Modern food production offers people foods high in sugar. It is added everywhere: in muesli and baby mixes, in cottage cheese and bread. Both adults and children like to enjoy sweet sweets and carbonated drinks. Meanwhile, excessive sugar intake causes many diseases, in particular, leads to an increase in the incidence of diabetes. You can read more about blood sugar, normal and glucose measurements in this article.
General information
Some 20 years ago, diabetes was considered a disease of old age, which appeared mainly in older people. But everything is changing, and the abundance of sugary foods and fast carbohydrates in the human diet has increased dramatically in recent years. And activity, on the contrary, is becoming less and less due to the development of personal and public transport.
Diabetes is considered an “adult” disease, but children also get it. Previously, a violation of insulin production was associated with a genetic factor, it was believed that this was inherited. But now doctors believe that most of the diabetics got their ailment due to nutrition. Already in childhood, improper eating habits are formed. The abundance of high-calorie foods with zero nutritional value attracts people, and they consume it without control. According to recent studies, about 2 kg of sugar per month or 12 kg per year is per person. Currently, normal blood sugar levels are becoming less common, and the number of people with diabetes is increasing.
Blood sugar control mechanism
Understanding the processes that occur in the body with food can help prevent many diseases. For example, imagining how much harm sugar does to our body each time, we can quickly give up sweets. Glucose is a highly digestible carbohydrate found in a number of foods. Sweet, cereals, vegetables, dairy products - all, one way or another, contain sugar. Glucose fills us with energy. In fact, this is like doping for athletes. Blood sugar gives a sharp jump up, we are adding strength, and the mood immediately creeps up. That is why in moments of sadness and loss of strength, after a hard day, we so want “sweetie”. So our body is trying to get fast energy.
However, excess glucose can be very dangerous for humans. After a person has taken food, blood sugar increases sharply, and the pancreas begins to produce insulin. This hormone absorbs glucose and processes it into glycogen, which is then deposited in the muscles and liver. Glycogen serves as a "reserve" source of energy in case of malnutrition. If for a long time a person consumes an increased amount of glucose, the pancreas “works for wear” and after a while begins to produce less and less hormone. As a result, part of the glucose remains "in free swimming". It can freely penetrate the tissues of various organs, simultaneously causing many disorders. That is why you need to know about what blood sugar level is considered normal.
Often, blood sugar increases due to the following factors:
- Diabetes is the most common factor.
- Stress, stress on the nervous system.
- Alcoholism, the use of excessive amounts of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Eating a lot of sweet and fatty.
- Pancreas injuries.
- Congenital metabolic disorders.
Norms and indicators
What is normal blood sugar? There can be several opinions on this issue. The answer is clearly given by the World Health Organization. There is no talk of possible “concessions” in the conversation about diabetes: it is either there or not. Although doctors also distinguish the stage of the so-called "prediabetes", in which the glucose level is already critical. The table of normal blood sugar clearly indicates which indicators are acceptable for healthy people. The following are general indicators:
- For children, normal blood sugar should be 2.8-4.4 units.
- If the patient's age is from 1 month to 14 years, then the figure becomes a little more: 3.3-5.5 mmol / liter.
- Normal blood sugar levels in men and women from 14 years old range from 3.5 to 5.5-6.0 mmol.
Glucose level is a vital indicator that everyone needs to know. Maintaining it within normal limits can significantly extend life. The fact is that the work of all organs depends on the amount of glucose in the blood. Lowering glucose concentrations is called hypoglycemia. It is accompanied by fatigue, apathy, drowsiness, decreased energy. In severe cases, if measures are not taken in time to increase blood sugar, a person may lose consciousness and even fall into an insulin coma. If the glucose level on the contrary is too high, then the body also receives a double load. Sugar acts on the vessels, gradually expanding them. As a result, blood pressure decreases, and this affects the functioning of all organs. With age, a person needs more and more insulin, since body weight increases on average, and tissue sensitivity decreases.
