Glucose Levels in Blood

Glucose is the primary source of energy for the human body, and this glucose is collected in the body through various food items containing carbohydrates. At any point in time during the day, the glucose levels are usually quite low, in spite of constant fluctuations. Insulin, a hormone that is created in the pancreas of the body, is secreted for the specific purpose of regulating and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels in the body. Too much or too little of glucose in the bloodstream can cause some serious damage in the long run.

The fluctuation of blood glucose levels in the body depends on the intake and the amount of food we consume. Immediately after eating, our glucose levels are higher than normal, and immediately after we wake up in the morning, these levels are below the normal range of blood glucose levels. As the body senses a higher amount of glucose, or sugar, in the body it releases insulin in order to control these levels from escalating further and causing damage to the body, and starts the process of breaking down the glucose cells in order to derive energy for the body.

Normal Range of Blood Glucose Levels
The amount of normal levels needs to be monitored and measured for the benefit of the body, and there is a fixed range of glucose level that determines if everything is in order. The unit of measuring blood glucose levels is millimoles per liter (mmol/l), and the normal level for mammals is known to be between 4-8 mmol/l everyday. Anything lower or higher than this should be a cause for concern, and can have serious repercussions at some or the other time in the future.

The accepted range of blood glucose may vary, depending on the source of your information, but generically speaking, these are the normally expected levels. As mentioned earlier, immediately after eating, these levels are likely to go higher, but they soon subside and resume some degree of normalcy. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has publicly recommended that post meal blood glucose levels must not exceed 10 mmol/l though, as this would indicate that the person may be diabetic.

Regulation of Blood Glucose Levels
Monitoring blood glucose levels is important, as very high fluctuations in these levels over an extended period of time can end up damaging the blood vessels of the body. Due to this sustained damage, the body becomes susceptible to a range of diseases and ailments which it would not have been prone to earlier. The most common risk that the body is exposed to is diabetes. This is a very common disease across the world, and many people are regularly affected by it. Due to unhealthy levels of blood sugar, the human body is susceptible to the following conditions:

• Cardiovascular problems: A lot of heart problems are caused due to high glucose levels in the body. People are more prone to heart attacks as a result of this.
• Nephropathy problems: Problems affecting the kidneys are also regularly observed in people with unhealthy sugar levels in the blood.
• Retinopathy problems: Some eye diseases and disorders are also known to be caused by unnatural blood glucose levels, like diabetic retinopathy.
• Neuropathy problems: The most dangerous hazards in this situation are nerve disorders and diseases.

Higher and lower blood glucose levels expose a person to these different kinds of problems that cause major issues as the body grows older.

Blood Glucose Levels Tests
A sample of a persons blood needs to be taken in order to determine what their sugar level is. There are different kinds of tests that can be performed for this purpose, and the preparation steps for each type of test will vary accordingly. Given below are the different types of blood sugar level tests that can be performed:

• Fasting blood sugar (FBS) test: This is the test usually carried out for diabetics where the person is required to fast for 8 hours prior to the test. This is the most effective test that can be performed on a person.
• Random blood sugar (RBS) test: This is a normal glucose levels test, and does not consider when the persons last meal was. It can be taken at any time during the day, and even many times a day. Too many variations in the blood sugar levels throughout the day indicate the presence of some complication.
• Oral glucose tolerance test: Prior to carrying out this test the person is required to drink a sweet liquid that contains high levels of glucose in it. This test is most commonly used to detect the presence of gestational diabetes, or diabetes in pregnant women.
• Two hour postprandial blood sugar test: This test is used to measure blood glucose levels exactly 2 hours after a meal has been consumed.

The detection of diabetes, or an unhealthy amount of glucose level in the blood, calls for diabetes treatment process to start immediately, as the longer the treatment is delayed, the more complex the patients condition becomes. The widespread occurrence of improper blood glucose levels has enabled a wide range of medications and treatments to be available for this condition.