Dangerous Blood Sugar Levels
Do you have dangerously high or low blood sugar levels? If you do, perhaps it is high time that you get them down to the normal blood sugar levels prescribed below.
Blood Sugar
What is blood sugar? Something which surely fills our hearts with dread. Its mere mention is potent enough to spark off discussions ranging from obesity to heart disease and diabetes. But what is blood sugar?
Let's get down to the basics. The food we consume contains various nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Out of these, let us veer our discussion to carbohydrates. When we consume carbohydrates, we need to break them down in order for them to be of use to the body. So both the simple and complex carbohydrates are broken down into various substances during the process of metabolism, which includes glucose. When we talk about a normal blood sugar range, we are actually referring to the amount of glucose present in the blood at a point of time. This glucose is transported to the individual cells in the body by the blood and is used by the cells to fuel their daily activities.
So we see that glucose isn't all bad. It is one of the most important food nutrients which fuels the body. And now, to the bad part.
Dangerous Glucose Levels
The problem with glucose levels is that whether high or low, they are both very troublesome. High glucose levels, known as hyperglycemia may lead to complications like eye problems and kidney failure. Hyperglycemia is also said to lead to expulsion of amino acids and proteins from the body. A lower than normal glucose range is known as hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is associated with lack of energy in the body, headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Thus you can see that if your glucose levels are lower or higher than the normal glucose levels, it can still cause problems to the body.
Hence, when we talk about abnormal sugar levels, we need to look at both low blood sugar levels and elevated blood sugar levels. There are three main types of tests to measure the amount of sugar in the blood. The first is known as the fasting blood glucose test, where the person undergoing the test is not supposed to eat anything for 8 hours before the test. Hence, the actual and ideal sugar levels for this type of test are understandably lower. The second type of test is known as the 2-hour postprandial test. In this test, the person is not supposed to eat anything for 2 hours before the test. Hence the actual and ideal blood sugar levels for this test are understandably higher, as the sugar is still present in the blood. The third type of test is known as the 'random blood glucose test which can be taken at any time of the day. So here's a table which shows the normal as well as the abnormal blood sugar levels in each test.
Fasting Blood Glucose Test
| Blood Sugar Level (mg/dl) | Category |
| Less than 70 | Low Blood Sugar Levels |
| 70 - 100 | Normal Blood Sugar Level |
| 101 - 126 | Pre-Diabetes/Impaired Glucose Tolerance |
| More than 126 | Diabetic Blood Sugar Level |
Postprandial and Normal Blood Glucose Tests
| Blood Sugar Levels (mg/dl) | Category |
| Less than 100 | Low Blood Glucose Level |
| 100 - 140 | Normal Blood Glucose Level |
| 140 - 200 | High Blood Sugar Level |
| More than 200 | Diabetic Blood Sugar Level |
So this was all about normal and abnormal blood sugar levels. If you have high blood sugar levels, you ought to follow the diabetic diet. A hypoglycemia diet is recommended for those with lower blood sugar.
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