Guidelines for Blood Glucose Levels

It's imporant to keep your blood glucose levels in the recommended target range to prevent serious side effects caused by diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has established guidelines for daily levels, but these may change during exercise or if you are ill. You should familiarize yourself with these various guidelines and aim for the safest range at all times.

Daily Guidelines for Blood Glucose Levels

• The traditional standard for measuring blood glucose levels is in milligrams/deciliter, or mg/dL. Diabetes patients should use a home glucose meter, or glucometer, to take readings of their blood glucose levels several times a day. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is 70 mg/dL or below; 90 to 130 mg/dL is the target "fasting" blood sugar range before you eat; 100 to 140 mg/dL is the target range for bedtime; 180 mg/dL and above 1 to 2 hours before a meal is high and an indication your blood glucose levels aren't under control or that you may need to increase the amount of insulin or medication you take with a meal.

Blood Glucose Guidelines for Exercise

• Exercise is important for overall health and can help prevent some of the long-term diseases associated with diabetes. However, you should be careful to take your blood glucose readings before, during and after exercise to avoid serious fluctuations. Also check with your doctor first before beginning an exercise program.

  Check your blood sugar levels 30 minutes before and then again immediately prior to exercise. If levels are lower than 100 mg/dL, your blood sugar may be too low to exercise safely, so you should eat a small carbohydrate-containing snack before you begin a workout; if the levels are between 100 to 250 mg/dL, this is considered safe for exercise; if levels are 250 mg/dL or higher, this is a caution zone, and you should test your urine for ketones, waiting until your test kit indicates a low level, before exercising; 300 mg/dL or higher is probably too high to exercise safely.

  During exercise, check your levels every 30 minutes or if you feel shaky, nervous or confused; if your blood sugar is 70 mg/dL or lower, eat or drink something to raise your blood glucose levels, such as two to five glucose tablets, 1/2 cup of fruit juice or regular (not diet) soda, or five to six pieces of hard candy. Keep checking levels every 15 minutes and avoid exercising until your readings are back to 70 mg/dL or higher.

  After exercise, check your blood sugar right away and several times over the next few hours, since exercise can temporarily draw sugar from your blood and cause low blood sugar. If that happens, eat a small carbohydrate-containing snack as outlined above.

Blood Glucose Guidelines During Illness

• Your blood sugar can rise during an illness and require you to take more insulin. You should check your blood glucose levels every four hours, and if levels exceed 240mg/ml, test your urine for ketones. Ketone testing should be done every twelve hours, regardless. If you're nauseated, don't skip meals. Sip a drink or eat your food slowly, and if you do vomit, don't eat for two hours afterward. Replace fluids by drinking four to eight ounces of broth, teas, Gatorade, water, cola or soda, orange juice or soup every one to two hours. Don't omit any medicines, including insulin. Weigh yourself frequently to keep track of fluid loss. If you can't eat regular meals, consume liquid or soft foods equal to 15 grams of carbohydrate every hour, or 50 grams every three to four hours.