When it comes to blood sugar levels, the numbers always seem to confuse people. So we’re here today to cover a whole range of reader questions that have come in.
If you have questions of your own, join the discussion – please feel free to leave your comments at the bottom. 🙂
Healthy blood sugar goal ranges
Healthy blood sugar control values will depend on several factors, the most important being when you check it.
Blood glucose levels will rise after eating meals regardless of whether a person has diabetes–however, someone with good control will be able to bring it down to a stable level after 2 hours.
The diagnostic values below are for non pregnant adults with type 2 diabetes. Ranges are different for children, those with type I diabetes and pregnant women.
|
FASTING |
AFTER MEALS 2 HOURS |
HbA1c | |
|
Normal |
70-99 mg/dL (4-6 mmol/L)* |
<140 mg/dL (<7.8 mmol/L)** |
<5.7% |
|
Pre-Diabetes |
100-125 mg/dL (6.1-6.9 mmol/L) |
140-179 mg/dL |
5.7-6.4% |
|
Diabetes |
>126 mg/dL (>7 mmol/L) |
>180 mg/dL |
6.5% and higher |
*Note that different agencies establish different standards. Some range 70-100 mg/dL, some 70-110 mg/dL, some 70-130 mg/dL
**Some agencies recommend <180 mg/dL post-meal especially in the elderly and those who have had diabetes for a very long time
What should your goals be? That is between you and your healthcare team because it does depend on various factors. But overall your goal is to gain good control of your diabetes, which means maintaining normal levels or getting as close to normal levels as possible (refer to the normal numbers above).
We’ve answered some specific questions regarding blood sugar over here, so be sure to check those out as well.
Some specific comments and questions we’ve received regarding blood sugar levels include:
1. My post meal is hovering around 140-160, what steps can I take to reduce it? My meals are well-regulated and low carb.
I would be curious as to your pre-meal reading and compare the two. While 140-160 (7.8-8.9) is slightly higher than optimal, it’s not that far out of range. Below 140 (7.8) post meal is very good. ADA goals recommend post meal readings under 180 (10), which you would meet but below 140 (7.8) is always a better goal to aim for.
My other question would be how long after meals are you checking your sugars?
It should be 2 hours from the first bite of your meal. If you are checking too soon after, insulin has not yet had sufficient time to bring them down to a reasonable level.
Finally, be sure you are including sufficient protein and fat with your meals, which will help to slow down the post-meal rise and keep it more stable. In addition check this info for more ways to keep your blood sugar controlled.
2. So my doctor has me checking my blood sugar and I am supposed to bring her my results in a week. However on this, my first day I am lost when it comes to understanding my readings! When I feel normal it’s at 112 (6.2) but when I feel sick or shaky its at 65 (3.6). Can you explain please?
Because 112 (6.2) is a normal reading it makes sense that you’d feel normal and because 65 (3.6) is way below normal, it makes sense that you’d feel poorly at this reading. Please check this info to help explain in greater detail what these numbers mean.
While diabetes is primarily a condition of elevated glucose (hyPERglycemia), many also experience low blood sugar (hyPOglycemia–you can read more about hypoglycemia here) for a variety of reasons, the top one being medication.
Blood sugars less than 70 (3.9) will often produce the exact symptoms you described: sweaty, shaking, clammy hands and dizziness – symptoms of hyPOglycemia. The goal is to avoid this by eating a balanced diet, do not skip meals and take any prescribed medications appropriately.
If you do experience hypoglycemia, the rule of 15 applies: take 15 grams of carbohydrates, wait 15 minutes, then check again. When it is normalized, have a small snack with some protein to help keep it stable.
3. I was told I have diabetes. My sugar was 241 (13.3) and I was put on a pill. I have experienced sweating shaking and I am always tired. I just tested and my reading was at 83 (4.6) but still shaky and blurred vision.
It is difficult to respond without quite a bit more information such as what pill you started taking, the dosing, and several other factors. But, my initial thought is you may be experiencing hypoglycemia. While technically your reading of 83 (4.6) is not in the hypoglycemic range, when there is a drastic shifting in your blood glucose and your body isn’t used to it, you can still experience hypoglycemia.
Even though 83 (4.6) is a ‘normal’ level, it is quite a jump from 241 (13.3). Obviously whatever you are taking is effective at reducing glucose, but it may be too high an initial dose for your body to handle. I would encourage you to discuss this with your physician who prescribed the medication asap. Do not change medications or alter dosing without discussing with your doctor and pharmacist as this can be harmful.
