The primary aim of maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is to prevent the adverse effects of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemia on one’s general health.
The serious implications of not heeding to controlling one’s sugar levels and having them stay within a normal range should well be realized. As such, these entail severe health complications. A majority of these include heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss.
It is believed that a normal glycemic range fosters good energy and mood besides protecting one from developing the health issues stated above. With these in mind, the current article has instilled the need to explore ways in which blood sugar levels can be appropriately maintained/managed.
What is Blood Glucose?
Blood glucose refers to the amount/level of sugar present in one’s bloodstream. This sugar is required to supply energy to the body to assist in its vivid functionalities. It is important to note here that it is the blood circulation that helps transport sugar to all parts of the body in one instant.
Sugar is transported via the bloodstream to enter the body cells for energy conversion. This is facilitated by Insulin, an endocrine hormone produced by Pancreas. However, one can also source glucose/sugar from the food one consumes daily.
When one is not eating, it is the liver that produces sugar to compensate for the minimum/lost amount. This happens when one is starving.
- Understanding Normal Blood Sugar Level
The optimum blood sugar for an adult should stay below 99 mg/dL. Besides this, the normal state of sugar is the lowest before one intakes the first meal for the day. The levels typically rise after a meal and then settle within a matter of an hour.
- Tracking Target Blood Sugar Range
The following blood sugar levels to keep within the target range have been recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA):
| Before Meals | 80-130 mg/dL (4.4-7.2 mmol/L) |
| After Meals | Less than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) |
How Important Is It to Maintain A Proper Blood Sugar Level?
It is very important to maintain normal glycemic levels for it helps prevent significant comorbidities related to both high and low blood sugar in one’s body. Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia as these are medically termed, include various risk factors.
While the former has included some listed above, i.e., heart disease, kidney disease, etc., the latter involves, blurred vision, difficulty with concentration, disorientation, slurred speech, numbness, and drowsiness can be well-linked with hypoglycemia.
Maintaining adequate blood sugar levels helps one stay away from a host of these health issues.
Suggestions to Maintain Normal/Healthy Blood Sugar Level
One can maintain healthy blood sugar levels through the following methods:
- Managing Blood Sugar: The first step to move forward in keeping one’s blood sugar levels within the normal range would be to manage them appropriately by keeping track of those. Doing so will not only ensure their remaining within the target range but will also facilitate improvements/enhancements in mood and energy.
- Checking Levels With Glucometer: As it is known, a glucometer is an instrument used to check blood sugar levels. Keeping one at hand for oneself will help an individual to effectively track his/her sugars to make sure that they are staying within the normal range.
- Scheduling Blood Sugar Checks: It would be appropriate to keep a reminder or schedule to check one’s sugars. Though this method is usually recommended for people with diabetes, it can work for others with normal sugar levels as well. The purpose is always to be on the safe side though! Starting with early morning checks is always best, moving on to monitoring one’s levels before meals, then after, and finally before going to bed.
- Keeping Blood Sugar at Target Levels: It is always appropriate to keep one’s sugar at target levels to avoid becoming hyper or hypoglycemic. This can be done by referring to the comprehensive guide depicting the normal blood sugar range.
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Conclusion
Based on the discussions, it has well been deciphered the need to keep one’s blood sugar levels within the normal range. Through the target sugar level range presented for the stated purpose, individuals, especially those having diabetes, can effectively keep track of their glycemic levels.
They can also educate themselves on facts related to their diabetes condition by noting the symptoms associated with hyper and hypoglycemia. This will be an added benefit as it will encourage them to strictly manage their sugar levels to avoid serious health complications in the future.
