I don’t often talk about my blood sugar with my family or friends. If I’m high I inconspicuously give myself more insulin and if I’m low I whip a juice box out of my purse and chug it down in 2 seconds flat without feeling the need to call any more attention to it. Most people forget I am diabetic or don’t even know. The truth is, if I were to say, “man, my blood sugar is 300,” the majority of people wouldn’t know if that was a good number or a bad one. I like to avoid that awkward head nod and half-smile as they say, “oh,” and then stare back in silence, clueless as to the appropriate reaction. However, occasionally my blood sugar readings do creep into conversation. So, I decided to address the topic of “normal” blood sugar ranges in this weeks D for Dummies segment.
Ideal Glucose Ranges
Non-diabetics usually stay between 70-100 unless they’ve eaten a rather carb-heavy meal, in which case the blood sugar may spike up a bit higher. Once my sister ate a piece of pie and I pressured her into letting me check her sugar right afterward as a little experiment. She looked shocked to see the meter spit back a number of 138.
For diabetics, the range varies a little more. As a kid I was told to keep my blood sugar between 80-180. Then it slowly shifted down to 80-150. Then again the range changed to 70-140. Now I like to stay between 70-120 (ideally).Read on...