What is normal fasting and post-meal glucose levels? The norm of sugar in a healthy person after eating

Blood sugar is the common name for glucose dissolved in the blood that circulates through the vessels. The article tells what blood sugar norms are for children and adults, men and pregnant women. You will learn what causes the level of glucose to rise, why it is dangerous, and most importantly, how to effectively and safely lower it. Blood tests for sugar are taken in the laboratory on an empty stomach or after a meal. People over 40 are advised to do this once every 3 years. If prediabetes or type 2 diabetes is detected, you need to use a home device to measure sugar several times every day. This device is called a glucometer.

Glucose enters the bloodstream from the liver and intestines, and then the bloodstream carries it throughout the body, from head to toe. In this way, tissues receive energy. In order for cells to absorb glucose from the blood, the hormone insulin is needed. It is produced by special cells of the pancreas - beta cells. Sugar level is the concentration of glucose in the blood. Normally, it fluctuates in a narrow range, without going beyond it. The minimum level of sugar in the blood is on an empty stomach. After eating, it rises. If everything is normal with glucose metabolism, then this increase is insignificant and not for long.

The body continuously regulates the concentration of glucose in order to maintain its balance. High blood sugar is called hyperglycemia, low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. If several blood tests in different days show that sugar is elevated, one can suspect prediabetes or “real” diabetes. A single analysis is not enough for this. However, you need to be wary after the first bad result. Hand over the analysis again a few more times in the coming days.

In Russian-speaking countries, blood sugar is measured in millimoles per liter (mmol/l). In English-speaking countries, it is expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Sometimes you need to convert the result of the analysis from one unit of measure to another. It's not hard.

1 mmol/l = 18 mg/dl.

4.0 mmol/L = 72 mg/dL
6.0 mmol/L = 108 mg/dL
7.0 mmol/L = 126 mg/dL
8.0 mmol/L = 144 mg/dL

Blood sugar levels

They were identified back in the middle of the twentieth century based on the results of a survey of thousands of healthy people and diabetics. The official sugar norms for diabetics are much higher than for healthy ones. Medicine does not even try to control sugar in diabetes so that it approaches normal levels. Below you will find out why this happens and what are alternative ways treatment.
The balanced diet that doctors recommend is loaded with carbohydrates. Such food is harmful for diabetic patients. Because carbohydrates cause spikes in blood sugar. Because of this, diabetics feeling unwell and develop chronic complications. In diabetic patients who are being treated traditional methods, sugar jumps from very high to low. It is increased by carbohydrates eaten, and then reduced by injections of large doses of insulin. At the same time, there can be no question of bringing sugar back to normal. Doctors and patients are already satisfied with the fact that diabetic coma can be avoided.

The body regulates blood sugar by secreting hormones that raise or lower it. Glucose levels are increased by catabolic hormones - glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline and many others. And there is only one hormone that lowers it. It's insulin. The lower the glucose concentration, the more catabolic hormones are released, and the less insulin. Conversely, excess blood sugar stimulates the pancreas to secrete additional insulin.

Very little glucose circulates in the human blood at any given moment. For example, in an adult male weighing 75 kg, the volume of blood in the body is about 5 liters. To achieve a blood sugar of 5.5 mmol / l, it is enough to dissolve only 5 grams of glucose in it. That's about 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar. Every second, microscopic doses of glucose and regulatory hormones enter the blood to maintain balance. This difficult process runs 24 hours a day without interruption.

High sugar - symptoms and signs

Most often in humans high sugar in the blood due to diabetes. But there may be other reasons - medications, acute stress, disorders in the adrenal glands or pituitary gland, infectious diseases. Many medicines increase sugar. These are corticosteroids, beta-blockers, thiazide diuretics (diuretics), antidepressants. It is not possible to provide a complete list of them in this article. Before your doctor prescribes you a new medication, discuss how it will affect your blood sugar.

Often, hyperglycemia does not cause any symptoms, even when sugar levels are much higher than normal. In severe cases, the patient may lose consciousness. Hyperglycemic coma and ketoacidosis are formidable complications high sugar life-threatening.

Less acute but more common symptoms:

strong thirst;
dry mouth;
frequent urges to urination;
the skin is dry, itchy;
foggy vision;
fatigue, drowsiness;
unexplained weight loss;
wounds, scratches do not heal well;
discomfort in the legs - tingling, goosebumps;
frequent infections and fungal diseases that are difficult to treat.

Additional symptoms of ketoacidosis:

frequent and deep breathing;
the smell of acetone when breathing;
unstable emotional state.

Why high blood sugar is bad

If left untreated, high blood sugar causes both acute and chronic complications of diabetes. Acute complications have been listed above. These are hyperglycemic coma and diabetic ketoacidosis. They are manifested by impaired consciousness, fainting and require urgent medical care. However acute complications are the cause of death of 5-10% of diabetics. All the rest are dying chronic complications on the kidneys, eyesight, legs, nervous system, and most of all - from heart attack and stroke.

