Type 2 Blood Glucose Readings

Libby81 said:

Therefore my questions are as follows:-

What is a safe level/normal level?

What is a dangerous level?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

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1. It depends on what you were doing before the test. If it is a fasting test you want it less than 7. If two hours after eating then less than 8.5. If it is a speculative (random) test then less than 11.

2. If the high levels persist then damage will occur. The higher the levels the worse.

Hi,

First of all you need to contact your doctor's surgery and ask for a copy of the computer print outs of your blood test results. It is important you know what they were so you know where you are starting from. The print outs will be very useful further down the line for comparisons as you will be having regular blood tests from now on.

Secondly, you need to purchase your own glucose meter. It is a very important tool in controlling this disease. You can use it to test before and after eating to see what thet food has done to your levels so you can tweak your diet accordingly.

Random testing such as you describe is meaningless. You need to test first thing in the morning after fasting over night, plus before and 2 hours after meals, and maybe also at bedtime. Then if you keep a food diary (a very wise idea) and record your levels alongside the food, patterns will emerge and you will learn which foods you can or cannot eat.

These are the recommended levels to aim for initially.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Libby81 said:

Thank you both. During my appointment with the doctor when she said about the diabetes, I couldn't understand why she didn't give me the level. Surely, you need to know the levels so you know what your working with, if that makes sense.

There's so much to learn, and changes I need to make. It's a little daunting.

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Of course you need to know the levels. You may also have had tests for cholesterol, liver and kidney functions etc. You also need to know these. Doctors often filter out information they think we will not understand. You sometimes have to ask for it. Just ring the receptionist and ask for the print outs, which you can collect in person.

Libby81 said:

Thanks so much for the advice, I am seeing the doctor on Monday. So will ask for print outs then.

I'm the type of person, that needs and likes to know as much as possible. I have already invested in a log book, as I want to be able to test regularly,make relevant notes and see if any type of pattern happens.

Is that a little OTT, at this stage?

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Absolutely not OTT. It is the only way to learn and to control blood sugar levels. The more you test, the more you learn. You will need a lot of test strips.