Blood Sugar Levels: Three Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider
Blood sugar is the quantity of glucose present in the blood of a human or animal. The body uses lipids as a compact energy store, and glucose is the primary source of this energy. The mean normal blood glucose level in humans is about four mM. Elevated or low blood sugar levels may indicate a medical condition.
Here are the top three questions to ask your healthcare provider about maintaining normal blood sugar levels
- What causes my blood sugar levels to increase? Your blood sugar levels usually increase a little after you eat. If you have diabetes, high sugar blood may be caused by neglecting to take oral diabetes drugs or insulin shots, eating too much, skipping physical activity, or ill health or anxiety. High blood sugar usually develops slowly over a period of hours or days, unlike low blood sugar.
- How can I measure my blood sugar levels? You can do a glucose test, which measures the amount of sugar in a sample of your blood or urine. The blood test may be done while you are fasting or at random. You can also monitor your glucose levels using a portable device called a glucometer. This device comes with test strips; small needles called lancets, and a logbook for recording your numbers.
- Are there any herbs I can take to lower my blood sugar? There are several herbs that may have blood sugar lowering effects. For example, fifty milligrams of aloe gel, from the aloe vera plant or three grams of American ginseng up to two hours before a meal can work wonders.The strength and dose of herbal products vary, so you should always let your doctor or pharmacist assist you in selecting products, discussing dosage ranges, and preventing any herb-drug interactions.