Chronically elevated sugar damages the walls blood vessels from within. They become abnormally hard and thick. Over the years, calcium is deposited on them, and the vessels resemble old rusty ones. water pipes. This is called angiopathy - damage to blood vessels. It already in turn causes complications of diabetes. The main hazards are kidney failure, blindness, amputation of a leg or foot, and cardiovascular diseases. The higher the blood sugar, the faster the complications develop and the more pronounced. Pay attention to the treatment and control of your diabetes!

Folk remedies

Folk remedies that lower blood sugar are Jerusalem artichoke, cinnamon, as well as various herbal teas, decoctions, tinctures, prayers, conspiracies, etc. Measure your sugar with a glucometer after you have eaten or drunk " healing agent” - and make sure that you did not receive any real benefit. Folk remedies are intended for diabetics who engage in self-deception, instead of being properly treated. Such people die early from complications.

Fans of folk remedies for diabetes are the main "clients" of doctors who deal with kidney failure, amputation lower extremities as well as ophthalmologists. Complications of diabetes on the kidneys, legs and eyesight provide several years of hard life before the patient is killed by a heart attack or stroke. Most manufacturers and sellers of quack drugs work carefully so as not to fall under criminal liability. However, their activities violate moral standards.

Folk remedies that do not help at all

Check your blood sugar with a glucometer several times a day. If you see that the results do not improve or even worsen, stop using a useless remedy.

Means that help a little

Check with your doctor before taking any home remedies for diabetes. Especially if you have already developed complications in the kidneys or have liver disease. The supplements listed above do not replace treatment with diet, insulin injections, and physical activity. Once you start taking alpha lipoic acid, you may need to lower your insulin dosage to avoid hypoglycemia.

Glucometer - a home device for measuring sugar

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, then you need to quickly buy a device for measuring blood sugar at home. This device is called a glucometer. Without it, diabetes cannot be well controlled. You need to measure sugar at least 2-3 times a day, and preferably more often. Home glucometers appeared in the 1970s. Until they became widely used, diabetics had to go to the laboratory every time to measure their sugar, or even stay in the hospital for weeks.

Modern glucometers are lightweight and comfortable. They measure blood sugar almost painlessly and immediately show the result. The only problem is that test strips are not cheap. Each measurement of sugar costs about $0.5. A round sum runs up in a month. However, these are inevitable costs. Save on test strips - splurge on treating diabetes complications.

You cannot determine blood sugar by how you feel. Most people do not feel the difference between sugar levels from 4 to 13 mmol / l. They feel good even when their blood glucose is 2-3 times higher than normal, and the development of diabetes complications is in full swing. Therefore, it is necessary to measure sugar with a glucometer. Otherwise, you will have to "closely get acquainted" with the complications of diabetes.

At one time, doctors desperately resisted the entry into the market of home glucometers. Because they were in danger of losing large sources of income from laboratory tests blood for sugar. Medical organizations managed to delay the promotion of home glucometers by 3-5 years. Nevertheless, when these devices nevertheless appeared on sale, they immediately gained popularity. You can find out more about this in . Now official medicine also slows down the promotion of a low-carbohydrate diet - the only suitable diet for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

How to receive accurate results measuring sugar with a glucometer:

Read the instructions for your device carefully.
Check the meter for accuracy as described here. If it turns out that the device is lying, do not use it, replace it with another one.
As a rule, glucometers that have cheap test strips are not accurate. They take diabetics to their graves.
Learn how to properly apply a drop of blood to a test strip.
Strictly follow the rules for storing test strips. Seal the vial carefully to prevent excess air from entering. Otherwise, the test strips will deteriorate.
Do not use test strips that are past their expiration date.
When you go to the doctor, take your glucometer with you. Show your doctor how you measure sugar. Maybe, experienced doctor will point out what you are doing wrong.

How many times a day do you need to measure sugar

To manage your diabetes well, you need to know how your blood sugar behaves throughout the day. For most diabetics, the main problem is high sugar in the morning on an empty stomach, and then again after breakfast. In many patients, glucose also rises strongly in the afternoon or evening. Your situation is special, not the same as everyone else's. Therefore, an individual plan is needed - a diet, insulin injections, taking pills and other activities. The only way collect important information to control diabetes - often check your sugar with a glucometer. Below is how many times a day you need to measure it.

Total control of blood sugar is when you measure it:

in the morning - as soon as you wake up;
then again - before you start breakfast;
5 hours after each injection of rapid-acting insulin;
before every meal or snack;
after each meal or snack - two hours later;
before bedtime;
before and after exercise, stressful situations, stormy chores at work;
as soon as you feel hungry, or suspect that your sugar is below or above normal;
before you get behind the wheel of a car or begin to perform dangerous work, and then again every hour until you're done;
in the middle of the night - to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia.

