Normal Blood Sugar Levels

What is a Normal Blood Sugar Level?

Your Blood sugar level varies based on your lifestyle and your current activities.  Eating, exercising, are a couple of activities that will affect your blood sugar level.  Eating especially will increase your blood sugar level

There are numerous tests to see if you have a normal blood sugar level:

• Fasting blood sugar (FBS) – This test measures your blood glucose after not eating for 8 hours or more.  This test is the most common of the 4 and is usually taken in the morning before you go eat breakfast.  A normal blood sugar level for this is less than 100 milligrams per deciliter.  There should be a concern if it becomes 120 mg/dl or higher with this test.
• 2-Hour Postprandial Blood Sugar – Like the name suggests, this test measures your blood sugar level 2 hours after you have eaten.
• Random blood sugar (RBS) – This test is taken at random times of the day regardless of when you eat.  A normal blood sugar level for this test range from 100-150 mg/dl.  This test can be taken multiple times a day, to see if the blood level changes.  A healthy person’s blood sugar level doesn’t change much.  200 mg/dl may by symptoms of diabetes.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test – This test has you ingesting sugar-water and then tests your sugar level after a certain time has passed.  This tests your body’s ability to digest the sugar. A healthy person would see a rise in their blood sugar, followed by a quick drop.   A normal blood sugar level should be 140 mg/dl or less after 2 hours.  A normal blood sugar level from ingestion to 2 hours later should be less than 200 mg/dl.  Anything above may be signs for diabetes.

Preparation for each test

Before you get start fasting, you have to make preparations for the tests for maximum accuracy to see where your blood level stands to the normal blood glucose level.

• Fasting Blood Sugar – Don’t eat or drink anything for 8 hours before you take this test.  This allows your body to digest and bring you to your normal blood sugar level.
• 2-Hour Postprandial Blood Sugar – It’s vital to time yourself to take the blood level exactly 2 hours after you eat.  It is probably easiest to do this by doing at home by yourself.
• Random blood sugar (RBS) – This test can be taken at anytime, so preparation is not needed.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test – For optimum results for this test, it’s best that you have a nice balance breakfast for 3 days before you take the test and don’t eat, drink, or exercise 8 hours before you take the test.

Extreme Blood Sugar Levels

Now that we talked about what a normal blood sugar level is, it’s time to talk about high and low sugar levels and there consequences.

Low Blood Sugar Level

A low blood sugar level would be 50 mg/dl or lower can be signs of loss of mental function, unconsciousness, and even seizures.   This is a serious problem and you should seek medical help immediately if you are not receiving help right now.

High Blood Sugar Level

High Blood Sugar Level depends on what test you were taking:

• Fasting blood sugar (FBS) – 120 mg/dl
• Random blood sugar (RBS) – 200 mg/dl
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test – 200 mg/dl

And having it may show signs of having diabetes and should be checked out by your doctor, if not already.  This may be a possible warning sign that you might have diabetes.