The measurement of blood sugar is usually carried out several times in order to track the change in blood sugar in different conditions. Indeed, many factors can influence the result, and it is necessary to exclude their influence. If the result does not exceed the upper threshold, then the patient is considered healthy. But if the indicators are more than 9 mmol / l, then diabetes may be the “culprit”. What is the normal blood sugar level for pre-diabetes? If the numbers are slightly overestimated, for example, when analyzing blood from a vein, the result ranges from 6.1 to 7, which means that the body is at the limit. Such patients are prescribed a special diet and blood control. If the analysis showed numbers above 7 mmol / l, then a glycated hemoglobin test is prescribed, which reliably determines the presence of diabetes.
Normal Maternal Sugar
Pregnancy is a turning point in a woman’s life. Her body is changing, the changes also affect the hormones that the body produces. To maintain the healthy development of the fetus, it is necessary to ensure its adequate nutrition. Somatomammotropin helps to get enough trace elements, but this hormone also has a side effect. Providing the baby with a sufficient level of glucose in the blood, he thereby increases the maternal sugar. The glucose utilization scheme is disrupted, and a prediabetic state occurs. The so-called gestational diabetes is quite common in pregnant women. Especially at risk are those women who have too fast weight gain or a large fetus.
In order to prevent undesirable consequences, you need to understand what is the normal blood sugar level in pregnant women. The numbers differ from generally accepted indicators, but not too much. In general, numbers from 3.3 to 6.6 mol can be considered the norm. But the scatter of indicators is quite strong, because they can depend on different conditions. For example, if blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach, then the figure is 5.5-6.2 mmol / liter. For capillary blood, the standards are somewhat different: from 3.3 to 5.5 mmol. Numbers of 10 units and above are considered uniquely dangerous - they indicate a critically high level of sugar. An alarm should start to sound if a pregnant woman feels a breakdown, groundless anxiety, weakness. Unfortunately, many people consider these symptoms to be natural manifestations of an “interesting situation” and do not seek the help of a doctor. But doctors know about the possible risks, so they control the sugar level, from time to time, prescribing tests.
Diabetes and glucose
The normal blood sugar level in diabetes is markedly different from the result that healthy people get. Often the gap between the numbers can be 1-4 units, depending on the severity of the disease. The norm of sugar is of vital importance for patients. Indeed, their body does not produce enough insulin, so you need to ensure that it enters the body from the outside in time. More recently, mortality from ordinary diabetes was extremely high, people often became disabled and died early. Now the disease can be taken under control. If you regularly take tests and monitor the development of the disease, you can live a long life. For this, special glucometers have been developed that measure blood sugar levels. It is enough to pierce a finger, apply it to the measuring strip and wait for the result.
Typically, indicators in patients with diabetes differ from the norm of healthy people by 0.3-1 units. The normal blood sugar level in adults predisposed to diabetes is 2.6-6.3 mmol. The maximum values ​​reach 10 mmol. If the analysis shows a figure of more than 11 mmol, then it's time to sound the alarm. This is a critical level at which urgent measures must be taken, otherwise the body will be irreparably damaged. The most effective in case of increased sugar are insulin injections, which act quickly and normalize metabolic processes.
Glycated Hemoglobin
Fasting blood tests is not easy not only for children but also for adults. Sometimes not one but several tests are required. To detect latent diabetes, an analysis is given several times. The first is on an empty stomach, then the patient is given a glass of water with diluted glucose to drink and blood is taken again. Normal blood sugar after eating should be slightly higher than on an empty stomach. The result is an averaged analysis that clearly shows whether a person has diabetes. Those who do not want to wait a few hours while the analysis is undergoing are prescribed an alternative test for glycated hemoglobin. This protein is associated with glucose, therefore it is able to show reliable results in a short period of time.
This analysis is very convenient for the patient, since it can be taken after meals, and at any time of the day. The result is not tied to age: the numbers are the same for both adults and children. What is the norm of blood sugar when tested for glycated hemoglobin? In completely healthy people, the figure is less than 5.7 percent. You should be wary if the level of blood cells associated with glucose is 5.7-6%. If the numbers are even higher: 6.1-6.5 percent, then the patient is prescribed a low-carb diet and periodic monitoring of blood sugar. This is a dangerous condition in which the development of the disease is most likely. Well, and with rates above 6.5 percent, the body practically screams that a little more, and the pancreas will cease to cope at all. But before you are diagnosed and prescribed treatment, a blood test will need to be taken several more times in order to avoid mistakes.