Patients with type 1 diabetes, as well as severe insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes, need to measure their sugar 4-7 times a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and before each meal. It is advisable to measure also 2 hours after eating. This will show if you have chosen the correct dose of insulin before meals. With mild type 2 diabetes, if you control your sugar well without insulin injections, you can measure less often - 2 times a day.

Each time after measuring sugar, the results must be recorded in a diary. Also indicate the time and accompanying circumstances:

what they ate - what foods, how many grams;
what insulin was injected and what dose;
what diabetes pills were taken;
what did you do;
physical activity;
nervous;
infection.

Write it all down, it'll come in handy. The memory cells of the glucometer do not allow fixing the accompanying circumstances. Therefore, to keep a diary, you need to use a paper notebook, or better, a special program on your mobile phone. The results of total glucose self-monitoring can be analyzed independently or together with a doctor. The goal is to find out at what times of the day and for what reasons your sugar goes beyond the norm. And then, accordingly, to take measures - to draw up an individual program for the treatment of diabetes.

Total self-monitoring of sugar allows you to evaluate how effective your diet, medications, exercise, and insulin shots are. Without careful control, diabetes is “cured” only by charlatans, from whom there is a direct road to a surgeon for amputation of the foot and / or to a nephrologist for dialysis. Few people with diabetes are ready to live every day in the mode described above. Because the cost of glucometer test strips can be prohibitive. However, do a total blood sugar self-monitoring at least one day every week.

If you notice that your sugar has begun to fluctuate unusually, then spend a few days in total control mode until you find and eliminate the cause. It is useful to study the article "". How more money The more you spend on glucometer test strips, the more you save on treating diabetes complications. The ultimate goal is to enjoy good health, outlive most of their peers and not become decrepit in old age. Keeping blood sugar no higher than 5.2-6.0 mmol / l all the time is real.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

The article indicates the norms of blood sugar for healthy people. But the doctor said that it was dangerous for me to lower my sugar to such limits. Is he right?

If you have lived for several years with high sugar, 12 mmol / l and above, then it is really not advisable to quickly reduce it to 4-6 mmol / l, as in healthy people. Because unpleasant and dangerous symptoms hypoglycemia. In particular, vision complications of diabetes may increase. Such people are advised to first lower the sugar to 7-8 mmol / l and let the body get used to it within 1-2 months. And then move on to the indicators of healthy people. Read the article "" for more details. It has a section "When you need to specifically keep high sugar."

I found that my sugar rises only if I eat something sweet. Is this already diabetes?

You don't measure your sugar often enough with a glucometer. Otherwise, they would notice that bread, cereals and potatoes increase it in the same way as sweets. You may have prediabetes or initial stage type 2 diabetes. More information is needed to clarify the diagnosis. How to be treated is described in detail above in the article. The main remedy is a low-carbohydrate diet.

Why does blood sugar rise in the morning on an empty stomach? After all, a diabetic patient does not eat anything all night.

Fasting morning sugar rises due to the fact that in the hours before dawn, the liver actively removes insulin from the blood. It's called a phenomenon dawn. It occurs in most patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Read more,. Is not simple task, but doable. You will need discipline. After 3 weeks, a stable habit will form, and sticking to the regimen will become easy.

When is it more important to measure sugar - on an empty stomach or after a meal?

It is important to measure sugar every morning on an empty stomach. If you inject insulin before meals, then you need to measure sugar before each injection, and then again 2 hours after eating. This is obtained 7 times a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and 2 more times for each meal. If you have type 2 diabetes and you control it with a low-carbohydrate diet without fast insulin shots, then measure your sugar 2 hours after eating.

Is it possible to measure sugar without piercing your fingers every time?

There are devices called continuous blood glucose monitoring systems. However, they have too high an error compared to conventional glucometers. To date, it is still not recommended to use them. Moreover, their price is high.

Try sometimes piercing with a lancet not fingers, but other areas of the skin - back side palms, forearms, etc. The article above describes how to do this correctly. In any case, alternate the fingers of both hands. Do not prick the same finger all the time.

What to do if blood sugar is high? How to lower it quickly?

The only one real way to quickly lower sugar is an injection of short or ultra-short insulin. A low-carbohydrate diet lowers sugar, but not immediately, but within 1-3 days. Some type 2 diabetes pills work quickly. But if you take them in the wrong dosage, then the sugar can drop excessively, and the person will lose consciousness. Folk remedies are nonsense, they do not help at all. Diabetes is a disease that requires systemic treatment, precision, precision. If you try to do something quickly, in a hurry, you can only do harm.

After exercise, sugar should go down, but on the contrary, it rises. Why is that?

You probably have type 1 diabetes. A detailed answer to the question is given in the article "". In any case, you get more benefits from physical activity than hassle. Don't quit exercising. After a few tries, you'll figure out how to keep normal sugar levels before, during, and after physical activity.

Doctors say that carbohydrates increase sugar, but proteins and fats do not. I only ate meat for lunch. raw cabbage and nothing more. And the sugar after eating still increased. Why?

