What's Your Blood Sugar Level Today?

Well as if the statistics of 23.6 million children and adults in the United States having diabetes wasn't enough. The main reason I created this lens is because my boyfriend Chip has been a diabetic since the age of 18. Recently we had a very bad scare where his blood sugar was extremely high, his blood pressure shot up, and low potassium. This put him in the hospital for 10 days! When he came out we changed some things in our lives. One of them being to check his blood sugar level every single morning and night. This lens is one way that we will make sure he keeps a check on it and we will be accountable for reporting it to our new Squidoo family. I hope that you will participate with us for a healthier world!

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What are Normal Blood Glucose Levels?

 

By Jackie Jones
Glucose, the primary energy source for human and animal cells, is a type of sugar that travels through the bloodstream. Glucose enters your body whenever you eat carbohydrate foods. Glucose levels are regulated by insulin and glucagon. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and released into the bloodstream when glucose levels rise.

Normal glucose levels fall between 70 and 150 mg. Levels typically are lower in the morning, and rise after meals. Blood sugar levels falling consistently above 150 are indicative of hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Chronic low levels, falling below 70, characterize hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is a potentially fatal condition. Symptoms of this condition are lethargy, impaired mental functioning, irritability and loss of consciousness. Persistent hyperglycemia results in diabetes mellitus, which is the most common disease related to blood sugar regulation failure. Diabetes can cause eye, kidney and nerve damage.

A blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. Reasons for testing glucose levels are to check for diabetes, to monitor treatment of diabetes, and to check for hypoglycemia. There are several different types of glucose tests. The 'fasting blood sugar' test checks glucose levels after an eight-hour fast and is often the first test performed when checking for diabetes. For this test, levels have to fall between 70 and 99 in order to be considered normal. The 'two-hour postprandial blood sugar' test measures glucose levels two hours after eating a meal.

Normal glucose levels for this test fall between 70 and 145. Random blood sugar testing checks glucose levels randomly throughout the day, regardless of meal times. If levels vary widely, there could be a problem. Blood sugar levels should be between 70 and 125 in order to be considered normal for random testing. The 'oral glucose tolerance test' diagnoses diabetes and predicaments. This tests your blood after drinking a glucose drink. If you think you may have a blood sugar disorder, contact your primary care physician for testing. There are many conditions that can cause a change in your blood glucose levels. Normal results may vary depending on the lab.

For more about diabetes testing equipment and specific information on type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus, visit the Free Diabetic Supplies Center at http://free-diabetic-supplies.net today!

American Diabetes Association

Major Types of Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes
Results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes
Immediately after pregnancy, 5% to 10% of women with gestational diabetes are found to have diabetes, usually, type 2.

Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 57 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 23.6 million with diabetes.

world diabetes foundation

Diabetes facts
The prevalence of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions.

WHO predicts that developing countries will bear the brunt of this epidemic in the 21st century, with 80% of all new cases of diabetes expected to appear in the developing countries by 2025.

In a generation, diabetes has had a six-fold increase. In 1985 there were an estimated 30 million people with diabetes. Today diabetes affects more than 230 million people, almost 6% of the world's adult population.
The number of people living with diabetes is expected to grow to 350 million in less than 20 years if action is not taken.
Diabetes is one ot the major causes of premature death worldwide. Every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes. The death rates are predicted to rise by 25% over the next decade.
Diabetes is increasing faster in the world's developing economies than in developed countries. Seven out of ten countries with the highest number of people living with diabetes are in the developing world. With an estimated 35 million people with diabetes, India has the world's largest diabetes population.
Each year another 6 million people develop diabetes. In many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and the Caribbean, diabetes affects 12-20% of the adult population.
Diabetes is a silent epidemic that claims as many lives each year as HIV/AIDS. In 2007, diabetes will cause 3.5 million deaths globally.
If present trends persist, by 2025 the majority of people with diabetes in the developing countries will be in the 45-64 age group.
Type 2 diabetes is responsible for 90-95% of diabetes cases. 80% of type 2 diabetes is preventable by changing diet, increasing physical activity and improving the living environment.

Blisstree.com

Important numbers in diabetes management

Have you just been told you have diabetes or know someone who has?

It's a complicated disease. It can be managed fairly well, but it takes thought and preparation most of the time. It's not a disease that you can forget about.

One of the first things you learn is how to test your own blood sugar levels. At first, it seems like it's so often, that your fingers are like pin cushions. This does get better. Your fingers may not get entirely used to it, but most often, the frequency of testing goes down as you become more controlled and aware of your body.

What are those numbers?

Your blood sugar levels can range wildly from below 2.0 mmol/L in a severe hypoglycemic crisis to above 24, heading towards a serious hyperglycemic crisis.

The idea blood sugar levels are between 4.0 and 7.0 mmol/L before meals or after you've been fasting and between 5.0 and 10.0 mmol/L about two hours after eating.

Symptoms

If your blood sugar is too low (hypoglycemia), you may experience mood swings, blurry vision, sweating, severe hunger, shakiness, headache, extreme fatigue and dizziness. If your blood sugar is too high (hyperglycemia), you may experience thirst (dry mouth), blurry vision, frequent urge to urinate, and fatigue.

