Blood sugar levels are the amount of glucose or glucose in the blood. Although it is constantly undergoing changes, blood sugar levels need to be maintained within normal limits so there is no disruption in the body.
Blood sugar levels are influenced by the intake of nutrients from food or drinks, especially carbohydrates, as well as the amount of insulin and the body's sensitivity to insulin. Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low will have a negative impact on health, both in the short and long term.
What Happens if Blood Sugar Is Too High?
Blood sugar levels are said to be too high if they exceed 200 mg / dL. The medical term for blood sugar levels that are too high is hyperglycemia.
Hyperglycemia can occur when the body does not have enough insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas. Insulin functions to spread sugar from the blood to all body cells so that it can be processed into energy.
High blood sugar can also occur when body cells are not sensitive to insulin, so sugar from the blood cannot enter the cells for processing.
High blood sugar is often experienced by diabetics who do not lead a healthy lifestyle, for example eating too much, not exercising enough, or forgetting to take diabetes medications or insulin. In addition, high blood sugar in diabetics can also be triggered by stress, infection, or taking certain drugs.
Normal people who don't have diabetes can also get hyperglycemia, especially if you are experiencing severe pain. Signs you have too high blood sugar levels are the body feels tired, appetite is very high, body weight decreases, often feel thirsty, and urinate frequently.
If the blood sugar level reaches 350 mg / dL or more, the symptoms that can appear are very thirsty, blurred vision, dizziness, anxiety, and decreased consciousness. In addition, the skin will look red, dry, and feel hot.
If not treated immediately, blood sugar levels that are too high can cause diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome, which can be fatal.
In addition, high blood sugar levels in the long term without treatment can increase the risk of infection of teeth and gums, skin problems, osteoporosis, kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness, and cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessels).
What Happens if Blood Sugar Is Too Low?
Blood sugar is too low or hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels are below 70 mg / dL. This condition is also common in people with diabetes, which is due to the side effects of antidiabetic drugs they consume. Antidiabetic drugs, especially insulin, can reduce blood sugar levels excessively.
Type 1 diabetics do not have enough insulin. Therefore, additional insulin is needed from outside which is usually in the form of injections. But if the dose is too high, insulin can make blood sugar drop dramatically.
In diabetics, hypoglycemia can occur if insulin use or antidiabetic drugs are not accompanied by adequate food intake. Excessive exercise can also trigger this condition.
Not only people with diabetes, people who do not have diabetes can experience hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Some of the causes are:
- Drinking too much alcoholic drinks.
- Suffer from certain diseases, such as hepatitis, anorexia nervosa, or tumors in the pancreas.
- Certain hormonal deficiencies.
- Taking certain medications, such as quinine.
- Accidentally taking other people's antidiabetic drugs.
If the blood sugar level is low, the body will feel weak and not powered. Other symptoms that you can experience are hunger, cold sweat, pale skin, palpitations, tingling in the mouth area, anxiety, and irritability.
While the symptoms that you will experience when your blood sugar level is too low (below 40 mg / dL), include:
- Slurred speech
- Difficult to concentrate
- Unable to stand or walk
- Twitching muscles
- Convulsions
If left unchecked, this condition can cause stroke, coma, and even death.
Let's Check Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar tests are generally recommended for people who have symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent thirst, frequent urination, and often feel hungry. In addition, this test can also be recommended for people who have a family history of diabetes.
The way to find out blood sugar levels is to do a blood test. This test is useful for monitoring blood sugar levels in your body, so it does not go out of normal limits.
Blood sugar tests can be done alone at home using a glucometer. Blood samples for this examination are taken by pricking the fingertips using a special needle.
You can also do a blood sugar test at the hospital. There are several types of blood sugar tests that can be done:
Fasting blood sugar test
You are required to fast eight hours before taking a blood sample. This test is often used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.
Oral glucose tolerance test (TTGO)
In this test you will be given a certain amount of glucose, and two hours later, your blood sugar level will be checked.
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) or glycohemoglobin test
This test is done to find out blood sugar levels in red blood cells. HbA1c test results can provide information about your sugar levels during the last 2-3 months.
This test makes it easy for doctors to adjust the dose and type of antidiabetic drugs, if needed. You do not need to undergo special preparation to do this test.
Blood sugar test when
This test can be done at any time and does not require special preparation. However, blood sugar checks cannot be used when diagnosing diabetes.
This examination is only used to monitor the rise and fall of blood sugar in diabetics, or to see blood sugar levels in patients with certain conditions, such as weakness or fainting.
If your blood sugar test results when you are high, you don't necessarily have diabetes. It could be that this condition is the effect of food or drinks that you have just consumed.
If the results of blood sugar tests when you show low levels, but you do not feel weak or dizzy, there may be an error in the examination tool or technique. Therefore, you need to discuss the results of this examination with the doctor.
It is highly recommended that you consult with your doctor about which tests are right for you. Also ask your doctor about risks or other matters related to the test.
Then What is the Normal Blood Sugar Level?
Normal blood sugar levels are not always the same, depending on when the test is done, after or before eating. The following are limits on normal blood sugar levels, but have different benchmarks.
Blood sugar test after eating
If the blood sugar test is done two hours after eating, then the normal blood sugar level is less than 140 mg / dL or 7.8 mmol / L. This limit applies to people under the age of 50.
For people aged 50-60 years, the normal level is less than 150 mg / dL or 8.3 mmol / L. Whereas in people aged 60 years and over, normal blood sugar levels are 160 mg / dL or 8.9 mmol / L.
Blood sugar test after fasting
If the blood sugar test is done after fasting, then the normal blood sugar level should be less or equal to 100 mg / dL or 5.6 mmol / L.
Random blood sugar test
If the blood sugar test is carried out randomly (the blood sugar test at a time), the results cannot be compared, depending on when the test was done and what was consumed before the test.
In general, normal blood sugar levels are 80-120 mg / dL or 4.4-6.6 mmol / L, if the test is done before eating or after waking up. Whereas if the test is done before going to sleep, the normal limit is 100-140 mg / dL or 5.5-7.7 mmol / L.
Hemoglobin test for blood sugar
In the hemoglobin test for blood sugar (HbA1c), the normal level is less than or around 7 percent.
But you need to remember, the limits used by each laboratory may be different, depending on the tool used. So, use the standard given by the laboratory where you check your blood sugar.
In addition, make sure you also record the date of the test and its results, as well as what you consume and the activities you do before undergoing the test.
A normal blood sugar test does not always indicate that you are not at risk of developing diabetes. To be sure, you are still encouraged to consult the results of your blood sugar check with your doctor, especially if you have symptoms of diabetes or have a risk of developing diabetes.
Blood sugar checks should be done wisely and as needed. Live blood sugar checks according to doctor's advice and implement a healthy lifestyle to prevent the bad effects of high or low blood sugar levels.
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