Diabetes is a condition where your body is unable to process the carbohydrates and sugar properly, and the sugar builds up in your bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes usually results from lack of insulin production, whereas type 2 diabetes is usually the result of insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Understanding the commonly accepted thresholds for blood sugar readings can help you identify troublesome patterns to discuss with your doctor.
Normal Blood Glucose Readings
Individuals without diabetes should maintain steady, low blood sugar readings. You should have a fasting blood sugar reading between 70 and 100 mg/dL without an intolerance or diabetic condition. Take a fasting blood sugar reading as soon as you get out of bed in the morning to ensure you haven't consumed food for at least eight hours. This form of testing provides the most accurate blood sugar result.
Pre-Diabetes
Individuals who do not have diabetes but experience fasting blood sugar readings between 100 and 125 mg/dL are typically classified as pre-diabetic. The American Diabetes Association reports that many people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Identifying pre-diabetic conditions early can help you adjust your eating plan and add additional exercise to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes.
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Fasting blood glucose readings above 126 mg/dL are an indicator of diabetes. A random blood glucose reading of 200 mg/dL or higher at any point during the day accompanied by irritability, fatigue, weight loss, a constant thirst you cannot satisfy or increased urination may indicate diabetes if it occurs on multiple days. A glucose tolerance test consists of 75 mg of glucose consumed as a drink. A blood glucose result over 200 mg/dL from a test taken two hours after you drink the solution is also an indication of diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes
Just under 10 percent of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that is directly related to the pregnancy. When a pregnant woman's body struggles to properly process the carbohydrates and sugar she consumes and her blood glucose rises, she is diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Pregnant women have slightly lower blood glucose readings as a standard, so the gestational diabetes threshold is lower as well. A pregnant woman with a fasting blood glucose reading over 95 mg/dL on more than one occasion qualifies as a gestational diabetic. To formally diagnose gestational diabetes, a glucose tolerance test may be administered. A blood glucose reading of 180 mg/dL taken 1 hour into the test, 155 mg/dL at the 2 hour point, or 140 mg/dL 3 hours after consuming the glucose solution may indicate gestational diabetes.