4. I am a diabetes patient of 8 years. My sugar is fasting 200 (11.1) and after two hours 287 (15.9) and cholesterol 570. I use many medicines but not control this time. I use insulin 16 units in 24 hours and use of tablet Veldomnet 50/800 1+0+1. How can I do better?
I’m unfamiliar with Veldomnet, but all medications have to be discussed with your prescribing physician. It is not our place to advise you medically.
We can encourage you to ensure your are following a healthy, balanced carb-controlled diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, managing your stress, and maintaining a healthy weight – aside from your medications, these are 5 key areas you could likely do better.
We know that lifestyle changes go a long way to improving blood sugar control and overall outcomes on your health!
5. I have type 2 diabetes and would like to know how to hold a 6.9 a1c level. What would my morning fasting blood level need to be?
This is a very good question. Your HbA1c is a 3 month snapshot of how well your glucose levels have been running on average. Whereas your daily readings are an actual number of how much glucose is in your blood at any given time.
There is an A1c to EAG calculator that estimates your average glucose based on A1c and vice versa. An A1c of 6.9 yields an average glucose of 151.
Here is a chart of A1c to estimated average glucose (EAG).
| A1c | EAG | |
| % | mg/dl | mmol/l |
| 6 | 126 | 7.0 |
| 6.5 | 140 | 7.8 |
| 7 | 154 | 8.6 |
| 7.5 | 169 | 9.4 |
| 8 | 183 | 10.1 |
| 8.5 | 197 | 10.9 |
| 9 | 212 | 11.8 |
| 9.5 | 226 | 12.6 |
| 10 | 240 | 13.4 |
Just be aware, this is taking into consideration average of all values including both fasting and post-meal. Because the A1c is an overall 3 month average, it isn’t possible to answer your question exactly because blood glucose is measured daily. But know that a healthy fasting glucose level is under 110 mg/dL (6 mmol/l) and preferably under 100 (5.6).
6. Fasting blood glucose 99 mg/dl (5.4 mmol/l), also have pcos. Concerned about whether it is normal fasting blood glucose range or not.
Fasting blood glucose under 100 (5.6) is normal unless you are pregnant. PCOS can render glucose control more challenging, but is seems you are doing well considering you have this condition.
Know that you are at the brink of ‘pre-diabetes’ with a fasting of 99, but it is still considered normal range. Ensuring you are following a balanced low carb diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a realistic weight (sometimes with PCOS achieving a ‘normal’ BMI is not realistic) will help keep you below that pre-diabetes marker.
7. My step dads sugar is at 551 (30.5). Never can he get it under 400 (22) even with his meds, what should we do?
Any blood sugar level exceeding 350-400 (19-22) is considered medically dangerous and your step dad should call his physician’s office immediately.
With glucose levels at 551 (30.5) he will be advised to go to the hospital where they can stabilize his levels via intravenous insulin and other measures. It is unlikely he will be able to resolve this issue on his own at home.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Nonketotic Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic Syndrome are both life-threatening and can cycle into a coma and even death if not treated immediately. Please contact your physician if this is the case.
Also ensure that the meter you are using is calibrated and the readings you are getting are accurate because living with levels this high day in and day out is dangerous and can lead to serious diabetic complications.
Hope all this info helps cover some of your own questions. If not, feel free to leave your questions below.
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My bedtime blood glucose was taken at midnite and was 117 (approx. 5 hours after my last meal), but when I checked my fasting glucose this morning it was 154. Why did it go up if I hadn’t eaten anything and is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?
It’s not unusual in type 2 diabetes Phoenix, it’s called the Dawn Phenomenon and happens due to hormones. Read this info on morning blood sugar levels.
A friend’s blood sugar level after meal was 117 that’s aroud 10:47pm. She’s Type 2. Is this a good reading?
Under 140 2-hours after meals is ‘normal’ – that’s when it’s best to test. But if it stays under 140 most of the time, then it’s good too.
Hello,
I have been diagnosed with prediabetis 3 weeks ago and I have been taking measures every morning ( fasting ) and the results are somewhat erratic, it varies from under 100 some days to a little over 100 other days.
Sample:
03/ago 88
04/ago 90
05/ago 93
06/ago 102
07/ago 103
08/ago 103
I do exercise often and watch my diet.
Are there any other times I should be measuring my sugar levels to see if all is well ? Is there a chart to indicate “normal” levels ?
Thank you.
Most organizations recommend maintaining a fasting level under 126mg/dL, although for even better control aim for under 100mg/dl in the morning. Your numbers are acceptable as is!
