The World Health Organization believes that by the year 2030,  336 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with diabetes. 90-95% of those diagnosed have type two diabetes which is largely dependent on weight and lifestyle choices. So, how can you know if you have diabetes and what is normal blood sugar range?

Depending on the time of day you test you will notice that your blood glucose levels will vary. The best time of day to test yourself is six to eight hours after you have last eaten and is known as your fasting blood glucose level. Typically this will be the first thing in the morning. A normal range for fasting blood glucose is 70-100 mg/dl (milligrams/deciliter).

After you eat your blood glucose level will increase and if you are “normal” this level should never go above 140 mg/dl.  If your glucose levels drop below 65 you may experience symptoms such as shaking, racing heart, or a feeling of hunger. When you eat these symptoms will go away but this is known as hypoglycemia. If levels drop below 50 there is a potential for seizures and even unconsciousness.  If your glucose levels are above 180 you are leaving sugars in your blood rather than them being absorbed into your body’s cells. This is known as hyperglycemia and can cause damage to many of your body’s organs if your levels do not decrease.

You can prevent becoming a statistic in the WHO’s database. The best way to keep your levels in the normal blood sugar range is to eat a proper diet that is low in carbs and to get exercise on a regular basis.

There are a variety of reasons why you may be checking your glucose levels. Perhaps you belong to a high risk group or your physician told you that you were borderline diabetic. Whatever the reason it is important to recognize what is a normal morning blood sugar level and what is not.

First of all, you want to test in the morning before you have anything to eat. This is known as a fasting blood glucose level. The fasting level should be 6 to 8 hours since the last time you have eaten. A normal range for morning blood sugar level is 70 – 100 mg/dl. Your morning blood sugar level should be the lowest level of the day since once you eat your body will be dealing with absorbing the glucose.

If you find that your glucose levels in the morning are higher than at other times of the day you may be experiencing what is known as the “dawn phenomenon” which describes the process your body goes through when it begins to wake up and release hormones.

It is vital to take copious notes of your glucose levels and what you eat and what medications you take and show these records to your physician so any spikes or trends can be addressed.

Diabetes currently affects 1 in 10 Americans and the number is expected to increase to 1 in 3 by the year 2050. Unfortunately nearly half of those who currently have diabetes have no idea that they are suffering from this deadly disease. Because they are unaware of the symptoms of high blood sugar they have no chance of stopping this insidious disease and helping themselves to a longer and healthier life.

Diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels remain at elevated levels over an extended period of time. So, how can you tell when your blood sugar levels are elevated? High blood sugar symptoms include:

• Always being hungry
• Always being thirsty
• Dry mouth
• Constantly having to urinate
• Dry and itchy skin
• Fatigue or extreme tiredness
• Blurry vision
• Recurrent infections
• Impotence
• Slow healing of wounds

·         Unexplained weight loss

It is important to note that high blood sugar symptoms can be very mild or develop at an extremely slow pace. You may even have high blood sugar but experience no symptoms at all. If you have a family history of the disease, are over 45, or have poor dietary or exercise habits it is important to visit your physician annually and have your glucose levels checked. If you have experienced any of the above symptoms and have a family history it is important to visit your physician as soon as possible to be checked.

If your physician diagnoses you as pre-diabetic or even diabetic your physician might recommend any of the following to relieve any symptoms of high blood sugar include:

• Initiating a proper diet and or other nutritional practices
• Incorporating a consistent exercise program

·         Using blood glucose testing analyzers on a more frequent basis 

In 2007 diabetes was listed as the 7^th most common reason for death among Americans but it does not need to be that way. There are ways to prevent this disease and if you have been diagnosed with diabetes or are pre-diabetic you can reverse the condition by following the above recommendations. It’s your life, your body, your future, your choice.

When making travel preparations there are certain diabetes guidelines that will help make your trip easier: deciding where to go, booking the tickets and reservations, the anticipation of the trip, packing your belongings and finally the trip itself. Even if you are normally healthy there are always uncertainties – what to pack, where to visit, will you have a good time, etc. However, when you are travelling with diabetes there are other things that you need to take into consideration yet you do not need to let these considerations prevent you from travelling or enjoying yourself while you are away.

Here are some guidelines for travelling when you have diabetes:

• It is important to keep a list of your medications with you at all times. You want to make sure to bring enough medicine and supplies with you on your trip. Be sure you keep all medicines, syringes, and blood sugar testing supplies in your carry-on bag; do not check these supplies in case your luggage is lost. Take copies of your prescriptions and put them in your carry-on bag as well and you may want to consider getting a medical alert bracelet.
• Research your area of travel and be sure that you will be able to find replacement medication if necessary. If you have lost your bags or your medications your first stop should be the local hospital where you should be able to get enough supplies to see you through. If need be you may want to carry the number to the International Diabetes Federation for the country you are visiting so you can have help immediately.
• Make sure you bring a prescription letter from your own doctor, listing by both generic and brand name the medication you use. On the prescription letter don’t forget to include such items as blood glucose testing equipment and syringes.
• Before leaving home you may want to become a member of the International Association of Medical Assistance to Travellers. This organization has a network of doctors around the world who have been trained either in the USA or Europe and are able to give you competent care. The organization will supply you with a list of these doctors and where to find them.

Diabetes does not need to keep you homebound. With proper preparation and a bit of research you should be able to have a wonderful holiday!