In fact, proteins also increase sugar, but slowly and not as much as carbohydrates. The reason is that part of the protein eaten in the body turns into glucose. Read the article "" for more details. If you're following a low-carbohydrate diet to control your diabetes, you'll need to consider how many grams of protein you're eating when calculating your insulin dosages. Diabetics who eat a "balanced" carbohydrate-laden diet don't count protein. But they have other problems...

findings

Did you know:

How to measure sugar with a glucometer, how many times a day you need to do this.
How and why to keep a diabetes self-monitoring diary
Blood sugar levels - why they differ from those of healthy people.
What to do if sugar is high. How to lower it and keep it stable.
Features of the treatment of severe and advanced diabetes.

The material in this article is the foundation of your successful diabetes management program. Keep stable normal sugar, as in healthy people - achievable goal even in severe type 1 diabetes and even more so in type 2 diabetes. Most complications can be not only slowed down, but also completely cured. To do this, you do not need to starve, suffer in physical education classes or inject large doses of insulin. However, you need to develop discipline in order to comply with the regime.

Sugar (glucose) plays the role of fuel in the human body (a substance that gives energy to all cells of the body). Without this energy, cells are not able to perform their functions, grow, divide. Glucose enters the blood from the liver and intestines, and then is carried by the bloodstream throughout the body. In order for cells to absorb glucose from the blood, the hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas, is needed.

The gender of a person does not affect the level of glucose in the blood, but its regulation in the body is associated with sexual characteristics, since sex hormones play a role in cholesterol metabolism. significant role and, for example, in women they contribute to a more rapid removal of cholesterol from the body.

Indications for testing blood sugar after meals

Typically, blood glucose levels are measured to:

determining the presence or exclusion of diabetes in a patient;
monitoring the course of diabetes treatment;
testing a pregnant woman for gestational diabetes;
detection of hypoglycemia.

Preparing for a blood sugar test after a meal

Blood sampling for analysis of blood glucose after a meal is carried out 1.5-2 hours after the meal. Any glucose testing should be performed under normal dietary conditions. There is no need to follow any special diet. But you should not take an analysis after a stormy feast, or the presence of various acute conditions at the time of blood donation: such as trauma, a cold, myocardial infarction. The criteria for diagnosis during pregnancy will also be different.

Blood glucose levels after meals

The following indicators are considered normal:

blood glucose 2 hours after eating: 70-145 mg/dl (3.9-8.1 mmol/l)
fasting blood glucose: 70-99 mg/dl (3.9-5.5 mmol/l)
blood glucose taken at any time: 70-125 mg/dl (3.9-6.9 mmol/l)

After each meal, the level of sugar in the blood normally rises slightly. In the blood after eating, sugar constantly fluctuates due to the fact that many factors affect the body. At the same time, each organism has its own rate of transformation of split food into sugar and its assimilation.

High blood sugar after eating

In the case when the blood glucose after a meal exceeds 11.1 mmol / l, diabetes is diagnosed. High blood sugar levels can also be due to other reasons: for example, severe stress, Cushing's syndrome (a severe neuroendocrine disease), stroke, heart attack, excessive production of growth hormone, taking certain medications.

Lower blood sugar after meals

A drop in blood sugar below 2.8 mmol/L is called true hypoglycemia. In some cases, symptoms of hypoglycemia also appear with higher blood glucose levels, especially if this was preceded by a long period of false hypoglycemia.

If a long time blood sugar levels were more than 14-17 mmol/l, then the state of hypoglycemia sugar at the level of 6-9 mmol/l does not exclude. Blood glucose less than 2.2 mmol/l in women and less than 2.8 mmol/l in men, if symptoms of hypoglycemia are present, may indicate the presence of an insulinoma, a tumor that produces insulin abnormally in large numbers.

During the day, the level of glucose in the blood changes several times. The indicators are affected by the qualitative and quantitative composition of food, physical activity, neuropsychological state. The rate of blood sugar after eating depends on individual features carbohydrate metabolism. In older people, the normative values are shifted upward due to the age-related decrease in cell sensitivity to insulin.

Some disorders of carbohydrate absorption can be observed in women during pregnancy and during menopause. At healthy person Ideal post-meal glucose levels should not exceed 7.7 mmol/L (millimoles per liter is a unit of sugar). With consistently high values, diabetes mellitus or prediabetes is diagnosed. The pre-diabetic state is characterized by the inability of body tissues to adequately absorb sugar, glucose tolerance is impaired.

About glucose

Glucose for the body is the main energy resource and source of nutrition for brain cells. Under the action of enzymes, the food entering the intestine is split into separate components. From the isolated saccharides and amino acids, glucose molecules are formed, most of which, after resorption (absorption) into the bloodstream, are transported to tissues and cells.

