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Normal blood sugar or glucose levels for adults who are not suffering from diabetes are between 90 mg/dL to 110 mg/dL. Blood sugar levels can be defined as the amount of glucose or sugar that someone has in their blood at any given time.
It should be noted that having high or low blood sugar levels can lead to serious health conditions, which would require medical attention. This is why it is important to understand what the normal blood sugar level is. And today, we’ll help you with just that.
Normal Blood Sugar Levels for Adults
Blood sugar levels can be categorized as being normal, high, or low. This categorization will depend on how much glucose, which is a type of simple sugar that is present in the bloodstream at all times, or sugar is present in the bloodstream of an individual.
Normal blood sugar levels can be measured after an individual fasts, eats, or after they have just eaten. The normal blood sugar level for an adult who is not suffering from diabetes and has not eaten anything for the last eight hours, which can be looked at as fasting, is less than 100 mg/dL.
Further, the normal blood sugar level for an adult who is not suffering from diabetes and has only eaten two hours ago is between 90 mg/dL to 110 mg/dL. One should note that there are several factors that can affect blood sugar levels throughout the day. Some of these factors are:
12 Factors that can affect blood sugar levels
- Type of food consumed
- Amount of food consumed
- The time during which the food was consumed
- Amount of physical activity
- Consumption of medications
- Any existing medical conditions
- Age of the individual
- Level of stress experienced
- Dehydration
- Illness
- Menstrual periods
- Consumption of alcohol
Beyond this, you might also be interested to learn that an ideal blood sugar level for an individual who is not suffering from diabetes should be less than 100 mg/dL. This level should be calculated in the morning. This is important because blood sugar levels can fluctuate throughout the day due to several reasons.
Also Read: Health Tips to Manage Blood Sugar For Diabetes Patients
Normal Blood Sugar Level Chart By Age for Adults
As mentioned above, depending on the age of the individual, the normal blood sugar levels can change. In this section, we will learn about those blood sugar levels. Let’s first start by looking at the normal blood sugar levels of children younger than 6 years old. Those normal blood sugar levels are depicted in the table below.
| Fasting | 80 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL |
| Before Meal | 100 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL |
| 1-2 Hours after Eating | Around 180 mg/dL |
| Bedtime | 110 mg/dL to 200 mg/dL |
The normal blood sugar levels for adolescents, which refers to people between the ages of 6 years and 12 years, are also mentioned in the table below.
| Fasting | 80 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL |
| Before Meal | 90 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL |
| 1-2 Hours after Eating | Up to 140 mg/dL |
| Bedtime | 100 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL |
Now, let’s look at the normal blood sugar levels for teens, which contain people between the ages of 13 years and 19 years.
| Fasting | 70 mg/dL to 150 mg/dL |
| Before Meal | 90 mg/dL to 130 mg/dL |
| 1-2 Hours after Eating | Up to 140 mg/dL |
| Bedtime | 90 mg/dL to 150 mg/dL |
The normal blood sugar levels for adults or people over the age of 20 years are mentioned in the table given below.
| Fasting | Less than 100 mg/dL |
| Before Meal | 70 mg/dL to 130 mg/dL |
| 1-2 Hours after Eating | Less than 180 mg/dL |
| Bedtime | 100 mg/dL to 140 mg/dL |
It should be noted that all blood sugar levels above the categorizations that have been mentioned in all the tables are considered as being high blood sugar levels. Similarly, blood sugar levels under the categorizations that have been mentioned above are considered as low blood sugar levels.
9 Common Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia is defined as a condition in which the blood sugar levels drop too low. There are a number of reasons why one might suffer from this condition, including:
- Types of diabetes
- Certain medications
- Alcohol
- Endocrine disorders
- Eating disorders
- Pregnancy
- Disorders of the liver
- Kidney problems
- Problems related to the heart
If an individual is suffering from hypoglycemia, then some common symptoms that one might observe are:
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Lightheadedness
- Shakiness
- Chills
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Clamminess
- Having a fast heart rate
- Hunger
- Pale skin
- Fainting
- Tingling lips
- Sleepiness
Beyond this, the only way one can be sure that he or she is having low blood sugar is by testing it with a glucose meter. One can also use other glucose measuring devices. If an individual does not have access to these tools and is feeling the symptoms of low blood sugar, then he or she should consume 15 grams of carbs or take a quick dissolve glucose tablet. This will raise the blood sugar levels and avoid any further symptoms.
Once the blood sugar level is back in the target range, then an individual can have a snack or a meal to make sure that the blood sugar level does not drop again. Apart from this, one can have a healthy diet, take prescribed diabetes medication, and use a glucagon kit in emergencies.
5 Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
Hyperglycemia can be defined as a condition with high blood sugar. This condition arises when the body does not have enough insulin or is unable to use insulin correctly. Some reasons due to which one might suffer from hyperglycemia are:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stress
- Illness
- Dawn phenomenon
Some common symptoms that one might experience if he or she is suffering from hyperglycemia are:
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
- Increased thirst
- Weight loss
- Difficulty in concentrating
There are also some lifestyle changes that one can make to treat hyperglycemia. Some of these changes are mentioned below.
- Eat whole and low sugar foods that are minimally processed
- Only exercise if there are no ketones present in the bloodstream
- Drink lots of water to help the body get rid of sugar in the urine
- Adjust your insulin levels
- Take medications according to the recommendation of your healthcare provider
Normal blood glucose levels are less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L). Prediabetes is diagnosed when blood sugar levels are between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 and 11.0 mmol/L). Diabetes is suggested if the blood sugar concentration reaches 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) A normal blood sugar level is less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L). Prediabetes is defined as a blood sugar level of 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L ). This condition, sometimes known as glucose intolerance, is characterized by increased glucose tolerance but not quite low enough levels Green tea, which contains 28 milligrams of caffeine, may be beneficial in preventing diabetes.FAQs on Normal Blood Sugar Levels:
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