We are used to saying “blood sugar”, it is more correct to say “blood glucose level”. The pancreas produces the special hormones insulin and glycogen, which are responsible for maintaining glucose levels within the normal range. With any failure in the system, the body does not receive enough energy, there is rapid fatigue and weakness. Such processes are dangerous, first of all, because during the improper operation of the pancreas, the load on the kidneys increases, which requires an increased content of fluid in the body. Further, the vessels suffer, because the thickened blood can not physically get into the small capillaries, and from this there are already irreversible reactions in all organs and systems.
What is considered to be the norm of blood glucose level
The norms for women and men do not differ, there is only a slight increase in sugar levels with age. Blood for analysis should be given in the morning, on an empty stomach. The ideal interval between the last meal and the analysis is 10-14 hours. The day before, it is not recommended to eat fatty and fried food, drink alcoholic beverages and be nervous.
If all the conditions are met, then the glucose level in the blood taken from the finger (capillary) should be equal to 3.3-5.5 mmol/l. if the blood was taken from the vein, the norm increases by 12% and is 5-6. 1 mmol/l. At different times of the day, the indicators will be different, so it is recommended to take the analysis in the morning.
Most often, blood sugar levels need to be monitored in order to diagnose diabetes in time – an insidious disease that can be asymptomatic for a long time, or resemble the usual seasonal ailments. This is especially true for those who have relatives who suffer from diabetes, the elderly and obese people who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Causes of high blood sugar
The level of glucose can not increase just from scratch, if a person adheres to proper nutrition and an active lifestyle, then an increase in sugar indicates the presence of diseases.
The main causes of increased blood sugar levels are:
- Excessive consumption of food, especially easily digested carbohydrates;
- Smoking and alcohol consumption;
- Stress and nervous overstrain;
- Diabetes mellitus;
- Diseases of the endocrine system: thyrotoxicosis, Cushing’s disease, etc.;
- Diseases of the pancreas, liver and kidneys;
- Taking certain steroid medications, contraceptives, or diuretics;
- Premenstrual syndrome in women.
If the analysis revealed an increased sugar content, the patient is given a sugar solution to drink and the analysis is repeated after two hours. Sometimes a normal meal before blood donation (a person spent a lot of time on the way to a medical institution and ate an apple) can cause an increase in sugar.
Signs of increased blood glucose levels
Elevated sugar levels lead to hyperglycemia, which can be recognized by the following signs:
- Constant feeling of thirst;
- Dry mouth feeling;
- Frequent urination, often painful;
- Arrhythmia;
- Fatigue;
- Weight loss in the presence of an excellent appetite;
- Itchy skin;
- Non-healing wounds;
- Visual impairment;
- Noisy, uneven breathing.
Of course, the appearance of several of these reasons is a reason for an urgent visit to the doctor and immediate delivery of a sugar test.
Hypoglycemia is a decrease in blood sugar below 3.5 mmol/l.
It is important to know the symptoms of hypoglycemia and determine them in time:
- headache;
- feeling hungry;
- weakness and feelings of frustration;
- vertigo;
- rapid heartbeat;
- sweating;
- trembling in the body;
- bad mood;
- tearfulness;
- irritability;
- reduced concentration of attention.
How to lower your blood sugar
To reduce the level of sugar in the blood, which has not reached a critical level, a balanced diet will help. The diet is based on the exclusion from the diet of foods containing “fast” carbohydrates, which immediately give a feeling of satiety, but are too quickly absorbed.
These products include:
- Animal fats;
- Sugar, butter and confectionery products;
- Fast food;
- Marinades, smoked and fried foods;
- Packaged juices;
- Persimmons, grapes, bananas, figs, dates;
- Carbonated and alcoholic beverages.
To normalize metabolic processes and further maintain blood sugar levels within the normal range, it is recommended to give preference to such products as:
- Fish, seafood;
- Chicken, Beef, Veal, Turkey, Rabbit meat;
- Whole grain bread;
- Vegetables and herbs;
- Fruits and berries;
- Seeds and nuts;
- Green tea and herbal decoctions;
- Pure mineral water without gas.
The usual recommendations are walking in the fresh air, fractional nutrition and feasible physical activity. Anyone who does not want health problems in old age can keep their blood sugar levels normal.
Gulic ihemia