My five year old daughter is diabetic. Many times her sugar can be very high and sometimes very low. I read how people feel bad with their highs and lows, but it's hard to tell with a five year old who is always hyper anyway.
I know there is a preferred range to keep your sugars in, But at what numbers (High & Low) do you feel the effects of diabetes? tired, irritable, etc.
Thanks
Fred
Excellent question. Of course something like this changes from individual to individual, and depending on circumstance.
For me, personally, I need a chart. lol
| Blood Sugar | Recently Low | Recently Normal | Recently High |
| 0.9 mmol/L - 1.9 mmol/L 16.2 mg/dl - 34.2 mg/dl |
Heavily Symptomatic (Loss of muscle control, inability to speak, unable to consume food) | Moderately Symptomatic (Desperately hungry, dizzy, able to speak and eat) | Heavily Symptomatic (Loss of muscle control, inability to speak, unable to consume food) |
| 2.0 mmol/L - 2.9 mmol/L 36 mg/dl - 52.2 mg/dl |
Moderately Symptomatic (Desperately hungry, dizzy, able to speak and eat) | Lightly Symptomatic (Hungry) | No Symptoms (Usually when sugars are dropping too fast, body can't adjust to indicate symptoms)** |
| 3.0 mmol/L - 3.9 mmol/L 54 mg/dl - 70.2 mg/dl |
Lightly Symptomatic (Hungry) | Lightly Symptomatic (Hungry) | No Symptoms (Usually when sugars are dropping too fast, body can't adjust to indicate symptoms)** |
| 4.0 mmol/L - 8.9 mmol/L 72 mg/dl - 160.2 mg/dl |
No Symptoms* | No Symptoms* | No Symptoms* |
| 9.0 mmol/L - 12.9 mmol/L 162 mg/dl - 232.2 mg/dl |
No Symptoms | No Symptoms | Lightly Symptomatic (Usually on the way down, so general dizziness if sugars are dropping rapidly) |
| 13.0 mmol/L - 15.9 mmol/L 234 mg/dl - 286.2 mg/dl |
Lightly Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits) | Lightly Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits) | Lightly Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits) |
| 16.0 mmol/L - 17.9 mmol/L 288 mg/dl - 322.2 mg/dl |
Moderately Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits, lethargy, thirst, irritable) | Moderately Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits, lethargy, thirst, irritable) | Moderately Symptomatic (Frequent bathroom visits, lethargy, thirst, irritable) |
| 18.0 mmol/L and up 324 mg/dl and up |
Heavily Symptomatic (Consistent bathroom visits, lethargy, unquenchable thirst, highly irritable) | Heavily Symptomatic (Consistent bathroom visits, lethargy, unquenchable thirst, highly irritable) | Heavily Symptomatic (Consistent bathroom visits, lethargy, unquenchable thirst, highly irritable) |
* Things like hunger are still felt in this range, but typically not due to diabetic reasons. Natural hunger is more often the cause.
** There are a lot of factors that play on the loss of symptoms when dealing with high blood sugars, ranging from the speed at which sugars are regulating, and how recently the high blood sugar was dealt with. If the body has already self-regulated and only dips due to an unrelated change, then symptoms are more 'normal' in this range.
Hope this helps!