If you have diabetes, the first step in understanding it — and its relation to glucose — is to understand exactly what blood sugar is and what causes it to rise. To that end, we’ve created a handy glucose levels diabetes chart to help you get started.
How to Manage Blood Sugar
First, keep the above glucose levels diabetes chart handy. Then, the key is keeping in mind how glucose and diabetes work together.
- Glucose: the carbs and sugars in your food and drinks that turn into sugar in your digestive system before moving to your bloodstream
- Insulin: a hormone your pancreas produces in response to an influx of glucose to help lower blood sugar levels
When you have Type 2 diabetes, your glucose level ranges will be higher than people without this disease. Your glucose will build up in your blood instead of getting absorbed into your cells.
This is because your body develops “insulin resistance,” where it can’t utilize the insulin your pancreas is producing. Your pancreas will eventually lose the ability to produce insulin at all.
Get Your Glucose Tested
If you’re not sure you have diabetes, here are a few symptoms to watch for:
- Excessive hunger/thirst
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Excessive urination
- Numbness/tingling in the hands/feet
- Regular yeast or other infections
Experiencing any of these symptoms means you should get your glucose level ranges checked by a medical professional. Your levels will determine your diagnosis via a glucose levels diabetes chart:
- Normal blood sugar level: less than 140mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
- Prediabetic blood sugar level: 140–199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L to 11.0 mmol/L)
- Normal blood sugar level for diagnosing Type 2 diabetes: more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L)
It’s important to note that the goal for those with Type 2 diabetes is to lower this blood sugar level. The recommended glucose level ranges for those with diabetes are:
- 70–130 mg/dL (30.9-7.2 mmol/L) for fasting glucose
- 140–180 mg/dL maximum threshold for blood glucose after a meal (recommendations vary)
Tips to Help Manage Your Glucose and Diabetes
To help keep your blood sugar within healthy levels, strive to follow these habits:
- Eat healthy: maintain a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes, and fish. Limit your consumption of sugary foods and beverages as much as possible or eliminate them entirely if necessary.
- Move more: exercise five times a week for 30–60 minutes. Make sure to find a balance of strength training and cardiovascular exercise for best results.
- Check your glucose level ranges regularly: monitor your blood sugar throughout the day so you can administer glucose tablets or take steps to lower your glucose.
- Drink plenty of water: staying hydrated is a great way to help lower your blood sugar.
- Maintain a healthy weight: if necessary, lose weight to reach a healthy one. Then use your diet and exercise to maintain.
- Quit smoking: smoking can inhibit your ability to manage your diabetes. Quit as soon as possible for your best health.
Also, make sure you always have plenty of diabetic testing supplies on hand so you never run out when you need them.
Regain Control of Your Health with OKRA Care
Whether you need help managing your glucose level ranges, want an easy-to-understand glucose levels diabetes chart, or are looking for an affordable subscription for your supplies, OKRA Care can help.
We have over 25 years of experience creating hospital-grade testing supplies that are always available without a prescription. We’re committed to making managing your diabetes as accessible as possible, and that's why we offer an OKRA Pro Starter Kit Bundle.
That’s why we’re also proud to offer free shipping on all our kits and refills, plus a 100% money-back guarantee of quality.
Have questions about how it all works? Check out our FAQ page or get in touch!