You may also consider checking 2 hours after a meal, this is called your post-prandial value. Aim for a value less than 140 mg/dl. Most people find great success in achieving these ranges by following a lower carbohydrate diet. Here is a article about blood sugar ranges that you will find helpful.
Hi,
I have a two-part question –
1) recently i checked my blood sugar level and it was higher than normal. My hba1c was 7.6. Soon after a week i went for another fasting test and post prandial test and the result was – 148 mg/dl and 185 mg/dl. since then, within two weeks i took some steps to self assess my blood sugar levels. my new readings are 117 mg/dl and 142 mg/dl. and they have pretty much being in the same range (occasionally it drops well closer to the normal levels). i am pretty confident that my blood sugar levels will drop further, maybe under 100 (fasting). does it mean i have diabetes or am I prebiabetic?
2) i dont really have any direct symptoms of diabetes. i do drink more water than normal so i do urinate often, i work almost 14 hours a day in which i commute 4 hours, so i am tired but when i am home relaxing, i dont. so in my case, (where once i was over the diabetic range and other times i am not) does it mean i am prediabetic and not diabetic?
3) if through natural and lifestyle remedies, i manage to keep my sugar in normal or prediabetic range, will the various complications affect me or will i stay fairly away from such complications as a normal person would do?
The criteria for a diabetes diagnosis is as follows: HbA1c greater than 6.5%; or post postprandial level greater than 200 mg/dL on two occasions; or fasting level greater than 126mg/dl on two occasions. Your A1c of 7.6% classifies you as diabetic.
While diabetes is not reversible from a diagnostic standpoint (once you have it, you have it), diabetes can be reversible from a physiological standpoint in many. Meaning through lifestyle changes you can maintain normal sugar levels- and this should absolutely be your goal! By maintaining near normal sugar levels, you can significantly lower your changes of developing any diabetic complications.
Consider trying a low carb diet to help get your sugar back into range.
Hi I’m siddique from India
My fasting blood sugar is 94.but 2-3hours after the meal sugar level is 220. What you can recommend and what does it mean?
Hi Siddique, 220 is high. Ideally after a meal you want your blood sugar level to be under 140 so what that means is you need to adjust your diet. You probably ate a meal very high in carbohydrates so a first good step is to look at reducing carbs.
I am type 2 diabetic I am taking 850mg of metformin 2 times a day i recently had a1c test done it was 5.6 is that to low?
That is a great A1c, Carol! Under 6% is your goal, and you do not have to worry about it being too low unless you are in the low 4% range.
fasting sugar is high more than 158 postprandial is less than 120 is normal
High fasting sugar can be a common problem for many, read this article to understand why. You may consider trying some apple cider vinegar and cheese before bed, this combination helps many of our other readers. And make sure you’re getting adequate sleep which can help as well.
On november 2017, I have done the blood sugar reading after 2 hours eating which is 13.4. So after that i did not even go see a doctor. Instead I just keep living a healthy lifestyle until now. I was 220 lbs last year and now I’m 158 lbs. So today I just decided to test my blood sugar level again and I get 5.9(after eating 2hrs). So I just want a confirmation, am i still diabetic ??? Because I still on my diet which is low carbs and sugar.
Hi Mira, so you’re saying you were never officially diagnosed with diabetes but you took one blood sugar reading in 2017 that was high? In any case, 5.9 is a normal reading. Anything below 7.8 2 hours after meals is good.
I am a type 2. My physician has me on 4 units 3x a day plus a long acting overnight of 17 units. I woke up at 141 today, had a cup of coffee and two hours later, I’m still 140. I’m on a strict diet and have lost two inches on two months but these irregular sugars frustrate me. My doctor tells me to keep the sugars under 180, but I still feel failure when I’m above 135. Can 140-145 be a healthy range?
Hi Anthony, sorry to hear of your frustrations. Research shows that keeping blood sugar under 140 at all times is the best way to avoid complications. Keep in mind that morning blood sugar tends to be higher in many people with diabetes. We have some great info on that over here that might help you understand why.
Hi! I am preeti and having 24weeks of pregnancy. I am pre-existing type -2 diabties patient .My fasting suger level always comes below 100mg PP comes under 140 but once in a blue moon my suger (PP)goes up like 160mg. So I am little worried about my baby.
Kindly suggest
Hi Preeti, it’s important to analyze what foods you’re eating that cause your post prandial levels to rise- have you tried keeping a food log?
