Normal Blood Sugar Levels, Testing & Diabetes
Your blood sugar level is an important monitoring tool for your health. It helps you determine when you’re in need of food or additional nutrients, as well as whether you have an issue that could be a sign of diabetes. That’s why many regularly monitor their blood sugar levels and invest in a diabetes blood test on occasion. This is especially important for those who have a family history of diabetes.
Let’s take a closer look at how to determine your normal blood sugar levels, as well as testing and signs of diabetes.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels
For a person without diabetes, your normal blood sugar levels should be approximately 70–99 mg/dl if you haven’t eaten recently. If you have eaten within the last two hours, then your blood sugar levels should be approximately less than 140 mg/dl. For those with diabetes, the average blood sugar rate should always rest under 5.7%.
What is Blood Glucose Anyways?
Blood glucose, or blood sugar, is present in the bloodstream due to the sugar contained in various foods you eat. All the cells in our body require glucose to perform its important functions, like giving our brain the energy it needs to absorb information and our muscles the strength they need to move. Foods that contain carbohydrates have the most glucose, like fruits, bread, and pasta.
How Does Blood Glucose Cause Problems in the Body?
Your blood glucose is processed by the pancreas, which uses enzymes like insulin to help break it down and distribute it throughout the body. However, there are often times that for one reason or another, the pancreas is unable to produce the required amount of insulin to distribute the proper amount of glucose throughout the body. Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin at all, making glucose levels in the body fall dangerously low. Type 2 diabetes is the opposite; when the body produces insulin, but the body has trouble processing the higher glucose levels.
How Do You Determine Your Blood Glucose Levels?
Unless you’re sensitive or already suffer from diabetes and know the signs of low or high glucose levels, it’s often hard to determine them without a professional diabetes blood test. One of the best ways to be sure about your glucose levels is to visit your local walk-in clinic, which can provide a test and the results in a matter of minutes.
Let us help get your glucose levels under control!
If you’re worried about your blood glucose levels, the best thing to do is get tested. Surfside Urgent Care of Laguna Beach can ensure your glucose levels are where they need to be and help identify the early signs of diabetes. Contact us online or call (949) 715-7278 or stop by our clinic for a visit today!