Full Answer
What is serum glucose?
Serum Glucose Level. Definition. The serum glucose or blood sugar level is a measurement of the amount of a particular form of simple sugar in the blood. When carbohydrates are ingested, they are broken down in the intestines into component parts, including sugars such as glucose.
What is glucose used for?
Glucose is a sugar that circulates the blood, serving as the body’s main source of energy. When a person takes in carbohydrates through the diet, the digestive system processes them into sugar...
What is a blood glucose test?
Blood Glucose Test. A blood glucose test is a blood test that screens for diabetes by measuring the level of glucose (sugar) in a person’s blood. An explanation of the test is included.
What is the treatment for low blood sugar?
Low blood sugar is treated with quickly absorbed carbohydrates, such as fruit juice or glucose tablets. Diabetes management: Does aspirin therapy prevent heart problems? Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Diabetes is a serious disease.
What does glucose serum indicate?
The glucose serum is the simplest and most direct single test available to test for diabetes. The test measures the amount of glucose in the fluid portion of the blood. It is called a “serum” test due to this fluid portion of the blood. There are multiple components to the bloodstream.
How do you treat glucose?
When your blood sugar level gets too high — known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose — the quickest way to reduce it is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way to lower blood sugar. In some cases, you should go to the hospital instead of handling it at home.
How do you get glucose serum down?
14 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Levels NaturallyExercise regularly. ... Manage your carb intake. ... Eat more fiber. ... Drink water and stay hydrated. ... Implement portion control. ... Choose foods with a low glycemic index. ... Try to manage your stress levels. ... Monitor your blood sugar levels.More items...
What happens if serum glucose is high?
Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) means there is too much sugar in the blood because the body lacks enough insulin. Associated with diabetes, hyperglycemia can cause vomiting, excessive hunger and thirst, rapid heartbeat, vision problems and other symptoms. Untreated hyperglycemia can lead to serious health problems.
What are the 9 signs and symptoms of high blood sugar?
Early signs and symptomsFrequent urination. ... Increased thirst. ... Always feeling hungry. ... Feeling very tired. ... Blurry vision. ... Slow healing of cuts and wounds. ... Tingling, numbness, or pain in the hands or feet. ... Patches of dark skin.More items...
What drink lowers blood sugar?
When participants in the study drank one cup of chamomile tea after meals three times per day for six weeks, they showed a reduction in blood sugar levels, insulin, and insulin resistance.
Will drinking more water lower blood glucose?
Did you know it's Sugar Free February and that drinking water can help to lower blood sugar levels by diluting the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood stream. By drinking water lots of water you can reduce your blood sugar as it indirectly will reduce insulin resistance and help reduce hunger.
Can diabetes be cured?
Even though there's no diabetes cure, diabetes can be treated and controlled, and some people may go into remission. To manage diabetes effectively, you need to do the following: Manage your blood sugar levels.
What foods can lower blood sugar quickly?
List of foods that lower blood sugar levels (and promote blood sugar balance) over timeOats.Beans and lentils.Salmon and other fatty fish.Eggs.Nuts and nut butters.Seeds and seed butters.Unsweetened yogurt and kefir.Fermented vegetables.More items...•
What are 10 warning signs of diabetes?
Early signs and symptoms of diabetesFrequent urination. When your blood sugar is high, your kidneys expel the excess blood sugar, causing you to urinate more frequently. ... Increased thirst. ... Fatigue. ... Blurred vision. ... Increased hunger. ... Unexplained weight loss. ... Slow healing cuts and wounds. ... Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet.More items...•
What causes glucose levels to rise?
Carbohydrates (carbs) are what cause blood sugar to rise. When you eat carbs, they are broken down into simple sugars. Those sugars then enter the bloodstream. As your blood sugar levels rise, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, which prompts your cells to absorb sugar from the blood.
What does high glucose feel like?
The main symptoms of hyperglycemia are increased thirst and a frequent need to urinate. Other symptoms that can occur with high blood sugar are: Headaches. Tiredness.
What is the definition of serum glucose?
Definition. The serum glucose or blood sugar level is a measurement of the amount of a particular form of simple sugar in the blood. When carbohydrates are ingested, they are broken down in the intestines into component parts, including sugars such as glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream.
When is a serum glucose level ordered?
A serum glucose level may be ordered when there are symptoms suspicious of diabetes, such as excessive thirst and/or hunger, urinary frequency, unintentional weight loss, severe fatigue and weakness, and poor healing.
What is the cause of diabetes?
Diabetes causes abnormal perturbations of the serum glucose level.
What hormone is released when blood glucose levels are low?
In response to this lowering of blood glucose, the pancreas secretes a different hormone, called glucagon. Glucagon prompts the liver to convert glycogen into glucose, thereby elevating the blood glucose back into a safe range. Abnormal levels of blood glucose can be life-threatening.
What happens to blood glucose levels after exertion?
Between meals, or after heavy exertion, glucose levels may begin to drop below a safe threshold for the body’s cells (particular cells of the brain and nervous system ).
How does a baby get acclimated to its mother's high glucose levels?
In utero, the baby will have acclimated to its mother’s high serum glucose levels by producing high levels of insulin. After birth, suddenly deprived of that glucose, the baby’s relatively high insulin levels can result in severe hypoglycemia.
How does insulin work?
Insulin functions to allow the transport of glucose into the cells of the body, as well as being involved in the body’s storage of excess glucose in the form of glycogen or triglycerides. The blood levels of glucose and insulin are intimately related.
What does it mean when your glucose is above normal?
Having a glucose level above the normal range means that there is an excess of glucose in the body that is being over-consumed, over-produced and released in excess by the liver, not being taken up by muscle, and being taken back into the bloodstream by the kidneys, explains Dr. Sood.
