BLOOD SUGAR

Blood sugar is your body’s main sources of energy and comes from the food you eat. This sugar is found in your blood while the blood carries it to all of your body’s cells to use for energy. The regular blood sugar is less than 100 mg/dL after not eating (fasting) for at least 8 hours and they’re less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating.

Too much sugar in your blood pressure may lead to a disease called Diabetes.Excess levels of sugar behave like a low-acting poison and slowly erode the ability of cells in your pancreas to make insulin. The organ overcompensates and insulin levels stay too high. Over time, the pancreas is permanently damaged. It may also cause changes that lead to a hardening of the blood vessels, what doctors call atherosclerosis. Almost any part of your body can be harmed by too much sugar. Damaged blood vessels cause problems such as:

  • Kidney disease or kidney failure, requiring dialysis
  • Strokes
  • Heart attacks
  • Vision loss or blindness
  • Weakened immune system, with a greater risk of infections
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Nerve damage, also called neuropathy, that causes tingling, pain, or less sensation in your feet, legs, and hands
  • Poor circulation to the legs and feet
  • Slow wound-healing and the potential for amputation in rare cases

DIAGNOSIS

Doctors use these tests to find out if you have diabetes:

  • Fasting plasma glucose test. The doctor tests your blood sugar levels after fasting for 8 hours and it’s higher than 126 mg/dL.
  • Oral glucose tolerance test. After fasting for 8 hours, you get a special sugary drink. Two hours later your sugar level is higher than 200.
    • Random check. The doctor tests your blood sugar and it’s higher than 200, plus you’re peeing more, always thirsty, and you’ve gained or lost a significant amount of weight. He’ll then do a fasting sugar level test or an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm the diagnosis.
  • A1C- is a blood test that checks your average blood sugar level over the past three months.

Any sugar levels higher than normal are unhealthy. Levels that are higher than normal, but not reaching the point of full-blown diabetes, are called prediabetes.

 

TREATMENT

Too high or too low blood sugar can either affect your health. In that case, a regular schedule of eating, activity, and medicines can help. For people with diabetes, it is very important to keep the blood sugar numbers in the target range. You need to check your blood sugar several times each day. The American Diabetes Association’s goals for blood sugar control in people with diabetes are 70 to 130 mg/dL before meals, and less than 180 mg/dL after meals.

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