Blood Sugar Range

Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the concentration of sugar present in the bloodstream of an individual. It is one of the vital signs used for examining the general health of healthy people and patients as well. Glucose being the primary source of energy for carrying out metabolic processes, its amount in the blood signifies a lot about the fitness of the body. A very low or very high level indicates underlying medical problems. This is how normal blood sugar range is used as a reference reading to detect health conditions.

Blood Sugar Test

In order to find out blood sugar range, certain testing methods are developed, pertaining to blood and urine. Since glucose is circulated to the body parts via blood, there is no question for sampling blood to test blood sugar range. Glucose from the blood, when not taken up by the body cells and tissues, is excreted in the urine. Thus, laboratory urine test is also performed for determining blood glucose range. As far as reliability is concerned, blood glucose levels are used more frequently than urine readings.

There are three types of blood glucose tests - fasting, random and post prandial. The first method requires the candidate to fast for 8-10 hours before taking blood sample. In case of random test, blood is drawn randomly at any time of the day for testing. Last but not the least, post prandial is performed after 2 hours of having meals. In addition to these, a series of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT ) is conducted to detect abnormal blood glucose levels.

Blood Sugar Range

The amount of sugar in the blood fluctuates at particular times of the day. For example; it is lowest in the morning before breakfast, whereas blood sugar range after meals is higher and remains high for about 2 hours. Besides these exceptions, if the levels remain persistently low, the condition is referred to as hypoglycemia. In contrary to this, high blood sugar levels for an extended period is called hyperglycemia, a profound symptom of diabetes.

Coming to the topic of our discussion, blood sugar range, it is crucial to educate ourselves about normal readings. The same is for children, who may manifest diabetes symptoms even in their growing years. The recommended blood sugar range for children is 70-99 mg/dl (milligrams/deciliter) before breakfast and 70-139 mg/dl within two to hours of having meals. In case of low blood sugar levels, signs are hunger, trembling, sweating, confusion and anxiety. Some of the common diabetes symptoms include increased thirst, urination and fatigue.

In case of adults, the normal blood sugar levels are 80-120 mg/dl before breakfast, 160 mg/dl or less within two hours of having meals and 100-140 mg/dl at bedtime. For pregnant women, there is an exception to these healthy blood sugar ranges. This is because of insulin and other hormonal changes that occur during the stages of conceiving a baby. According to health experts, normal blood sugar range during pregnancy is 70-130 mg/dl before meals, and 180 mg/dl or less after meals. Women with readings higher than these values should go for further testing to detect gestational diabetes symptoms.

Both healthy individuals and diabetics benefit from monitoring blood sugar range periodically. That way, healthy people can diagnose high blood glucose (if any) in the early stages. While for diabetic patients, regular checking of blood glucose helps keep diabetes under control. Those who are following diabetes medication or home remedies will be able to identify improvement signs. You should opt for blood glucose monitors, with which you can conveniently measure blood sugar range at home, without visiting the doctor's clinic.