How Are Dangerous Blood Sugar Levels Defined?

If you are living with diabetes, it’s extremely important to maintain your blood sugar levels in the target range. You can do this by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking your diabetes medications as prescribed.

Good blood sugar control can help to prevent many serious health problems and diabetes complications, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss. On the other hand, uncontrolled high or low blood sugar levels can lead to dangerous health complications.

But what blood sugar levels are considered dangerous? Please keep reading to find out.

What are healthy blood sugar levels?

Diabetes is a condition associated with high blood sugar levels. Doctors confirm a diagnosis of diabetes based on the following blood sugar targets.

A1C test

This test gives an indication of your blood sugar levels over the previous 2-3 months. An A1C below 5.7% is considered normal. If your A1C is above 5.7%, but below 6.4%, you have prediabetes. An A1C of 6.5% or higher means you have diabetes.

Fasting blood sugar

This test measures your blood glucose level after overnight fasting. Fasting blood sugar levels of 100 mg/dL or lower are considered normal. Results between 100 and 125 mg/dL indicate prediabetes. A fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

Random blood sugar

This test can be done at any time (without fasting). A random blood sugar of 200 mg/dL or higher confirms a diagnosis of diabetes.

Glucose tolerance test

This test measures your body’s response to a challenge with glucose. It measures your blood sugar levels before and after you drink glucose. If 2 hours after drinking glucose, you have a blood sugar level of 140 mg/dL or lower, it is considered healthy. Readings between 140 to 199 mg/dL are prediabetes, and a reading of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

What is an unsafe high blood sugar level?

Blood sugar readings between 180 mg/dL and 250 mg/dL are considered high blood glucose or hyperglycemia.

A reading of 250 mg/dL or higher is dangerous. This severe high blood sugar requires emergency medical treatment.

Two or more readings of 300 mg/dL or higher in sequence are very dangerous. This can potentially lead to serious complications like diabetic ketoacidosis and diabetic coma.

Blood sugar levels higher than 600 mg/dL are life-threatening. This condition is called hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS).

What is an unsafe low blood sugar level?

A blood sugar reading of 70 mg/dL or below qualifies as low blood sugar. Blood sugar levels below 50 mg/dL indicate severe hypoglycemia and are dangerous. This level of low blood sugar is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately by a healthcare professional.

What blood sugar level is alarming?

Blood sugars below 50 mg/dL or above 250 mg/dL are alarming. You should seek immediate medical attention if these blood glucose levels persist despite treatment at home.

What is a dangerous blood sugar level for type 2 diabetes?

If you are living with type 2 diabetes, your goal should be to maintain your glucose levels between 70 mg/dL and 130 mg/dL before meals and 180 mg/dL or lower after meals.

If your blood sugar levels are regularly outside this range, you are at high risk of diabetes complications. Make more efforts to eat healthily, exercise regularly, and lose weight. Also, talk with your doctor about adjusting your diabetes medication.

What are the symptoms of high blood sugar?

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can occur due to dietary indiscretions, when you are sick, or if you do not take enough insulin or your diabetes medicines correctly. Warning signs and symptoms of high blood sugar include increased thirst, frequent need to urinate, blurred vision, dry mouth, dry skin, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness, and severely achy muscles.

Signs and symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fruity-smelling breath, and shortness of breath.

When high blood sugar levels are 600 mg/dL or more (diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome), the symptoms can include extreme thirst, confusion, drowsiness, dark urine, and seizures.

Doctors can treat dangerously high blood sugar with fast-acting insulin and other measures.

What are low blood sugar symptoms?

Low blood sugar levels (called hypoglycemia) can occur after skipping meals, taking too much insulin or other diabetes treatment, or following excessive physical activity.

Low blood sugar can cause the following symptoms: Shaking, sweating, hunger, weakness, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, extremely blurred vision, shortness of breath, irritability, confusion, heart palpitations, and slurred speech.

The easiest way of treating low blood sugar at home is to eat or drink something or take glucose tablets. You should then check your blood sugar again after 15 minutes to make sure it is in the target range.

If severe hypoglycemia occurs and you lose consciousness, you will need emergency treatment from a healthcare professional. This may include an injection of glucagon, a hormone that leads to the rapid release of sugar into the blood.

Wrapping up

Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia unawareness can greatly increase your diabetes risk. It’s important to understand what blood sugar levels are dangerous as well as the signs and symptoms of these dangerous blood sugar levels.

If you are struggling with managing diabetes and your blood sugar levels are regularly out of the healthy range, talk to your healthcare provider about using a continuous glucose monitor. This device tracks your blood sugar levels day and night and can help you identify trends.

If you often have low blood sugar on many occasions, discuss your treatment plan with your provider. It could be that you are taking too much insulin. On the other hand, if you often have high blood sugar readings over prolonged periods, talk to your provider about how much insulin or other medications to take. An insulin pump may help you manage your condition and treat high blood sugar more effectively.

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