How does the UIHC manage blood sugar?
To manage blood sugar when you have diabetes, the UIHC stresses taking your medications, checking your blood sugar levels and sticking to the meal plan outlined by your doctor, nurse or dietitian.
What is the normal blood glucose level?
"Normal blood serum glucose is less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in the fast ing state and less than 140 mg/dL ...
What are the symptoms of high blood sugar?
Though a blood test to check blood glucose levels is needed to make a diabetes diagnosis, there are warning signs of high blood sugar, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC). These include: 1 Thirst. 2 Dry mouth. 3 Blurry vision. 4 Weight loss. 5 Frequent urination, including at night. 6 Drowsiness. 7 Increased appetite.
What is type 2 diabetes?
Other defining characteristics of this type of diabetes, called type 2, include insulin-resistant tissue and a lack of enough insulin to surmount this resistance, according to the Diabetes Teaching Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Can you have diabetes and keep your blood sugar?
Talk to your doctor if you have diabetes and can’t keep your blood sugar at a safe level. Blood sugar, blood glucose, serum glucose. If you've recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes, you may be overwhelmed with all the terminology. But the bottom line is that, no matter what you call it, a high level of sugar in your blood is ...
Does a blood test show high blood sugar?
Though a blood test to check blood glucose levels is needed to make a diabetes diagnosis, there are warning signs of high blood sugar, according to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC). These include:
How to test blood glucose?
Take the following steps to successfully test blood glucose: Set out the glucose meter, a test strip, the lancet device, and an alcohol prep pad. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water. Switch on the glucose meter, and insert a test strip when the device is ready.
How to control blood sugar?
Lifestyle tips. Lifestyle choices can often help to control blood sugar. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise each week can help. Trusted Source.
Why is it important to keep blood sugar levels within a safe range?
Maintaining healthy levels. Lifestyle tips. Blood glucose is a sugar that the bloodstream carries to all cells in the body to supply energy. A person needs to keep blood sugar levels within a safe range to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Why do people check their glucose levels?
People use blood glucose monitoring to regularly test glucose levels in the blood. It is an essential part of effective diabetes control. Many people with diabetes must check several times each day to plan for activities and meals, as well as scheduling doses of medication or insulin.
How to keep blood sugar levels healthy?
Both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia can lead to the more severe complications of diabetes, so eating mainly low-GI foods and exercising regularly can help keep blood glucose balanced.
What is blood glucose monitoring?
Blood glucose monitoring measures the amount of sugar that the blood is transporting during a single instant. People obtain this sugar from the diet. The human body regulates blood glucose levels so that they remain moderate: Enough glucose to fuel the cells, but not enough to overload the bloodstream.
Why is glycogen important?
Glycogen plays an important role in achieving homeostasis, a balanced state in the body. It helps the body function during states of starvation. If a person does not eat for a short period, blood glucose concentrations will fall. The pancreas releases another hormone called glucagon.
Definition
- The serum glucose or blood sugarlevel is a measurement of the amount of a particular form of simple sugar in the blood. When carbohydrates are ingested, they are broken down in the intestines into component parts, including sugars such as glucose. Glucose is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. It circulates throughout the body a...
Purpose
- A serum glucose level is usually drawn as part of a larger metabolic panel or screen. Other tests performed in this panel include electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide), as well as calcium, creatnine, and BUN (blood urea nitrogen). A serum glucose level is usually checked during a routine physical examinationor may be performed specifically to screen for dia…
Precautions
- The serum glucose level is highly affected by when an individual has last eaten, therefore, appropriate interpretation of the test results must take this into consideration. Serum glucose levels may be examined under random conditions, after an eight to ten hour fast (referred to as a fasting serum glucose level); two hours after a meal has been completed (referred to as a two-h…
Description
- This test requires serum to be drawn from a vein (usually one in the forearm), generally by a nurse or phlebotomist (an individual who has been trained to draw serum). A tourniquet is applied to the arm above the area where the needle stick will be performed. The site of the needle stick is cleaned with antiseptic, and the needle is inserted. The serum is collected in vacuum tubes. Afte…
Preparation
- There are no special preparations necessary prior to a random serum glucose level. For a two-hour postprandial serum glucose level, the individual should be instructed to eat a meal exactly two hours before the blood draw. For a fasting serum glucose level, the individual should ingest nothing other than water for a minimum of eight hours prior to the blood draw. Diabetics may b…
Aftercare
- As with any blood tests, discomfort, bruising, and/or a very small amount of bleeding is common at the puncture site. Immediately after the needle is withdrawn, it is helpful to put pressure on the puncture site until the bleeding has stopped. This decreases the chance of significant bruising. Warm packs may relieve minor discomfort. Some individuals may feel briefly woozy after a seru…
Key Terms
- Gestational diabetes—A type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Untreated, it can cause severe complications for the mother and the baby; however, it usually does not lead to long-term diabetes in either the mother or the child. Glucose—A simple sugar that is the product of carbohydrate metabolism. It is the major source of energy for all of the organs and tissues of th…
Risks
- Basic blood tests, such as serum glucose levels, do not carry any significant risks, other than slight bruising and the chance of brief dizziness.
Results
- Normal results of a random serum glucose test range from 70-125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Normal results of a two-hour post-prandial serum glucose level range from 70-145 mg/dL. Normal results of a fasting serum glucose level range from 70-99 mg/dL.
Resources
- BOOKS Goldman L., and D. Ausiello, eds. Cecil Textbook of Medicine,23rd ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2008. Kronenberg H. M., S. Melmed, K. S. Polonsy, P. R. Larsen. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology,11th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier, 2007. McPherson R.A., and M. R. Pincus, eds. Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods,21st ed. Philadelphia: S…