What is a Proper Diabetic Blood Sugar Level?

For people with diabetes maintaining a proper diabetic blood sugar levels is one of if not the most important thing in properly managing this life threatening disease. There are a whole list of complications and disorder that can and will occur in the diabetic with consistent high blood glucose levels. Controlling and managing these diabetic complications can be accomplished through proper diet, exercise, and medications.

Blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day and are affected by what you eat, insulin, and physical activities you may participate in. The problem with diabetes is your sugar levels stay high longer then they should and this is what your doctor will look for when making a diagnosis.
There are three different tests that your doctor can order that can be used to diagnose diabetes. Many times if the test ordered comes back positive your doctor will one of the other two tests to confirm the diagnosis.

The American Diabetes Association recommends the following three tests in the diagnosis of diabetes.

1. The casual plasma blood glucose level test. This is used to diagnose in conjunction with the patient exhibiting the signs and symptoms of diabetes. This test can be done at any time of the day and is not dependent on when the last meal was consumed. If the plasma glucose comes back at or above 200 mg/dL then further testing may be needed.

2. The fasting plasma glucose level test. This is done after at least an eight hour fasting period in which the patient has not eaten anything. A positive test will show a plasma glucose of greater then 126 mg/dL.

3. The two hour oral glucose tolerance test. The patient will drink a syrupy glucose solution that contains 75 anhydrous glucose dissolved in water. After waiting two hours blood is drawn and if the glucose levels are at or above 200 mg/dL then a positive diagnosis is made.

Once diagnosed the diabetic must be made aware of the importance of maintaining good blood sugar control to mitigate the complications that this disease can cause. Only through self monitoring using a blood glucose monitor can this be accomplished. In fact a monitor is something no diabetic should be without. It gives the diabetic metabolic control and keeps the chances of hypo or hyperglycemia at a minimum.

A diabetic blood sugar level should be maintained in the 70 to 120 mg/dL range before a regular meal and should be in that range four or five hours after the last snack or meal. Blood sugar does rise after eating a meal or snack, this is normal, but it should drop to below 200 mg/dL two hours after eating.

Tight control of blood glucose levels is an important part of any diabetes treatment program. Doing so lessens the chances of kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease, and vision problems that this disease causes.(Brandy Serena)

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