Causes of high and low blood glucose

Posted by sanjay on Wednesday 29 Apr 2009

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Our body contains a variety of sugars and glucose is one of them. The other forms of sugar remain inert within our body. The term blood sugar level indicates a measure of the glucose present in the blood at any given time. Glucose is an indicator of metabolic activity and its regulator. Circulating blood should normally have 3.3 to 7g of glucose.

The glucose level is at its lowest in the morning when you get up after having slept for a whole night. After you eat food the level of glucose remains high by a small increment for the next few hours. Every time you eat something, its level goes up.

If the body is unable to maintain a normal blood sugar level, it may either increase or decrease. This leads to one having a high blood sugar level or a low blood sugar level.

There are different tests that can be run to check levels of blood glucose. The fasting blood sugar test is conducted to determine whether one has diabetes or pre-diabetes. It is conducted 8 hours after last eating and must be done on an empty stomach. If the sugar level is higher than 126 mg/dL, then it indicates diabetes. Repeating the test again on the following day generally reconfirms the diagnosis.

Causes
There are a number of factors that may be responsible for changing blood sugar levels. These include excessive levels of stress, exhaustive exercise, or an infection that brings down immunity levels to such an extreme that it affects the metabolic system. Often the quality of food ingested plays a significant role in blood sugar levels.

Low Level
If the level of blood sugar becomes very low it results in a condition known as hypoglycemia, which can be deadly. It can even cause damage to the brain. Other symptoms associated with low blood sugar include lethargy, coma, bad temper, and improper or irrational functioning of the mind.

High Level
On the other hand, a suppressed appetite for short periods of time may characterize a high blood sugar level. If the condition persists for a long time it may affect kidney function. A prolonged state may also affect eyesight and could cause serious damage to the nerves.

In either case, medical treatment must be sought out.