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What is Blood Glucose Level?Blood glucose level is the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as serum glucose level. The amount of glucose in the blood is expressed as millimoles per litre (mmol/l). Normally, sugar level stays within narrow limits throughout the day (4 to 8mmol/l). But they are higher after meals and usually lowest in the morning. If a person has diabetes, their glucose levels sometimes move outside these limits.
Why control blood glucose levels? When you have diabetes, it's very important that your glucose level is as near normal as possible. The primary goal of any diabetes treatment is simply to keep the sugar level stable. Stable blood glucose significantly reduces the risk of developing late-stage diabetic complications. These may start to appear 10 to 15 years after diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes and often less than 10 years after diagnosis with Type 2 diabetes.
They include:
How can I measure blood glucose levels? Sugar levels in the blood can be measured very simply and quickly with a home testing kit. These come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but they all consist of at least two things: the measuring device itself and a strip. A pharmacist will be able to advise you about the most appropriate model for you. To check your glucose level put a small amount of blood on the strip and place the strip into the device. After about 30 seconds it will display the blood sugar level. The best way to take a blood sample is by pricking the finger with a surgical knife, called a lancet.
What should glucose levels be?
How often should blood glucose level be measured? People who have Type 1 diabetes should measure their blood sugar level once a day, either in the morning before breakfast or at bedtime. In addition, they should do a 24-hour profile a couple of times a week. That means measuring blood glucose levels before each meal and before bed. People who have Type 2 diabetes and are being treated with insulin should also follow the schedule above. People who have Type 2 diabetes and who are being treated with tablets or a special diet should measure their blood sugar level once or twice a week either before meals or one-and-a-half hours after a meal. They should also do a 24-hour profile once or twice a month. The main advantage for insulin-treated diabetics in measuring glucose levels in the morning is that appropriate amounts of insulin can be taken if the blood glucose level is high or low. This will reduce the risk of developing late-stage diabetic complications. Blood glucose level at bedtime At what other times should blood glucose levels be measured? People who have Type 1 diabetes with a high level of glucose in their blood (more than 20mmol/l), in addition to sugar traces in the urine, should check for ketone bodies in their urine, using a urine strip. If ketone bodies are present, it's a warning signal that they either have, or may develop, diabetic acidosis. If this is the case, they should consult their doctor. What is glycated haemoglobin? This test is usually done using a blood sample from the patient's arm. It shows how high the glucose levels have been over the last six to eight weeks. Unfortunately, different hospitals have different guidelines, but generally speaking a level of:
Insulin Therapy for Diabetes ManagementInsulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps move glucose into the cells. Diabetes occurs when the body cannot make or respond to insulin and glucose builds up in the blood. People with type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2 diabetes administer insulin to themselves daily. How much insulin you need to take depends on what your body's level of blood glucose is, or what you predict the level will be after a meal. Naturally, food also plays an important role in your diabetes management plan, because it contributes glucose to your blood. Usually, physical activity can lower your blood glucose level, decreasing your need for insulin. So, you'll need to account for exercise and physical activity in your diabetes management plan.Most people with type 1 diabetes take insulin by injecting it with a standard needle and syringe. The goal is to mimic normal insulin release as closely as possible. Normally. a low level of insulin is available in the blood at most times. This is a background, or basal, level of insulin. After meals, insulin release goes up, just enough to clear the glucose in the meal from the blood. To imitate this sequence, you can develop a regular schedule of insulin injections using the fast-acting form of insulin or combinations of both slower-acting and fast-acting forms of insulin. Some people use insulin pumps to dispense fast-acting insulin at a steady background, or basal, rate and to provide extra insulin to cover meals. Although most insulin pumps in use today are carried around on a belt, researchers are working to develop a pump that is placed inside the body. Ideally, scientists would like to make a pump that senses the amount of glucose in the blood and delivers the right amount of insulin, as needed. So far, the most difficult part has been creating a glucose sensor. No matter what method is used, the goal is still the same- to deliver insulin to cells so they can take in glucose.
Your type of insulin therapy should relate directly to your health and your lifestyle choices. Your chosen therapy may be as simple as keeping your blood glucose levels from shooting too high after meals or falling too low between meals. Or your therapy may be more challenging: trying to keep after-meal blood glucose levels as close as possible to those of someone without diabetes. A common type of insulin therapy is taking your insulin in one or two shots a day. This means using long-acting insulins, or a combination of long- and short-acting insulins. Most diabetes doctors would tell you that type 1 diabetes cannot be successfully controlled with one or two shots a day. Under this plan, there are many hours at different times of the day that your blood glucose level is high. An insulin plan that includes three to four, or even more, injections of insulin per day leads to fewer times when blood glucose levels are high. People who take shots this many times each day usually use a long-acting insulin to control background blood glucose levels and fast-acting insulin to cover meals. They inject fast-acting insulin before meals to lower the blood glucose rise that occurs as food is digested. The food you eat and the exercise you get go hand-in-hand with your insulin therapy. To know how much insulin you'll need at each shot, it helps to know what your blood glucose level is now (you know this by blood glucose testing), what you're planning to eat (so you'll be able to estimate how much your blood glucose will increase), and what glucose-lowering physical activities you'll be doing. Of course, healthy eating and regular exercise are a part of anyone's healthy living plan. But for you, knowing how these two daily features move your blood glucose level up and down is essential.
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