All about Blood Glucose Levels
In this article , I explained about the units of measuring blood glucose levels, then about Hyper and Hypo Glycemia , their symptoms and ways to tackle them.
Well, the blood glucose level or the blood sugar level is nothing but the concentration of the glucose present in the blood. Approximately, 4 gm of glucose are present in the 70 kg human at all times. This is always required for the normal function of human brain and the tissues in the body.
We need a quantitative unit to measure this level all the time..so we can track the changes in the levels and act accordingly. Let’s go the basics of chemistry a bit.
The concentration of a substance can be measured normally in two ways molar concentration and mass concentration.
Molar concentration deals with the no of moles of a solute present in unit volume of solution. So the international standard unit for measuring glucose levels in terms of molar concentration is mmol/L.(Millimoles per Litre).
Mass concentration deals with the mass of constituent per unit volume of the mixture. The unit for glucose level in terms of mass concentration is mg/dL.(milli grams per deci Litre)
Glucose formula is C6H12O6. And it’s molecular weight is 180. Hence the difference between the two units is a factor of 18.i.e., 1 mmol/L of glucose is equivalent to 18 mg/dL. Both the units are being used all over the world. In our country , mostly mg/dL is being used.
For a non-diabetic, these glucose levels will always be in range. So the fasting glucose level will be within 70–100 mg/dL and the random glucose level will be between 70–140 mg/dL always.But for a diabetic , you will see roller coasters(just kidding 😄). One can maintain the range even if he is a diabetic, by proper monitoring of levels, diet, insulin dosage and physical activity.
So for a diabetic the acceptable fasting range is 70–130 mg/dL and the random level range is 70–180 mg/dL. So what happens when the levels go up or down beyond this range? That is where the problems arise .
HyperGlycemia
This is also called high blood sugar. So when the levels start going up beyond the acceptable range , a person experiences this condition called hyperglycemia. This means the concentration of glucose in the body is much higher than the amount needed.
Infact it is a slow poison. It doesn’t do any harm to the body right away after going high(😅). But the effects of this will be visible after some time period in the future of that person’s life in the form of other complications if uncontrolled for a long time.
The common causes for this could be:
- Skipping the insulin dosage.
- Eating too many grams of carbohydrates for the amount of insulin taken.
- Having an infection
- Sick.
- Under stress.
- Become inactive or less physical activity.
- Taking part in strenuous physical activity, especially when blood sugar levels are high and insulin levels are low.
and many more ..😁
The common symptoms of hyper glycemia are as follows:
Treating the hyperglycemia:
Depending on the amount of level, an insulin shot with specific dosage is needed to bring down the levels. Also more water intake is needed to flush out the excess glucose through urine and also to prevent dehydration. Need to wait till the levels come down before eating something.
But the best way is to always prevent it by proper diet and dosage, monitoring and physical activity.
Hypoglycemia
This the condition when the blood sugar goes lower than 70 mg/dL . This is a dangerous condition and happens when there is no enough glucose to use as fuel in the body.
Unlike hyper, it is not a slow poison. The effects will be visible right away. In severe cases when the levels are too low(less than 30), it may lead to coma and death of the person . The brain no longer has enough glucose to utilise when the levels go deep down and results in coma. But the good thing is person starts to experience the symptoms when the levels start going down from 70 . So he/she can act accordingly to treat it.
Causes might be higher insulin dosage, eating less amount of food than the food to be eaten for the dosed insulin, high amount of physical activity with no food etc.,
The common symptoms are:
Treatment:
Rightaway after experiencing the symptoms, a high glycemic index food should be taken in the form of liquid preferably or glucose tablets to bring up the levels.
- Three to four glucose tablets
- One tube of glucose gel
- Four to six pieces of hard candy (not sugar-free)
- 1/2 cup fruit juice
- 1 cup skim milk with sugar.
- 1/2 cup soft drink (not sugar-free)
- 1 tablespoon honey .
After 15 mins, if still the levels are less than 70 mg/dL, again any of the above can be taken to increase the level.
In severe cases, the person may become unconscious without even experiencing symptoms(very rare though). In those cases , the people around him need to give a glucagon injection(glucagon is a hormone which increases the glucose level in the body) and taking that person to nearest hospital. This is only in severe case.
Proper monitoring of glucose levels is the key to be in range. It can prevent both hypo and hyper with appropriate actions based on the monitored levels.
I experienced many hypos and hypers in my type 1 diabetic life for the past three and half years. The worst hypo I had is 25 mg/dL in the early stages and the worst hyper was at my diagnosis. I was diagnosed with 800+ mg/dL in the hospital. Massive amount of glucose in the blood. But the frequency of this gradually decreased by having a better understanding of my condition. The following quote by Nick (He is a Type 1 Diabetic if you don’t know) summarizes the dealing with Type1 Diabetes.He is one of the founders of beyond type1(https://beyondtype1.org) a non profit organisation.
