Monitoring of the blood sugar is very important. It allows the doctor to make necessary changes in your medication in order to maintain proper control of your blood sugar. Blood glucose monitoring is encouraged especially in diabetics who are:
- Pregnant
- Having very high or very low sugar
- Taking insulin
- Taking multiple medications
- Diagnosed with diabetes for the first time
The sugar in you….
The normal blood sugar level is 72 mg/dL. Under normal healthy and dietary conditions, your body can efficiently maintain a blood sugar level ranging from 82 to 110 mg/dL. Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet may cause fluctuations in sugar levels in your blood.
Glucose or sugar is released in your bloodstream as you have foods rich in carbohydrates like rice, pasta, breakfast cereals, fruits and bread.
Digestion of the consumed food releases the sugars stored in your food. So, the amount of sugar levels reached largely depends on the food items you consume.
Blood sugar levels caused by food can be measured by what is called the Glycemic index (GI). GI measures the rate at which your blood sugar levels increase after eating. Doctors calculate this index by measuring your blood sugar levels two hours after the meals, when your food gets digested. The measurements are analyzed on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 is the measure of sugar levels after consuming pure glucose.
Ideally, post-prandial (after meals) blood sugar levels should not increase above 140mg/dL. Also, blood sugar levels are at the lowest in early mornings. Measurement of blood sugar levels in the morning after about eight hours from your last meal is called the fasting blood sugar test. The fasting blood sugar levels lie in the normal range of 70 to 100mg/dL. Impaired glucose tolerance, also called the Prediabetes ranges from 101mg/dL to 126mg/dL above which Diabetes is diagnosed.
The highs and lows of sugar
Although following a balanced diet and having moderate exercise everyday can save you from the highs and lows of your blood sugar levels, the hikes and the dips from the normal range may come without prediction sometimes. The increase in blood sugar level usually comes gradually, but a low blood sugar state can happen suddenly.