Blood sugar and damage?

Question

I have type 2 diabetes (I don't take insulin) and I have since April of this year. My blood sugar gets high after meals, around 170 about twice a week. I shoot for no higher than 150 post meal. Does anyone know at what blood sugar level do your cells start to be permanently damaged? I worry about this a lot. Thanks.

Answer 1

We all worry about it, but you must accept that your body's natural insulin response is malfunctioning, so the best you can do to try to mimic this very important function is to test your BG's frequently, look for patterns in high BG's and see a Diabetes Educator to help you identify and correct them, and just keep your chin up and do the best you can.  

Have you tried keeping a food/BG log for a couple of weeks at a time?  Do you remember what you ate before you had the highs?  Sometimes high BG's are explainable (pretty much any time I eat pasta or go to a potluck...I just can't ever seem to get my insulin right), but sometimes not (I can have a bad dream and my BG goes up).  The trick is to keep your elevated BG's to a minimum and as short in duration as possible.  The more you test, the more you can keep an eye on it, and perhaps go for a 15-min. brisk walk as soon as you see a high to help you bring it down.  But don't become too obsessive or it actually won't work as well.  Test before each meal and at bedtime, and I'll bet you'll be able to identify at least some patterns, especially if you work with a diabetes educator on it.  

As far as exactly when cells see significant damage?  The problem is that it's different for everyone.  Some really "good" diabetics still get complications, while others don't take care of themselves at all but still live into their 80's...go figure.  Genetics has a lot to do with it, but we can help our genes out by trying to mimic a normal body as much as possible.  Good luck.

Answer 2

Diabetes is very personal condition for each individual. Each person's tolerance for high glucose is quite different. My daily reading were once over 600, I did not feel great. My friend is out of completely at 225. He has long term damage to his legs. I feel great today with no know ill effects to my health. A good day for my friend is 140 and bad day for me is 115. So you question is hard to answer for your personal expression of diabetes. This is why some doctors request a check up every 90 days. How often to you visit you doctor?

Best Wishes.  

Answer 3

high sugars over a long period of time cause permanent damage. if you every now and then have a 300 you wont wake up blind the next day or with a big foot sore, but consistent high sugars or way high ups dipping way down low, brittle diabetes? that has more of an incidence of complications.

Answer 4

Once your blood sugar level is high, its already damaging your cells because of the lack of insulin.  It can cause blindness and kidney failure, your kidney will be working too much on trying to clean your blood.  You need to take insulin so you can live longer.

Answer 5

I've had diabetes for 54 years.  I have to admit that when I was younger I didn't always care what my BS readings were.  However, I have been much more careful in the last few decades.  I don't have diabetic retinitis, but my kidneys are damaged.  However, some of that was caused by a steroid prescribed to me some years ago.  All diabetics take note.  NEVER take a steroid drug such as prednisone unless your life depends on it.  Prednisone was prescribed to me for a very casual reason.  I didn't know it was a steroid and suffered accordingly.  Apart from that, I keep good health.  Also remember that there are new cures being discovered for all kinds of conditions these days, even kidney disease, so many younger diabetics may well be cured eventually.