What is a normal blood sugar level?
Fasting, a normal level is under 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). 100 to 125 is prediabetes territory, and 126 or above on two occasions suggests diabetes. Two hours after a meal, under 140 mg/dL is the usual healthy mark.
One reading rarely settles anything: stress, illness and even a poor night of sleep move sugar around. The pattern across days is the real signal.
If your numbers keep landing in the gray zone, an HbA1c blood test averages the last three months and gives the cleanest answer.
Source: American Diabetes Association, Standards of Care in Diabetes
See a doctor promptly if
- Excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision or unexplained weight loss. These suggest diabetes and need testing, not tracking
- Sweating, shakiness, palpitations or confusion a few hours after eating that resolves with food, especially if repeated
- A fasting glucose of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or more, or an HbA1c of 6.5 percent (48 mmol/mol) or more on repeat testing
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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