What you need to know after 50
Diabetes is a common but serious health condition that affects how your body uses sugar, or glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for your body’s cells. Normally, after you eat, your blood sugar rises, and your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps move glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s used for energy.
When you have diabetes, this process doesn’t work the way it should. In type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t make insulin at all. In type 2 diabetes, your body makes insulin but doesn’t use it well, which doctors call “insulin resistance.” Over time, blood sugar levels stay too high, which can damage your heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and more.
Why Blood Sugar Matters
Blood sugar, also called blood glucose, is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). For most healthy adults without diabetes:
- Fasting (no food for at least 8 hours): 72–99 mg/dL
- Two hours after eating: Under 140 mg/dL
With diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends:
- Before meals: 70–130 mg/dL
- Two hours after meals: Under 180 mg/dL
If your blood sugar is too high, it’s called hyperglycemia. High sugar levels can act like a slow poison, damaging your blood vessels and organs over time.
Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
In the early stages, high blood sugar may cause:
- Increased thirst
- Frequent urination
- Blurry vision
- Headaches
If high blood sugar continues, you might also notice:
- Extreme tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Frequent skin or yeast infections
- Slow-healing cuts or sores
Some people with prediabetes—where blood sugar is higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range—have no symptoms at all.
Common Causes of High Blood Sugar in Diabetes
Even if you take medicine for diabetes, certain situations can make blood sugar go up:
- Being sick
- Stress
- Eating too many carbohydrates or sugary foods
- Skipping diabetes medicine or insulin
- Being less active than usual
- Taking certain medicines like steroids
- Recovering from surgery
How Diabetes is Diagnosed
Doctors can use several tests:
- Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG): A level of 126 mg/dL or higher after fasting suggests diabetes.
- Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): Two hours after a sugary drink, a level of 200 mg/dL or higher suggests diabetes.
- Random Blood Sugar Test: A level over 200 mg/dL plus symptoms may mean diabetes.
- A1c Test: This shows your average blood sugar over 2–3 months. An A1c of 6.5% or higher means diabetes.
Levels just below the diabetes range mean you may have prediabetes, which affects about 96 million Americans. Without changes in diet and exercise, prediabetes can turn into diabetes.
Why High Blood Sugar is Dangerous
Sugar is vital for energy, but too much over time can cause serious problems:
- Heart disease and stroke: Damage to blood vessels increases the risk of blockages.
- Kidney disease: High sugar can harm the kidneys, sometimes leading to dialysis.
- Eye problems: Can cause vision loss or blindness.
- Nerve damage (neuropathy): Tingling, pain, or numbness in hands and feet.
- Poor circulation: Can slow wound healing and, in rare cases, lead to amputation.
- Weakened immune system: More prone to infections.
- Erectile dysfunction in men.
Checking Your Blood Sugar at Home
If you have diabetes, your doctor may ask you to check your blood sugar regularly with a blood glucose meter. This device uses a drop of blood, usually from your fingertip, to measure glucose.
When checking, keep a log of:
- Your readings
- Time of day
- What you ate and when
- Exercise you did
- Medicines you took
This information helps your doctor see how well your treatment is working and make adjustments if needed.
Managing Diabetes
Living with diabetes means making daily choices to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. Important steps include:
- Eating a balanced diet: Focus on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Limit added sugars and refined carbs.
- Being active: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.
- Taking medicines as prescribed: Whether it’s pills, insulin, or both, follow your doctor’s instructions.
- Managing stress: Stress can raise blood sugar. Try deep breathing, yoga, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy.
- Getting regular checkups: Monitor your eyes, feet, kidneys, and heart health.
- Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol: Both can make blood sugar harder to control and increase complications.
Prediabetes: A Chance to Turn Things Around
If you’ve been told you have prediabetes, you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by:
- Losing 5–7% of your body weight if you’re overweight
- Exercising regularly
- Choosing healthy, lower-sugar foods
- Getting enough sleep
Even small lifestyle changes can have a big impact over time.
Key Takeaways
- Know your numbers. Target blood sugar for most people with diabetes is 70–130 mg/dL before meals and under 180 mg/dL after meals.
- Test regularly. Your doctor will guide you on how often.
- Act early. Catching high blood sugar before it causes damage can protect your heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.
- Stay consistent. Healthy eating, regular activity, and medicine work best when done daily.
Diabetes can be managed, and with the right steps, you can stay healthy, active, and independent for years to come.