Blood Glucose Fasting Normal Range

What Is A Fasting Blood Sugar Or Fasting Glucose Level

What’s A Normal Fasting Blood Glucose Level?

A fasting blood sugar level is the result of a blood sample taken after a patient fasts for at least eight hours. A normal fasting blood sugar level for someone without diabetes is less than 100 mg/dL, or HbA1C below 5.7%. Prediabetes is a fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL, or HbA1C of 5.7%-6.4%. Diabetes is a fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL and above, or HbA1C of 6.5% or higher. Source:Continue reading > >

Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar Level

Hyperglycemia, often known as high blood sugar, can be brought on by various factors, such as being ill, being under stress, eating more than you intended, and not taking enough insulin.

A persons pancreas secretes more insulin when blood sugar levels are too high. Their pancreas releases glucagon to increase blood sugar levels when they fall. This equilibrium aids in giving the cells enough energy while avoiding damage that persistently elevated blood sugar levels could bring.

Long-term, major health issues might develop from elevated blood sugar over time. High blood sugar symptoms include:

Incredibly fatigued
Having visual problems
A higher need to urinate

Managing your blood sugar can be challenging if you become sick. Your ability to eat and drink may be limited, impacting your blood sugar levels. Use an over-the-counter ketone test kit to screen your urine for ketones if youre sick and your blood sugar is 240 mg/dL or above.

If your ketones are high, call your doctor. High ketones may be a precursor to diabetic ketoacidosis, a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment.

Are There Any Risks With A Fasting Blood Sugar Test

No, there might not be any risks to the fasting sugar level test. It is a simple test that is based on drawing blood from the vein with almost no chance of complications. Make sure that the area is clean before the insertion of the needle and that a new needle is used to draw blood. In case you have a problem with easy scarring or continuous bleeding, put enough pressure on the site. If you notice any unusual redness or itching, visit your doctor.

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Why The Test Is Performed

Your doctor may order this test if you have signs of diabetes . More than likely, the doctor will order a fasting blood sugar test.

The blood glucose test is also used to monitor people who already have diabetes.

The test may also be done if you have:

An increase in how often you need to urinate
Recently gained a lot of weight

SCREENING FOR DIABETES

This test may also be used to screen a person for diabetes.

High blood sugar and diabetes may not cause symptoms in the early stages. A fasting blood sugar test is almost always done to screen for diabetes.

If you are over age 45, you should be tested every 3 years.

If youâre overweight and have any of the risk factors below, ask your health care provider about getting tested at an earlier age and more often:

High blood sugar level on a previous test
Blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher, or unhealthy cholesterol levels
History of heart disease
Member of a high-risk ethnic group
Woman who has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes
Polycystic ovary disease
Close relative with diabetes
Not physically active

Children age 10 and older who are overweight and have at least two of the risk factors listed above should be tested for type 2 diabetes every 3 years, even if they have no symptoms.

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What To Do When Your Blood Sugar Is High Or Low

High blood sugar can harm you. If your blood sugar is high, you need to know how to bring it down. Here are some questions to ask yourself if your blood sugar is high.

Are you eating too much or too little? Have you been following your diabetes meal plan?
Are you taking your diabetes medicines correctly?
Has your provider changed your medicines?
Is your insulin expired? Check the date on your insulin.
Has your insulin been exposed to very high or very low temperatures?
If you take insulin, have you been taking the correct dose? Are you changing your syringes or pen needles?
Are you afraid of having low blood sugar? Is that causing you to eat too much or take too little insulin or other diabetes medicine?
Have you injected insulin into a firm, numb, bumpy, or overused area? Have you been rotating sites?
Have you been less or more active than usual?
Do you have a cold, flu, or another illness?
Have you had more stress than usual?
Have you been checking your blood sugar every day?
Have you gained or lost weight?

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What Is Fasting Blood Sugar

As the name suggests, fasting blood sugar is the amount of sugar present in your blood after fasting . During these fasting hours, you cannot eat or drink anything except water. The normal range of fasting blood sugar levels varies from 70-100mg/dl. If your blood sugar level is more than this then you may have diabetes.

Fasting sugar is preferred by doctors as it is a reliable number compared to non-fasting sugar levels. After eating different types of food, our blood sugar level fluctuates differently. So, doctors, may not get a correct picture of your blood sugar level. Your doctor may also ask for fasting sugar levels to calculate your insulin resistance.

Risk Factors For Developing Diabetes During Pregnancy

There is an increased risk of diabetes during pregnancy if:

The woman is overweight
The woman is a smoker or around smokers more than average
The woman is older
There is a family history of diabetes
The woman is from an ethnic minority
There is previous history of the birth of a large baby

There is a routine antenatal test used to measure glucose levels in urine however it has been noted it is relatively unreliable for diagnosing diabetes.