The role of the courier is played by endocrine hormone pancreas - insulin. The liver converts the rest of unused sugar into glycogen (carbohydrate storage). Whatever product the body takes into processing, the level of glucose in the blood will increase. The degree of sugar bias depends on the category of carbohydrates (simple or complex) present in the food eaten and the individual metabolic state of the individual.

Objective data on the concentration of glucose (glycemia) can only be obtained by taking blood on an empty stomach. In people with a normal carbohydrate metabolism, the blood sugar concentration is relatively internal environment body (homeostasis) is maintained at a stable level. In case of violation of susceptibility to insulin or its deficiency, glucose accumulates in the blood, and cells and tissues remain "hungry".

Fasting sugar

To determine the values of glycemia, capillary (from a finger) or venous blood is taken. In the second case, the figures may be slightly higher (within 12%). It is not a pathology. Before the study, you must:

Exclude the adoption of alcohol (for three days).
Refuse food and oral hygiene in the morning (on the day of the test).

Important! With incorrect preparation on the eve of the analysis (sweets or alcohol for dinner, physical activity, nervous stress), the data may be distorted.

The evaluation of the results is carried out by comparing the obtained figures with normative values. Depending on the age category, are classified the following rules fasting glucose (in mmol/l):

For newborns and infants up to 3-4 weeks regulatory boundaries are 2.7 - 4.4 mmol / l. According to gender, the results of laboratory examination have no differences. Except for periods of change hormonal status in women (menopause, childbearing). The pre-diabetic state is indicated by the values of glycemia on empty stomach from 5.7 to 6.7 mmol / l.

In diabetics, the norms of glucose on an empty stomach are somewhat different, and determine the stage of the disease. Regulatory criteria for diabetic patients may be revised in individually depending on the nature of the course of the disease. Do not self-diagnose. To make a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, it is necessary to undergo an extended examination. A single discrepancy between sugar values does not indicate 100% the presence of pathology.

Indicators after eating

Laboratory diagnostics of blood for sugar immediately after a meal is not carried out. For objective results, sampling biological fluid produced with an hour, two and three hour intervals after meals. This is due to the biological reactions of the body. Active production of insulin begins 10 minutes after food and drinks enter the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract). The maximum limit of glycemia reaches an hour after the ingestion of food.

Results up to 8.9 mmol/l after 1 hour are consistent with normal carbohydrate metabolism in an adult. In a child, values \u200b\u200bcan reach 8 mmol / l, which is also the norm. Further, the sugar curve gradually moves in the opposite direction. When re-measured (after 2-2 hours), in healthy body glucose indicators are reduced to 7.8 mmol / l and below. Bypassing the three-hour period of time, the glucose values should return to normal.

Note: female body digests food faster and releases glucose. The consumption of incoming energy is faster than in men. This explains the fact that there are more women with a sweet tooth than sweet lovers among the male half of the population.

The main time reference for the diagnosis of "prediabetes" and "diabetes mellitus" is 2 hours. Impaired glucose tolerance is fixed at values from 7.8 to 11 mmol/l. Higher numbers indicate the presence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Comparative indicators of sugar (in mmol / l) in healthy people and diabetics (regardless of gender) are presented in the table.

For determining border state prediabetes and as part of the diagnosis true disease GTT (glucose tolerance test) is performed. Testing includes double blood sampling (on an empty stomach and after a glucose "load"). In laboratory conditions, the load is water solution glucose in the ratio of 200 ml of water and 75 ml of glucose.

In diabetics, the rate of sugar after eating depends on the stage of progression of the disease. In the state of compensation, the indicators are close to healthy values. Subcompensation of the disease is characterized by certain deviations, since it becomes more difficult to normalize glycemia. In the stage of decompensation, it is almost impossible to bring the indicators back to normal.

HbA1C stands for glycated (glycated) hemoglobin. This is the result of the interaction of glucose and hemoglobin (the protein component of red blood cells). Inside erythrocytes (red cells), hemoglobin does not change throughout their life, which is 120 days. Thus, according to the indicators of glycated hemoglobin, the concentration of glucose is determined in retrospect, that is, over the past 4 months. This analysis extremely important for diabetics and primary diagnosis illness. According to its results, the state of carbohydrate metabolism in the body is assessed.

Average HbA1C according to the age category of patients

How many times the level of glycemia can change per day depends on the diet, physical activity, stability of the psycho-emotional state. The increase occurs after each meal, during irrationally planned sports training (or excessive loads during physical labor), at nervous stress. The lowest rate is recorded during the period of night sleep.

Differences between hyperglycemia after eating and on an empty stomach

Hyperglycemia is a pathological condition of the body in which the glucose level systematically exceeds the norm. In the case when sugar indicators do not return to the norm within the allotted three-hour interval, it is necessary to be diagnosed for diabetes mellitus or prediabetes. The development of diabetes is considered the main cause of hyperglycemia. Other factors that influence abnormal sugar levels before and after meals include:

chronic pancreatitis;
hidden oncological diseases;
increased synthesis of hormones thyroid gland(hyperthyroidism);
incorrect hormone therapy;
chronic alcoholism;
hypertension and atherosclerosis;
deficiency in the body of macro- and microelements and vitamins;
systematic physical overload;
abuse of monosaccharides and disaccharides (simple carbohydrates);
permanent psycho-emotional stress(distress).

