Post Time: 2025-07-26
High blood sugar levels can lead to serious health complications, making it essential to understand what constitutes a dangerous range. The American Diabetes Association defines normal fasting blood glucose as 70-99 mg/dL and normal after-meal (postprandial) glucose as less than 180 mg/dL.
However, for individuals with diabetes or prediabetes, maintaining these levels is crucial to prevent long-term damage. Blood sugar levels that consistently exceed these ranges can lead to:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: High blood pressure and atherosclerosis are common complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes.
- Nerve damage (neuropathy): Elevated glucose levels over time can cause nerve dysfunction, leading to numbness, tingling, or pain in extremities.
- Kidney damage (nephropathy): Prolonged exposure to high blood sugar levels increases the risk of kidney failure and even end-stage renal disease.
Understanding Normal Blood Sugar Range
Monitoring your blood glucose regularly is vital for individuals with diabetes. This involves using a glucometer or continuous glucose monitor (CGM) at home, which can help identify trends and patterns in your blood sugar fluctuations. A recent study found that frequent monitoring enabled 70% of participants to achieve target HbA1c levels.
However, maintaining an optimal range is not solely dependent on technology; diet and lifestyle play a significant role as well. Dietary choices such as consuming high-fiber foods can help regulate blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate absorption and promoting stable insulin release.
For instance, whole grains like quinoa or brown rice contain fiber that breaks down slowly in the digestive system, minimizing blood glucose spikes. Additionally, incorporating protein-rich meals at breakfast has been shown to regulate appetite and provide sustained energy throughout the morning hours.
Managing stress is also crucial for maintaining a healthy blood sugar range as it can significantly impact your body's ability to regulate glucose levels. Chronic stress releases cortisol into circulation which in turn increases blood pressure, triglycerides and inflammation all contributing factors towards increasing risk of cardiovascular disease
About 1 in 700 children in Australia has type 1 diabetes, a metabolic condition that usually starts in childhood or adolescence blood sugar over 700 symptoms and runs in families. Follow twins Caitlin and Laura as they discuss their personal experiences with monitoring their blood glucose levels. Read more about monitoring blood glucose levels to manage type 1 diabetes: Opinions are the subjects own and should not how to reverse high blood sugar levels be taken as medical advice. The information provided by people can high blood sugar cause joint pain featured may not be NPS MedicineWise policy and is not meant to be a guide to healthcare.