People with diabetes should regularly monitor their blood glucose levels to avoid adverse symptoms such as hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. Thus, endocrinology has discovered the ideal blood glucose level for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Glucose is the main sugar in our blood that is capable of providing energy to the body. It is obtained through our diet by consuming fruits, vegetables, bread or dairy products. A correct balance of our diet can help us to prevent certain risks in case we suffer from diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that affects the percentage of sugar in the blood. Sugar is the body’s main source of energy and this disease prevents it from feeding the organs and muscles properly. There are three types of diabetes:
- Type 1 mellitus: common in young people under 35 years of age and adolescents. It is a hereditary disease.
- Mellitus type 2: appears in older or younger people with high risk factors. Its causes are many, but among the most important are obesity, overweight and sedentary lifestyle.
- Gestational diabetes: occurs in pregnant women after the 20th week of gestation. Overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for this condition.
Correct glucose levels
In this sense, we must be very attentive to our blood glucose levels, because high levels (hyperglycemia) can be a sign of diabetes, or on the contrary, when blood glucose levels are low (hypoglycemia) they can also cause serious medical problems.
Among the most common symptoms of high blood glucose levels are:
- Thirst
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Tiredness
- Reduced ability to heal
In turn, the main symptoms of low glucose levels are:
- Anxiety
- Sweating
- Tremors
- Hunger
- Irritability
To avoid these episodes, it is advisable to always keep our blood glucose levels under control. Thus, these are the levels at which we should have glucose:
- Fasting blood glucose level below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered normal.
- Fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 is considered prediabetes.
- Fasting blood glucose level at 126 or higher indicates type 2 diabetes.