In the absence of disease, the minimum values \u200b\u200bare 3.9 mmol / l, from 2 to 4 a.m.

Obesity is the main reason for the stable increase in blood sugar and the development of diabetes. The main symptoms that can be suspected of hyperglycemia:

physical weakness, decreased ability to work and tone, rapidly onset fatigue;
dysania (sleep disorder), nervousness;
polydipsia (permanent thirst);
pollakiuria (frequent urge to urinate);
systematic headaches, unstable blood pressure (blood pressure);
polyphagia (increased appetite);
hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

Due to the weak performance of the immune system, ARVI and colds become more frequent.

Hypoglycemia before and after meals

Hypoglycemia - a forced decrease in glucose levels below the critical level of 3.0 mmol / l. At values of 2.8 mmol / l, a person loses consciousness. The reasons for the abnormal reaction of the body after eating are:

Prolonged refusal to eat (starvation).
Strong emotional shock, often negative character(stress).
The presence of a hormonally active pancreatic tumor that synthesizes insulin in excess(insulinomas).
Physical activity, disproportionate to the capabilities of the body.
Decompensated stage chronic pathologies liver and kidneys.

Sugar levels are reduced due to excessive uncontrolled consumption alcoholic beverages. Ethanol has the ability to inhibit (block) the processes of food processing, the formation of glucose and its absorption into the systemic circulation. At the same time, a person is able alcohol intoxication may not experience acute symptoms.

When diagnosed diabetes to listed reasons incorrect insulin therapy is added in case of a disease of the first type (unauthorized increase in insulin doses or lack of food intake after an injection), an excess of the prescribed dose of hypoglycemic drugs (Maninil, Glimepiride, Gliride, Diabeton) in the second type of pathology. The state of reactive hypoglycemia is life-threatening.

Signs of a lack of sugar in the blood: polyphagia, unstable psycho-emotional state (unreasonable anxiety, inadequate reactions to what is happening), vegetative failures (decrease in memory, concentration of attention), violation of thermoregulation (constantly freezing limbs), fast, rhythmic contractions muscle fibers legs and arms (trembling or tremor), increased heart rate.

Energy deficiency is primarily manifested by low performance and physical endurance.

Prevention of unstable glycemia in a healthy person

A normal blood sugar level indicates the absence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders in the body. In the event of a change in the glucose indicator in one direction or another, one should resort to a number of preventive measures. This will help prevent (in some cases slow down) the development of pathological processes.

Preventive measures include:

Change eating behavior. It is necessary to reconsider the diet and diet. Exclude from menu simple carbohydrates, fatty foods, fast food, sweet carbonated drinks. Eat at least 5 times a day at regular intervals.
Correction of physical activity. The load must correspond to the physical capabilities. In addition, it is necessary to agree with the doctor which sports training is more suitable in each individual case (aerobic, interval, cardio, etc.).
Refusal to drink alcohol. The pancreas needs to be relieved of the alcohol load.
Constant control over body weight (obesity leads to diabetes, anorexia can cause hypoglycemia).
Regular check of sugar level (on an empty stomach and after meals).
Strengthening immunity. Hardening, systematic walks on fresh air, course intake of vitamin-mineral complexes (before use, it is necessary to obtain a consultation and approval from a doctor).
Sleep normalization. Night rest must be at least 7 hours (for an adult). You can eliminate dysnia with the help of soothing decoctions and tinctures. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe medications.

Important! If you feel unwell, you should contact medical assistance. Banal fatigue can be a symptom of unstable glucose levels.

Results

Unstable blood glucose levels are a sign of impaired carbohydrate metabolism. The norm of sugar two hours after eating, for an adult, should not exceed 7.7 mmol / l. stable high values indicate the development of a prediabetic state, diabetes mellitus, pancreatic diseases, pathological changes in cardiovascular system. Neglecting regular examination means endangering your health and life.

Glucose in the blood in one quantity or another affects the body in different ways: favorably or negatively. From positive aspects it can be distinguished that sugar is the key to the energy metabolism that occurs in the human body. Without this, it would be impossible to move a hand, and this process really requires effort. However, there is also negative side, in which excess sugar gives rise to the development of new diseases.

Glucose levels fluctuate several times during the day. After eating, the indicators are higher, and after a while - less. Therefore, in order for the analysis of glycemia to be reliable, it is carried out on an empty stomach, at least 8 hours after a meal. Normal glucose levels, regardless of gender, are the same in adults.

Indications for examination

Glycemic analysis is carried out for:

definitions of various diseases;
exclusion of diabetic disease;
monitoring diabetes mellitus, namely to monitor glucose levels;
exceptions gestational diabetes in pregnant women;
definition of hypoglycemia.