Symptoms of High Sugar
Any person can suspect a high level of glucose in the blood without taking tests. To do this, you just need to carefully monitor your sensations and notice changes in the body. The first symptoms of diabetes are usually not so easy to notice:
- Frequent visits to the restroom. High blood sugar affects all organs. The kidneys intensely remove fluid from the body. Because of this, dehydration often develops.
- The following symptom follows from the first: due to impaired renal function, a person is thirsty all the time. Even with large amounts of water, he is unable to get drunk.
- Various skin allergies and rash, itching.
- If you get scratched or injured and the healing process takes too long, this can also indirectly indicate diabetes.
- The most common symptoms: lethargy, drowsiness, apathy appear due to the fact that the body lacks energy.
- Uncontrolled appetite - the patient always wants to eat, even if there is a sufficient set of calories.
If atypical changes occur in the human body that have not previously been observed, you must consult a doctor and pass all the necessary tests. Perhaps the cause of the loss of strength and fatigue will not be diabetes at all, but in any case you will be examined, and possible diseases will be prevented or detected at an early stage.
Insulin rate and low sugar
Lack of normal blood sugar is not the only indicator of diabetes. The insulin index can also clearly indicate whether the patient has this disease. This important hormone controls not only sugar, but also a number of other vital functions. Insulin affects metabolism in all body tissues. But first of all, it affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and the synthesis of glycogen in the muscles and liver. The normal level of insulin in the blood is from 3 to 20 units. In older people, as a rule, more of this hormone is produced, since body weight is greater and tissue sensitivity is reduced. The norm is considered the amount of 3-35 mcUdml. If the numbers are larger, the patient is diagnosed with diabetes.
Contrary to popular belief, not only too high indicators are dangerous for a person. If the sugar content drops below 1.9 mmol / l m, then a person may faint or even fall into a coma. At rates of 1.5 mmol / L, death is possible. Hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, is what this condition is called. Its symptoms cannot be missed. Great weakness flashes over a person, his hands begin to tremble, and consciousness gets confused. The condition is familiar to dieters and sportspeople. The thing is that the supply of glucose, which means energy, is running out and if it is not replenished in time, then the person will not have the most pleasant sensations. Hypoglycemia is also associated with nutrition. That is why the key to a normal blood sugar level is proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
Doctors Recommendations
The best cure for all diseases is prevention. Preventing the disease is much easier and cheaper than treating it later. In order not to earn diabetes, it is important for every person to follow a healthy diet. In particular, you should pay attention to how much sugar you eat and in what form. Some people, without noticing it, eat a lot of fast carbohydrates. There is a spoonful of sugar in coffee, here is sweet juice and a couple of cakes in the afternoon snack or a sweet bun - that's the carbohydrate rate is already twice the norm. Therefore, if you monitor your health, it is best to follow the norm of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Thanks to a balanced diet, you will live longer and be healthier. Recent studies show that eating sweets every day leads to diabetes, and that, in turn, leads to various nervous degenerative diseases.
In addition, for those patients who have a sugar content higher than normal, there is a special diet that includes certain foods. For example, cucumbers contain a substance similar to insulin. Cabbage is rich in trace elements and removes excess water from the body. And buckwheat is saturated with slow carbohydrates. Nutritionists recommend it as the basis for the diet of patients with diabetes. In addition, the abundance of greens and vegetables can stabilize the sugar in the body.
To achieve a normal blood sugar level, some folk remedies are used on an empty stomach:
- The leaves of a young dandelion contain natural insulin, so the infusion of them can be consumed by patients with diabetes. Their leaves can be added to salads - it is tasty and healthy.
- Wormwood and tansy affect the production of insulin and helps to achieve normal blood sugar levels in women.
- Raspberry leaf infusion reduces blood glucose. To prepare the tincture, pour a tablespoon of dried leaves with hot water and leave for 40 minutes.
Summary
Blood sugar indicators (norms and deviation table) are faithful helpers in a healthy lifestyle. This is especially true for those people who have previously had cases of the disease in the family. After all, diabetes is often inherited. Without proper treatment, it can lead to terrible consequences, so it is extremely important to maintain a normal blood sugar level in humans. Experts advise everyone, even healthy people, to take insulin on an empty stomach at least once every six months.