A blood sugar level or blood glucose level is the measurement of how efficiently a person’s body is processing the glucose that is ingested via the diet. Test outcomes might be gathered by a simple finger stick with a glucometer or using a conventional lab venipuncture. You will find various lab tests that can ascertain blood sugar levels at a number of stages, such as a fasting, random, 2-hour glucose tolerance check, and glycated hemoglobin test. Most of these tests evaluate blood glucose levels using a simple procedure, but the final results will be able to differentiate among regular, pre-diabetes, and type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Now there might also be additional indicators present which might be indicative of your blood glucose level being too low or too high.
Most of the time a blood sugar level is drawn randomly, unless the primary care provider has specifically requested a patient to fast prior to having the test performed. A random test does not take into consideration the last time a person ate a meal or a snack. According to the Mayo Clinic, a usual random reading ought to be less than 100 mg/dL; pre-diabetes is suggested if the level is greater than 100 mg/dL but less than 199 mg/dL. A level above 200 mg/dL or greater is indicative of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A fasting blood sugar level is drawn after an eight hour period with no food or beverages with sugar or calories. This check is normally drawn first thing in the morning, and is considered normal if the level is below 70 mg/dL. If diabetes is suspected after preliminary tests, then a 2-hour glucose tolerance check is ordered. Fasting is also required for this check to get accurate outcomes. Patients first drink a sugary liquid and then have their blood drawn two hours later. A normal reading is less than 140 mg/dL, pre-diabetes is suggested if level is between 140-199 mg/dL, and type 1 or type 2 if level is 200 mg/dL or higher. The glycated hemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C test is used not to diagnose diabetes, but to manage ongoing treatment. It measures the average blood sugar level for the previous three month period, and indicates how well diabetes has been managed during that time.
It is recommended that everyone have their blood sugar level checked from time to time to make sure that glucose is within the standard range. Low and high blood sugar levels are typically accompanied by symptoms which might be related to how low or high glucose is within the bloodstream. Once diabetes is diagnosed, patients are instructed to check their blood sugar levels usually for proper management of their disease, cut out refined sugar from the diet, get enough exercise on a regular basis, and follow their prescribed plan of care for the best results.
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