Based on the results of the tests, the specialist doctor determines the absence or presence of the above pathologies. If the analysis confirmed the presence of the disease, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to determine and eliminate the causes of the disease and, if possible, cure it.

Preparing for a blood glucose test

This examination is carried out after a meal in order to fix the highest glucose level. Sugar will be elevated no matter what food you eat. Examination should be carried out after eating 2 hours later. This is due to the fact that during this period of time the indicators increase to the maximum. Before this examination, it is not recommended to follow a special diet, because it requires observation of the true picture that occurs after eating.

However, everything has its own nuances. For example, the results after yesterday's stormy feast will be unreliable due to the fact that alcohol and an abundance of holiday foods contribute to a 1.5-fold increase in glucose. Also, donating blood for analysis is not recommended after recent injuries, a heart attack, or active physical exertion.

As for pregnant women, it takes into account the fact that in women during this period, sugar itself is elevated. Pregnant women are advised to take a glycemia test not two hours later, but eight hours after eating - to determine the true indicators.

The norm of glucose at different times

There is a certain amount of blood sugar after eating for adults. This is:

less than 8.9 mmol / l - after one hour;
3.9–8.1 - two hours later;
up to 5.5 - on an empty stomach;
up to 6.9 - at any time.

The glucose index after eating tends to rise, even if a person does not have any health complaints. This is due to the fact that a certain number of calories, getting into human body, promotes an increase in sugar to start energy metabolism. It is worth noting that each organism is individual and is able to respond to various factors in different ways.

Elevated glucose

If the results of the analysis for glycemia are high, this is a signal that a diabetic disease is developing in the body.

Increased sugar contribute to:

recent stress;
heart attack;
Itsenko-Cushing's disease;
excessive production of growth hormone;
uncontrolled medication.

Decreased glucose levels

Low blood sugar is not uncommon. This is an indicator of the development of hypoglycemic disease. However, it can also develop against the background increased rates. If sugar does not decrease to normal levels, the cause of this pathology should be identified and appropriate measures taken.

If the indicators are less than 2.2 and 2.8 for women and men, respectively, there is a possibility that a tumor element develops in the pancreas. The formation occurs due to abnormally excessive production of insulin. Tumor formation- this is the cause of the development of cancer cells, so it is not recommended to delay with additional analyzes and surveys.

Unfortunately, there is no complete cure for diabetes. But there are measures that help the patient maintain health and general well-being. Such rules are particularly simple and help the sufferer maintain normal sugar levels. Patients whose blood sugar is high after meals are advised to eliminate carbohydrates and replace them with foods that take longer to digest.

Fiber is recommended for diabetic patients. The substance has a slow rate of digestion in the stomach. Fiber is found in bread made from flour coarse grinding. This product replaces conventional flour products. The patient is advised to receive minerals, antioxidants and vitamins in large quantities. They are found in fresh vegetables, berries and fruits.

In addition to food restrictions, diabetics should not overeat. In order for the body to be saturated faster, the patient needs to add more protein foods to his diet. Saturated fats are also harmful to a diabetic, because they create a significant burden on the body.

The next meal is allowed 2-3 hours after the previous one. Fasting also causes an increase in glucose levels. If the body does not receive the proper amount of food, then the patient's condition deteriorates sharply. In such cases, it is recommended to check the glucose level and eat a little.

A diabetic should exclude sweets from the diet. Special sweet tooth is allowed to replace sweets with fresh fruits and berries, the use of which contributes to the normalization of sugar. Exception bad habits and doing light physical activity will only benefit. It should be noted that alcohol provokes an increase in glucose levels and worsens the condition of the person suffering from the disease.

Sugar levels throughout the day can vary in one direction or another, and the lowest level of glucose in the blood falls on the interval of 3-4 hours of the night. The correct numbers characteristic of the disease can be obtained at 7 o'clock in the morning.

On an empty stomach, the norm is from 3.4 to 5.5 units. Max Level glucose is fixed in daytime at about 15 o'clock. Its value can be in the range from 6.4 to 7.9 units. That is why it is recommended to measure the level of glucose in the blood after a meal exactly two hours later. After this interval, glucose begins to gradually decrease.

Sugar analysis is carried out in order to reject or verify the presence of diabetes, to identify any disease, as well as to control sugar levels in diagnosing an ailment, as well as to detect gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

It is necessary to find out how much blood sugar should be after eating, as well as on an empty stomach, what is their norm in a child and an adult? When is type 2 diabetes diagnosed in adults and children, and why is a glucometer needed?

What is the norm of glucose should be?

Usually, the level of glucose in the blood is determined a couple of times - an analysis is carried out throughout the day, each time the patient has taken food.

For any type of disease, the required number of studies during one day is determined. The level of sugar during the day can rise or fall, and this normal process in the human body. For example, it is slightly higher in the evening and lower in the morning.

