are suspected to have diabetes. Individuals who are experiencing some of the symptoms of diabetes may need to have their glucose levels checked in order to confirm whether or not they have diabetes.
Those who are suspected of suffering from an ailment. It’s not just diabetes that is affected by a person’s glucose levels. There are other conditions that can have fluctuating blood sugar levels as a symptom. Those who have frequent fainting spells, seizures, and other such symptoms may also need to get their blood sugar tested to check if it’s still within normal range or not.
Pregnant women. Pregnant women are at risk of developing gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes experienced by some expectant women which can later evolve into Type I or Type II Diabetes.

What happens if you have low or high glucose levels?

A low or high glucose level doesn’t automatically mean that you have a health condition such as diabetes. There are a lot of factors that can cause blood sugar levels to rise or fall. These include:

Diet. Diet is one of the biggest factors that can affect blood sugar levels. The more carbohydrates you eat, the higher the chances of having a high glucose level.
Stress. Severe stress can temporarily cause blood sugar levels to spike.
Medications. Medications such as beta-blockers, oral contraceptives, salicylates, and tricyclic antidepressants can cause blood sugar levels to rise, while drugs such as alcohol, acetaminophen, and anabolic steroids can cause blood sugar levels to fall.
Tumors. Pancreatic tumors can cause blood sugar levels to plummet, because it is unable to produce enough insulin to regulate the glucose in the bloodstream.

If you suspect that your glucose levels are outside of the normal range, be sure to consult with your doctor immediately. That way, your physician will be able to make the right diagnosis regarding your condition and will thus be able to provide a treatment program in order to remedy the problem.

Informational video on glucose levels and Diabetes from “The Doctors”

Normal Glucose Levels

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

Many people are fortunate enough to go through life without having to worry about testing for normal glucose levels in their blood. However, individuals who suffer from diabetes, individuals who may be at risk for diabetes, or individuals who are at risk for hypoglycemia, an abnormally low blood sugar level, must frequently test their blood for normal glucose levels.

Normal Glucose Levels – Tests

Specifically, a blood glucose test detects the relative amount of glucose, a particular type of sugar, in the bloodstream. Glucose is generally derived from foods high in carbohydrates, sugars that are generally key in supporting life, and is a key source of energy used by the body. Generally, glucose levels in normal individuals fluctuate, at least slightly, often depending on when meals are consumed and the nature of the foodstuffs consumed. For instance, blood sugar levels often rise after eating meals, especially if those meals are rich in carbohydrates, and an individual’s glucose level is often lowest immediately after waking up.

Thus there are different tests for normal glucose levels. There is the fasting blood sugar test, which is utilized, as the name suggests, after fasting, or when an individual goes at least 8 hours without consuming food. Another common test is the oral glucose tolerance test, a test that is administered after an individual consumes a sweet liquid. Both the fasting blood sugar test and the oral glucose tolerance test are commonly used to test for prediabetes and diabetes.

There is also the two-hour postprandial blood sugar test that is administered precisely two hours after the beginning of a meal, and the more common random blood sugar test, also known as the casual blood sugar test. The random blood sugar test, as the name indicates, is a series of readings taken randomly throughout the day, with no regard to the times at which food was consumed.

In most healthy individuals, the blood sugar levels will not vary significantly, though they will not be exactly the same, thus fairly steady readings throughout the day generally indicate normal glucose levels. Rapidly and greatly fluctuating readings, however, indicate that the individual may have health issues. With tests in hand, most doctors generally recognize readings from 60 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL as normal glucose levels, though 100 mg/dL certainly represents borderline high glucose levels. If an individual does not have normal glucose levels, in other words their blood sugar is below 60 mg/dL or above 100 mg/dL, that individual may suffer from or be at risk for certain health conditions. Specifically, an individual with very low blood sugar levels, generally lower than 60 mg/dL suffers from hypoglycemia, which can result in lethargy, shaking, weakness, sweating, and even brain damage.

Glucose levels above 100 mg/dL may indicate hyperglycemia and can also result in a slew of health issues, including organ damage. Diabetes, for instance, is best categorized as chronic hyperglycemia. With these potential health risks in mind, the importance of recognizing and testing for normal glucose levels is a key factor to health.

Normal Blood Sugar Levels

Posted on February 3, 2012 by

Blood sugar, as the name indicates, is the amount of sugar, specifically glucose, in an individual’s bloodstream. Glucose is a carbohydrate, an organic compound consisting of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. In healthy individuals, blood sugar levels, also known as blood glucose levels, are carefully regulated by the body. They tend to fluctuate, though not greatly, in accordance with sugar intake. This fluctuation, in addition to intrinsic differences in separate individuals, leads to the normal blood sugar levels comprising of a range from 60 mg/dL to 100 mg/dL, though 60 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL represent the more borderline edges of normal blood sugar levels.

Most individuals fall within this normal, healthy range. Individuals with blood glucose levels not in this range, however, run the risk of significant health issues. Hypoglycemia, for instance, is an abnormally low blood glucose level, in other words, a reading lower than normal blood sugar levels. Individuals who suffer from hypoglycemia may suffer from symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, lethargy, even more serious symptoms such as brain damage, and in extreme cases, death. On the other hand, if an individual’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal blood sugar levels, that person is hyperglycemic, a condition closely associated with diabetes.

Diabetes, is in fact, chronic or prolonged hyperglycemia. If an individual is hyperglycemic for a prolonged period of time, such as the case with diabetes, organ damage often results. Generally, hypoglycemia is much less common than hyperglycemia. Individuals who have diabetes, prediabetes, or are at risk for hypoglycemia must frequently test their blood sugar levels, to determine if they are in a safe range for their respective conditions. Thus, there are numerous tests for blood sugar levels. There is the fasting blood sugar test, also known as the fasting plasma glucose test, which is administered after eight consecutive hours of fasting, or at least eight hours following a meal. Generally, diabetics have a fasting blood sugar level of at least 126 mg/dL, clearly exceeding the established normal blood sugar levels.

Another test often used to detect diabetes is the oral glucose tolerance test, in which the patient is given a special sugary drink and then their blood sugar is tested. For this particular test, a reading of at least 200 mg/dL is a solid indicator of diabetes. The third most common test, the random blood sugar test, tests not only for diabetes but also for other health conditions relating to blood sugar levels. Instead of a scheduled test, the individual is given a series of blood sugar tests randomly, if these tests exceed 200 mg/dL the individual may very well have diabetes, and if these tests show great deviation, the individual may have other underlying health conditions. Though these tests are often designated for at risk individuals, a person who has never undergone any tests would be wise to get tested at least once for normal blood sugar levels, it would certainly be worth avoiding the serious health risks associated with high blood sugar levels or low blood sugar levels.