Healthy Blood Sugar vs Diabetes

Answer 1

Everything you eat from a celery stick to an ice cream sundae raises blood sugar levels. The term "blood sugar" refers to the amount of glucose in the blood. Glucose is the product of dietary carbohydrates that are processed by the body.

In a normal healthy body, blood glucose levels are regulated by the hormone insulin that is released by the pancreas. The function of insulin is to assist the cells of the body in processing glucose. As food is digested blood sugar levels begins to rise in the body. This signals the pancreas to release insulin into the blood to regulate blood sugar within normal ranges of not under 70 to 100 milligrams per deciliter and not over 140 milligrams per deciliter.

Diabetics usually have two issues effecting blood sugar levels, insulin resistance which inhibits cells from using insulin effectively, and an insufficient supply of insulin from the pancreas. This results in the body becoming unable to control blood sugar levels. This is called Diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes. The first is Type 1 diabetes commonly found in children whose pancreas produces no insulin. The second kind of diabetes is Type 2 which is common in obese adults and results in insulin resistance and insufficient of insulin from the pancreas.

Treatment for Type 1 is to replace the missing insulin with daily injections. Treatment for Type 2 diabetes is treated with oral medication or insulin injections. Fortunately, diabetes is a manageable disease. Managing diabetes, especially Type 2 diabetes, is all about creating a balance in the body between medication, diet, and exercise to get and keep blood sugar levels as close to normal range as possible.

One of the most useful tools for controlling blood sugar is a home blood glucose testing meter. This home kit takes a snap shot of blood sugar when a small drop of blood is dropped on a special test strip that is inserted in the meter. Type 2 diabetics test their blood sugar before eating and within two hours after eating when blood sugar peaks. This helps show diabetics if their diet plan needs revision. Every three months the doctor orders an A1C blood test which gives an average of blood sugar levels over a three month period. This gives a diabetic an overview of their long term blood sugar control.