Understanding the ranges of blood glucose levels is an important component of diabetes self-management. Type 1 diabetes symptoms typically emerge unexpectedly, prompting people to check their blood sugar levels. However, the symptoms of other forms of diabetes and prediabetes develop more slowly or aren’t always noticeable. Irrespective of any form of diabetes you have, it is important to keep track of your blood sugar levels. In this way, you can notice even the minor changes occurring in your body.
Also, it’s critical to understand what the blood glucose level indicates if a diabetic has a meter, test strips, and is regularly testing. Every individual’s recommended blood glucose level ranges have a degree of subjectivity, which you should discuss with your healthcare provider if you are suffering from diabetes.
Therefore, there are certain conditions like pregnancy or age in which your doctor can give you a specific blood sugar level to maintain. Generally, the levels are the same for everyone. However, in some special circumstances like the one above, the doctor may specify different levels.
Normal blood sugar levels
The recommended level of blood sugar levels depends upon the test you are going to have. There are several blood sugar tests, and we will tell you the normal levels in each one of them.
Glycated hemoglobin test
This non-fasting blood test determines your average blood sugar level over the previous two to three months. It determines how much blood sugar is bound to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.
Furthermore, the more sugar-attached hemoglobin you have, the higher your blood sugar levels are. You have diabetes if you have a blood sugar level of 6.5 percent or greater on two independent tests. Percentage between 5.7 and 6.4 specify that you have prediabetes. A percentage below 5.7 is the normal range.
Additionally, the issue with hemoglobin tests is that the findings aren’t always reliable. Usually, the test isn’t accessible, or you have specific variables that make the test incorrect. If you’re pregnant or have a rare kind of hemoglobin, for example. As a result, physicians prefer other, more accurate tests rather than this one.
Random blood sugar test
This test determines your blood sugar level at the time of testing. You can take this test anytime and there is no need for fasting. If your blood sugar level is 200 mg/dL or above, it indicates that you have diabetes.
Your blood may be checked for autoantibodies if your doctor suspects you have type 1 diabetes. These are chemicals that suggest that your body is attacking against itself. It’s because they’re more common in people with type 1 diabetes than they are in those with type 2 diabetes. Ketones, which are created when your body burns fat for energy and suggest type 1 diabetes rather than type 2 diabetes, may be detected in your urine.
Fasting blood sugar test
After an overnight fast, a blood sample will be collected. It is normal to have a fasting blood sugar level of less than 100 mg/dL. Prediabetes is defined as a fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dL. You have diabetes if your blood sugar levels are 126 mg/dL or greater on two independent tests.