Therefore blood sugar levels are checked between 26 and 30 weeks of gestation. This is done of two separate occasions using one of two tests, either the fasting glucose test or the random glucose test. In addition to this if there are any abnormal results of these tests or there is a family history of diabetes, or a woman is regarded as obese she will be offered a glucose tolerance test.

Often with gestational diabetes, the woman is advised to take a number of steps to change their diet and exercise habits to ensure the best possible pregnancy.

It is reportedly advisable to increase participation in low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates. In addition to this it is advisable to eat regular meals watching the amount of fat being eaten, remembering it is controlling the amount of fat not cutting it out of the diet completely.

Also reducing the amount of salt in the diet and ensuring that plenty of fruit and vegetables are included in the diet.

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How Can Continuous Glucose Monitoring Help You Maintain Optimal Glucose Levels

It is not uncommon for your glucose levels to increase after a meal: you just ate food that may contain glucose, and now your body is working on getting it out of the bloodstream and into the cells. We know that we want to prevent excessive spiking of glucose levels because studies show that high post-meal glucose spikes over 160 mg/dl are associated with higher cancer rates. Spikes are also associated with heart disease. Repeated high glucose spikes after meals contribute to inflammation, blood vessel damage, increased risk of diabetes, and weight gain. Additionally, the data shows that the big spikes and dips in glucose are more damaging to tissues than elevated but stable glucose levels. Therefore, you should strive to keep your glucose levels as steady as possible, at a low and healthy baseline level, with minimal variability after meals.

Keeping your glucose levels constant is more complicated than just following a list of eat this, avoid that foods. Each person has an individual response to food when it comes to their glucose levels studies have shown that two people can have different changes in their glucose levels after eating identical foods. The difference can be quite dramatic. One study found that some people had equal and opposite post-meal glucose spikes in response to the same food.

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High And Low Blood Sugar Levels With Diabetes In Adults

Normal blood sugar level | Normal Fasting blood Sugar Level | Fasting Blood Sugar Range

The chart below shows the dangerous level of blood glucose for diabetic patients. Red levels are indicators that require emergency treatment, while yellow levels indicate medical attention but not an emergency. So, it is clear that sugar levels greater than 250 mg/dl could be dangerous. It is recommended that you need to consult with the doctor immediately.

Chart of High and Low Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetes
Blood sugar level status

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High Sugar Levels Range in Adults

Blood sugar levels above 250mg/dL are considered very high. Therefore, it requires immediate medical treatment. In addition, it is recommended to have a ketones test done.

Blood glucose levels between 180 to250 mg/dL are considered high. Therefore, it may require insulin therapy and proper medication to control the high level.

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Symptoms Of Low Sugar Level

Low blood sugar condition or Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/DL.

Fluctuation in blood sugar levels may be due to the following factors:

Fast heart rates

It is possible to eliminate these symptoms with the right guidance from certified diabetes reversal coaches who understand your routine and current lifestyle and help you with diet and lifestyle changes that can be easily done by you. These small changes lead to a drastic impact on your blood sugar levels and help you reverse your diabetes.

Why Test Blood Sugar Levels

If you take certain medication, like insulin or sulphonylureas, checking your blood sugars is a vital part of living with diabetes. It can help you work out when you need to take more medication, when you need to eat something or for when you want to get up and move around more.

Routine checks can help you know when you might be starting to go too low or too high . Its a way of getting to know your body and how it works. It can help you and your healthcare team spot patterns too. Do you write your results down? You might find that helpful.

But importantly, it will help you stay healthy and prevent serious diabetes complications now and in the future. By complications, we mean serious problems in places like your feet and your eyes. This happens because too much sugar in the blood damages your blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow around your body. This can lead to very serious problems like sight loss and needing an amputation.

The higher your blood sugar levels are and the longer theyre high for, the more at risk you are.

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What Are The Blood Glucose Tests To Check The Levels

Every person, irrespective of being diabetic or not, should get routine blood glucose testing. Not only does it avert the risks of diabetes, but it also indicates possibilities of other underlying chronic illnesses that arent always diagnosed on time.

With blood glucose monitoring, several blood tests can assess the levels. Some of the most important ones include:

What Are Normal Glucose Levels For Adults And Older Children

What should my blood sugar be in the morning?

Blood sugar in the morning is also called fastingblood sugar: This is a common screening test for diabetes. It involves having an overnight fast . You will have your blood tested once for this test. These are the current rules for what this test means:

» Normal for glucose levels for non-diabetic people is blood sugarless than 100 milligrams per deciliter

» Prediabetesbetween 100 and 125 mg/dL

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What To Expect On The Day Of Test

When you are getting your fasting sugar levels checked, it is natural that you would want to be prepared for the same. Your fasting blood glucose level will be tested with a common blood draw from the vein.

