Sugar Levels in the Blood

Blood sugar levels refer to the amount of glucose present in an individual's blood. It should be kept within a normal target range that your physician sets for you. Allowing your glucose levels to stray outside these paramaters can cause severe consequences, some of which may be corrected only with the help of insulin. Keeping levels within the parameters will allow for a healthier lifestyle. There are a number of things that can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, including the types of food consumed and exercise.

Monitoring

• It may become necessary to monitor your blood sugar levels if it is difficult to stay within the range set by your physician. You should check your levels before you exercise, as it is not advisable to be active when levels are too high or too low. Even if the level is acceptable to begin exercising, it is wise to continue to check the level during and after exercise.

Considerations

• Factors that affect glucose levels include food and alcohol consumption, stress, hormonal changes, illness, medication and exercise. Ideally, you should consume about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal in order to keep blood sugar at a consistent level. You should also try to eat about the same amount of food at the same time every day. Of course, exercise is important for a healthy body, but it causes blood sugar levels to drop. If you suffer from high blood sugar or low blood sugar, it is wise to keep a check on your levels throughout your workout. When you are fighting an illness, your body produces hormones to help with the battle. These hormones can raise your blood sugar level, so be sure to keep your glucose level in check. Hormone fluctuations that occur during menstruation or menopause can also cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate. During these times, you may want to adjust your diet or exercise to keep glucose levels in the range set by your physician.

Hyperglycemia

• Hyperglycemia is a condition where abnormally high levels of blood sugar are present in the body. Sometimes your physician may put you on insulin therapy to help control the blood sugar level when it is not affected by a change in diet and activity level. The symptoms include repeated urination, increased thirst, and hunger that does not seem to go away, dehydration, weight loss and a drop in energy level. The symptoms range from mild to severe, and can result in death. Many times, hyperglycemia is a precursor to diabetes.

Hypoglycemia

• Many people experience the "mid-afternoon slump;" a period of time several hours after lunch when it becomes difficult to concentrate because of drowsiness, or possibly, the inability to think clearly. This is caused by a drop in blood sugar. When blood sugar drops below normal levels, it is known as hypoglycemia. It can come on suddenly and it is usually mild. Eating a snack high in glucose can help alleviate symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause confusion and fainting. Severe hypoglycemia can result in complications ranging from seizure to death. Hypoglycemia is a very dangerous condition. It is far worse to have too little glucose in the blood than too much.

Diabetes

• In Type 2, or adult onset, diabetes, the body loses its ability to respond correctly to insulin, causing the sugar level to stay above the healty parameters. Insulin is used to bring the level back down to a manageable level. If left untreated, diabetes can cause severe symptoms ranging from coma to death.