When suffering from diabetes, a person’s blood sugar (glucose) levels continue to go high. Over time, high blood sugar can be harmful to the body and cause other problems.
How much sugar in the blood is too high? Why is high blood sugar bad for your body? Let’s learn more about the health effects of blood sugar.
What is a normal blood glucose level?
Glucose should not exceed 100 mg/dL after at least 8 hours of fasting (fasting) or 140 mg/dL after 2 hours of eating.
During the day, blood glucose levels are usually lowest before a meal. For most people who are not diabetic, the pre-meal blood glucose level is about 70 to 80 mg/dL.
Some people have blood glucose levels around 60 mg per deciliter; some people can reach 90 mg per deciliter.
This also varies from person to person. Even after a long fast, many people never have blood glucose levels below 60 mg/dL.
There are also people whose liver converts fat and muscle into sugar to keep their blood sugar at normal levels when they are dieting or fasting.
How to diagnose
Doctors use the following methods to diagnose whether you have diabetes:
- Fasting blood glucose test: A blood glucose level of more than 126 mg per deciliter is considered high after an 8-hour fast.
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: After an 8-hour fast, drink a special sugar water. A blood glucose level higher than 200 mg/dL after two hours is considered hyperglycemic.
- Random sampling: When a doctor checks a patient’s blood glucose and the result is higher than 200 mg/dL with polyuria, always thirsty, and significant weight gain or loss, the doctor will use a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test to further confirm the diagnosis.
A balanced diet and regular exercise can prevent diabetes
Any blood glucose level that is above normal is unhealthy. If blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to diagnose diabetes, it is called prediabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, about 86 million people in the United States have prediabetes, which can turn into diabetes if lifestyle changes are not made as recommended by doctors.
Pre-diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease, only diabetes increases the risk of heart disease. By eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, you can stop prediabetes from turning into diabetes.
Why is high blood sugar bad for you?
When glucose is at normal levels in the body, it provides essential energy for all the cells in the body.
But when it’s at abnormal levels, it behaves like a chronic poison.
It gradually weakens the ability of the pancreatic cells to secrete insulin. The pancreas will then keep secreting insulin to lower sugar, at which point the organ will overcompensate, leading to too much insulin. Over time, the pancreas will be permanently damaged.
High blood sugar can bring changes to the body that cause blood vessels to harden, which doctors call atherosclerosis.
High blood sugar can cause damage to almost every organ in the body.
Problems caused by damaged blood vessels
- Kidney disease or kidney failure that requires dialysis treatment
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Loss of vision or blindness
- Weakened immune system and increased risk of infection
- Erectile dysfunction
- Nerve damage, also known as neuropathy, which can cause tingling, pain, or reduced perception in the feet, legs, and hands
- Poor blood circulation in the legs and feet
- Slow wound healing, which can be severe enough to lead to amputation
Patients are advised to keep their blood glucose levels normal to avoid these complications. The American Diabetes Association’s goal for blood glucose control in patients with diabetes is 70 to 130 mg/dL before meals and no more than 180 mg/dL after meals.