The lab technician will clean the area on the inner side of the elbow to disinfect and sterilize it so that any infection can be prevented.
They will then tie a band around the upper arm that will pump up the veins with blood and make them more prominent
Then, a new and clean needle will be inserted into the vein to draw some blood into a vial.
They will remove the band and the needle and will put some pressure on the site of insertion to restrict any bleeding. They may also seal the area with cotton and a band-aid.
They will write down your personal information on the vial so that the label will help them distinguish your sample from othersâ

Once this process is done, the technicians will send your blood sample for testing to the lab. They will let you know when the results will be provided based on the type of blood test.

Factors Affecting Blood Sugar

Almost every lifestyle choice will affect your blood sugar level. Some of them are,

Rigorous exercise will affect insulin sensitivity, resulting in lower blood sugar levels for up to 48 hours.
Stress releases cortisol hormone, which can raise blood sugar levels.
Certain medications like statins and diuretics raise blood glucose levels.
Diet also has a potential impact on blood sugar. Eating too many carbs will cause high sugar, while protein gradually increases the range.
Dehydration also increases glucose levels due to less water concentration in the body.

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Normal Blood Sugar Levels For School

School-aged children should have blood sugar levels that range from 80 to 180 mg/dL. Understanding how food, exercise, stress, and growth hormones can affect their blood sugar levels is important for managing their blood sugar. Here are the daily normal levels for school-aged children:

After fasting for 8-hours

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels

What is a Normal Blood Glucose Level?

They’re less than 100 mg/dL after not eating for at least 8 hours. And they’re less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating.

During the day, levels tend to be at their lowest just before meals. For most people without diabetes, blood sugar levels before meals hover around 70 to 80 mg/dL. For some people, 60 is normal for others, 90.

What’s a low sugar level? It varies widely, too. Many people’s glucose won’t ever fall below 60, even with prolonged fasting. When you diet or fast, the liver keeps your levels normal by turning fat and muscle into sugar. A few people’s levels may fall somewhat lower.

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Why Doctors Order It

A fasting blood glucose test is done to screen for prediabetes and diabetes. It also helps doctors monitor diabetes and determine if medications and dietary changes are having an effect .

Your fasting blood glucose level is the lowest your blood sugar can be because the influence of recent meals is minimized .

Fasting blood sugar is often checked alongside HbA1c , which is a measure of your blood sugar levels over the past three months. The more sugar there is in the blood, the more it will attach to hemoglobin, raising HbA1c .

Taken together, the two offer more information than each test alone. For example, even if your blood sugar levels are very high at one random point, they may have been mostly low over the past couple of months . On the other hand, HBA1c could be higher but your glucose levels at the moment lower.

Apart from diabetes, abnormal levels can point out issues such as insulin resistance, hormonal imbalances, and pancreatic, liver, or kidney disease.

Managing Blood Sugar When Youre Ill

When you get sick, your blood sugar levels may fluctuate and become unpredictable.

If youre sick, its very important that you:

drink plenty of water or sugar-free fluids
check your blood sugar levels more often than usual
take 15 grams of carbohydrate every hour if you are not able to follow your usual meal plan
replace food with fluids that contain sugar if you cant eat solid food
continue to take your insulin or other diabetes medication

If you have a cold or flu and want to use a cold remedy or cough syrup, ask your pharmacist to help you make a good choice. Many cold remedies and cough syrups contain sugar, so try to pick sugar-free products.

As an extra precaution, you should always check with your health-care team about guidelines for insulin adjustment or medication changes during an illness.

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How To Use A Glucose Meter

Glucometers are easy to use. Take the following steps to successfully test blood glucose:

Set out the glucose meter, a test strip, the lancet device, and an alcohol prep pad.

Wash your hands with warm, soapy water.

Switch on the glucose meter, and insert a test strip when the device is ready.

With an alcohol prep pad, wipe the planned site of injection. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate.

Prick the finger with the lancet, and gently squeeze the finger until a small drop of blood develops.

Place the drop of blood on the strip.

Wait for the glucose meter to process the data.

Read the result on the screen of glucose meter.

Follow your doctors instructions in line with whichever reading shows on the screen.

Keep a log of each glucose reading, as this helps the doctors find the best treatment plan. More modern devices allow automatic storage of data.

People with type 2 diabetes normally need to test blood sugar concentrations at least once each day.

Those who need to take insulin, which includes all people with type 1 diabetes and some with type 2, have to test their blood several times a day.

An accurate reading of the blood glucose level can help achieve good diabetes control.