What is the Normal Blood Sugar Level According to Age?

Blood glucose levels are the amount of sugar, or glucose, that a person has in their blood at any given time. It is important to get professional medical advice from a healthcare provider, such as an endocrinologist, to know if your blood sugar levels are where they should be. After eating, it is important to check your blood sugar levels two hours later as it takes time for the body to process the food.

Blood sugar levels

increase after eating as carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and distributed throughout the bloodstream.

It is important to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range so that daily routines can be carried out without stress. For people with type 2 diabetes, diet, exercise and oral medications are used to control blood sugar. If the A1C level, a long-term measure of blood sugar, is high when diagnosed, a doctor may suggest taking more than one medication to control blood sugar right away. A doctor can help determine what is causing high blood sugar levels and help lower them to a healthy range.

In some cases, insulin or diabetes medications (such as metformin) may be needed to help lower blood sugar levels. For example, basal insulin (which is injected once or twice a day or given through a pump) keeps fasting blood sugar stable. Or, if certain symptoms are present, tests may be ordered to control blood sugar level. A glucose tolerance test will measure blood glucose levels before and after drinking a sugary liquid.

It is important to understand what is considered “normal” when it comes to blood sugar levels. To learn more about the typical target range of blood glucose levels based on age, check out some blood sugar tables below. Blood sugar levels can be normal, high or low depending on the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. For this reason, parents may need to test the blood sugar levels of children with diabetes or episodes of hypoglycemia at midnight.Now that you know why it's important to stay within the normal range for blood sugar levels, you can take steps to ensure your health and wellbeing.