When a person ate, his blood glucose level rises, but this does not mean that he has a disease. The normal indicator of a healthy person, regardless of gender, is 5.5 units on an empty stomach.

If blood sugar is elevated, then repeated studies are carried out (3 times), which allows you to consider the dynamics of changes in more detail. In addition, due to control, you can control the patient's condition and avoid serious complications.

It is permissible to measure blood sugar at home, a special device, a glucometer, will help with this.

Table of normal blood sugar levels:

During the day, sugar in a person's biological fluid should be on an empty stomach from 3.4 to 5.6 units (in children too).
During the lunch period, before meals, and also before dinner in the evening, up to 6.1 units are considered to be the norm.
One hour after the patient has eaten, sugar rises to 8.9 units, and this is the norm.
Two hours after eating, blood glucose already drops to 6.8 units.
At night, if you measure the blood sugar of a healthy person, it can be up to 3.9 units, everything above this figure is not normal.

When blood sugar levels exceed 7-10 units on an empty stomach, then a second study is carried out, a test for glucose tolerance. Upon receipt of a repeated result with data such as 7-10 units, diabetes of the second or first type is diagnosed.

At the first stages, in order to normalize a person’s condition, and his sugar to normal, it is recommended to change the lifestyle, in particular, a certain healthy diet and physical activity. When sugar is kept at 10 units or more, then insulin is prescribed. It is also important for a diabetic to know

Doctors recommend that patients with suspected diabetes of any type buy a glucometer to further monitor their blood sugar levels. The glucometer must be used not only in cases where the patient is unwell, but also as a preventive measure in order to track changes in their indicators in time.

The norm of sugar after eating in men, women, children

Definitely, it is believed that the level of glucose in the blood does not depend on gender, however, in a number of situations in medical practice there is a table that shows slight differences between men and women, which makes it possible to suspect the development of diabetes.

Based on statistics, we can say that the fairer sex is more susceptible to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, this is due to the physiological characteristics and functioning of the female body.

Fasting sugar in the weaker sex normally has a value of up to 5.5 units. If the amount of sugar in the blood is exceeded, then a second study is carried out. Sugar after eating rises, and can reach the figure of 8.8 units. However, despite such a high rate, it is still the norm.

Every hour, the amount of glucose in the blood gradually changes, and after about two or three hours it returns to its original value. It is after such a period of time that the body requires food.

Its useful to note interesting point that it is in the female sex that sugar is quickly transformed into an energy component, so they cannot live without sweets. The same can be said about a child who will never refuse candy or ice cream. Many parents, worrying about the health of their child, are interested in how much sugar should be in children? Which normal rate the level of glucose in the child's blood, this question is answered by the following list:

The normal indicator in a child is up to 5.6 units. If it is high, then the assumption that there is diabetes is fully justified.
Immediately, as the patient ate, the amount of glucose can rise to 7.9 units, and it will be like that for an hour.

If you use a glucometer and measure the blood sugar in a child for one hour (after he has eaten), you will notice that it stays almost at the same level, and after two hours it begins to gradually decrease.

The sad but undeniable fact is that in the last 10 years, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been increasingly diagnosed in younger children. school age. If you have previously suspected diabetes, you need to purchase a glucometer that allows you to find out your indicators at any time.

If after eating the glucose level is high, and exceeds the figure of 10 units, prescribe reanalysis, and in this case we can first talk about diabetes.

What information does tolerance analysis provide?

Before conducting a test for diabetes, they first take an analysis on an empty stomach (you must not eat for 8-10 hours). An analysis is then carried out to determine sugar tolerance. The patient is offered to take 75 ml of glucose, they take an analysis, after two hours it is necessary to take it again.

Two hours later, after the patient drank glucose, the norm is less than 10 units (venous blood), and capillary more than 10 units, in particular 11 units. A violation of tolerance is considered an indicator of 10 units (venous blood), and more than 11 units - capillary blood.

If the fasting rate is high, then a second test is performed after two hours. When sugar levels are still elevated, type 1 or type 2 diabetes is suspected. In this situation, it is recommended to take the tests again, you can control your blood sugar at any time at home, this will help the glucometer.

Blood sugar can rise and fall critically both on an empty stomach and after eating. At 3 units of glucose, which is considered the extreme mark, clinical picture next:

Weakness, general malaise.
Increased sweating.
Difficult to hear the pulse.
The heart muscle is overloaded, there are malfunctions in the work of the heart.
Tremor of the limbs.
Confusion of consciousness.

It should be noted that patients with diabetes are at risk of developing oncological diseases because high blood sugar affects immune system person.

Having learned what the norm is for diabetes, and what tests you need to take, and why you need a glucometer, you need to consider the basic recommendations for lowering blood sugar.

To normalize your sugar level in the morning, evening and in general, forever, it is recommended to adhere to special diet which are prescribed for diabetes mellitus of any type.