In general, foods included in this list will leave your blood sugar the most stable. With that being said we always stress that everybody is different and people will react to certain foods differently than others, if you find a particular meal is the culprit of your higher PP levels, then obviously that is one meal best left avoided.
Sir ,I have diabetes from 17 years since 15 days I m using generic tablets replacing some old tablets.the generic tablets tri-glynaze-1 at night and galvus met in afternoon.the results are blood sugar ration(mg/Dil)-fasting is 99 and postmeal is 93.want to know why this is happening…..??
Gulab, I am not sure exactly what you are asking. Based on the numbers you described it sounds like you are doing quite well managing your sugar levels. We always recommend checking with your doctor if you have any questions about those medications you described. Let me know if there is anything else I can better answer for you.
Hi.. my father is having diabetes for 9 years now… Over the years he has lost lot of weight but his sugar level keeps increasing. He is in insulin now but still his sugar level is hovering around 560 post meal. We got admitted a hospital and they gave him more insulin. Post discharge he is getting worse like disoriented and having headaches. Are we missing something.
If the readings of 560 mg/dl are frequent, then that is definitely a sign that the current medication/insulin regimen your father is on is not working with his lifestyle, and I would recommend exploring additional options with his doctor. Actually, whenever a reading greater than 400 mg/dl is observed we encourage you to seek medical attention as these levels can be quite dangerous and may be contributing to some of the side effects you described!
If your father is agreeable, making some dietary changes, such as adapting a lower carb diet will also help a lot to lower the chronically high blood sugar levels.
Hi. I’m pretty new to testing my glucose, which I started today, and understanding the results. I also have low magnesium, which can cause severe muscle cramps, as it did today, so I forgot and ate a little bit of breakfast and took my magnesium supplement before testing. Maybe a half hour later, I stood up and felt weird—moving slowly, legs felt heavy, muscles tight—so I tested my glucose at that time, and it was 403, which is more than twice the highest result at the doctor’s office. I panicked, ok? I don’t have strips to test my ketones, so I was afraid to exercise. Sat down for about 20 minutes and tried to relax, then tested again, and it was 391. Waited another half hour and tested again, and it was 249. So I’m wondering…Was it the bagel and cream cheese I ate with the magnesium that made it so high so quickly, or was it likely high before I even ate?
Hi Kara. It was unlikely the magnesium that caused the high blood sugar reading (magnesium is actually quite good for diabetics), but more like the carb-heavy bagel you had for breakfast. Here are a few low carb breakfast ideas that would make much better meals!
With that being said, based on the time-line you described above, I would also suspect your blood sugar was elevated prior to eating breakfast- check out this article for some ideas to help lower morning blood sugars.
Thank you. My A1C was 10.3 when I went to the doctor 3 days after the episode I mentioned. My doctor wanted me to start insulin. I confessed that I really hadn’t been taking the diabetes seriously, and I’d been eating 200+ grams of carbs per day, and he said if I’d get serious, he’d give it 3 months and check it again, if I agreed to start insulin if it was still anywhere near 10. It took a couple of weeks of a low carb diet, but my post-meal glucose is now hovering around 155, and before breakfast around 135. This is with 20 grams of carbs per day.
Not sure how much this will help anyone but I’ve been taken a herb that’s been around nearly forever that’s been helping me out a whole lot matter of fact I haven’t seen my glucose levels over 116 it has been maintaining a level around 116 and at the lowest 98 or 97 and this is before and after meals before taking the herb my levels was like 185 -190’s sometime but the last three months it have been perfect and give me a lot of energy before I took the herb I ran it past my doctor and he said it was fine to take with my daily diabetes medication so for those who having issues with their glucose levels I recommend a good herb for diabetes it helped me tremendously.
Thanks for sharing Albert. We encourage people to use scientifically proven herbal remedies to achieve better glucose control – we have ample information on those here.
Thanks jedha madam for your valuable advices. three months back when I Frist time checked my sugar level it was 130/ and 240 and I started ayurvedic and herbal medicine and now sugar level is 93 and 126 with no any other problems , can I now stop the medicine or continue ? Please advise me madam.
Check with your doctor about stopping medication and/or herbs.
13 years ago I was diagnosed as T2. I live and consume food by the meter. If I get a blood glucose reading of 112 I don’t eat and ignore psychological thoughts of hunger and wait until my reading gets to 85. I take no meds. I threw them in the trash. My reasoning is simple. If I read 112, my body is simply stating there is sufficient glucose to function just fine. I am 68, good shape and feel great.
It always comes down to what works best for YOUR body. Glad to hear this regimen has you feeling great.