A trick that I used to give patients uses a few words. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with words that made sense when using them with diabetes, but they do do the trick for some.

For signs of hyperglycemia, think THEFT .

TH - thirsty and dry mouth
E - Eyes are blurry
F - Frequent urge to urinate
T - Tired, extreme fatigue, exhausted
For hypoglycemia, think of two words: SHED and MESH.

S - Shakiness
H - Headache
E - Extreme fatigue
D - Dizziness
--

M - Mood swings
E - Eyes blurry
S - Sweating
H - Hunger

One Touch Ultra Mail Order Test Strips, 50 CT

ACCU-CHEK Aviva Mail Order Test Strips, 50-Count Box

Adult "The Original Diabetic" Minimum Pressure Comfort Top Sock 3-Pack

Bayer Dermal Therapy Hand, Elbow, Knee Care Cream
(Pack of 3)

WeeklyTrack Diabetes Management Kit
(The Complete Diabetes Self-Management Log Book)

ACCU-CHEK Compact Plus Meter Kit

Ok, I wasn't going to do this blog but the more I think about it, I think I should, if not just to get it off my chest! My boyfriend Chip had to go into the hospital on March 7 and came out on March 17. Without going into too much detail he was pretty bad off with pneumonia and a few other things going on. I have several issues that I would like to address about his stay (none of which are good!)

First! Why is it that when you go into a hospital that it takes an act of congress to get a room! We had to spend 22 hrs in the emergency room waiting for a bed to come "available". In other words (in my opinion)%u2026 you have to wait for the cleaning staff to come in and clean a room!

Second! How many different people do we have to give information to? There must have been at least 10 different people who came in wanting to know his name, date of birth, doctors names, insurance information, what meds he takes, etc. I can understand the name and date of birth stuff because every nurse wants to know she has the right patient but how many times do we have to give medicine and insurance info? After the first or second person it should be in the computer by then. I mean I even had a list of his meds they copied at the front desk!

Third! Why do some nurses have to be soooo mean! Chip cannot stand to have tape pulled off of his skin. He has a hairy chest and arms and about every nurse that came in there insisted on ripping it off of him without even giving him a warning even though we told them before that he hates it. I think a few of them learned their lesson though because when Chip was kind of out of it, I think he gave them a little something they weren't expecting too without knowing itJ

Fourth! When a doctor orders a new medicine for you why doesn't the nurse tell you when she brings it to you? Every time they brought his meds we asked what they were and a couple of times there was something he had never taken before? If we had not asked then he would have blindly taken anything they brought him when he was kind of out of it!

Fifth! Speaking about meds! Why does it usually take a whole day to get the medicines right! Chip has to take a lot of different meds for his kidney transplant, blood pressure, and pain and it seems like it takes forever to get everything straight! The first day he was getting one pill at this time and another the next hour til everything was approved!

Sixth! Now luckily Chip had either me or one of his family taking shifts to be with him 24 hrs a day. If we didn't, he would have been waiting for a nurse to come to his aide which for the most part could have been too late for some problems he was having. Even though we were there, there were times he had to have a nurse and it ended up being too late by the time she got there. Which in turn ended with them having to do a clean up. Now I understand there is a shortage of nurses and God knows you could not pay me enough money to do the great work they do but I just wish that their services were not spread so thin.

Seventh! Why is it that one day you get a choice of what you want for your next meal and the next day you don't? The whole time he was there he had two different food service people bring the food. One lady was extremely nice and asked what he wanted on his next meals and even brought something extra for me when I stayed with him; then there was an older woman who just popped in the room, dropped the tray off and didn't say a word or ask what he wanted for the next meal.

Eighth! Why does it take forever to get processed out of the hospital? The doctor had come in and told us he was going to do the paperwork to let him go home and then about an hour later the nurse comes in after Chip had his clothes on and says "Where are you going?" We told her the doctor just told us he was able to go home and we were just getting ready? She says "Well, let me go check and see if the papers are ready for him." So a few minutes later she comes in with the prescriptions and take home instructions and says "Ok, I guess you ready and leaves the room to call transportation for a wheelchair!" We wait a few minutes. Ummm%u2026. Excuse me? But he's still got an IV in his hand? I go out to tell the nurse and she come in giggling saying well " I guess you don't want to take that with you!" DUH!

Well I could probably go on but I think I got enough off my chest for now. At least he is better now and hopefully will not have to go back any time soon. These incidents are not just based from this hospital visit though! When we first started going to this hospital I really liked them because I thought they were the best and friendliest we had been to at that point; but it seems every hospital we have had to go to in the past had the same problems? Oh well, I guess hospital visits are not supposed to be like staying at the Ritz Carlton but I was expecting a little better service?

Let me say though I have the total utmost respect for what doctors and nurses have to go through to help the patients and I know for a fact, I am not the type to take on that type of job and responsibility. I'm not sure what nurses get paid but I know it's not enough for all the crap they have to go through. I just think it's the system that needs to be worked on and probably some communication problems as well.