FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions    

No question is every a "silly" question - they've all been asked before by someone!

We've tried to answer a few of the more common questions, but if you don't find the answer here, please feel free to email us!

What are normal blood sugar levels for children?    

A normal level is anything between 70 milligrams per deciliter to 100 mg/dL (US measurements) or about4 to 8mmol/l (UK measurements).  However, levels can be higher after food and lower after resting.  Levels can be determined with a blood glucose monitor.

What is a high blood sugar?

Anything above these levels could be considered high but it's important to take medical advice as to what constitutes a high level for you.  The medical term for this is hyperglycemia.

What can happen if blood sugar levels get too high?

If there's too much sugar in the blood you can develop ketoacidosis which can quickly (in just hours) make you feel very unwell and require hospitalisation.

You can check whether you have ketones by testing with the ketone test strips provided by your health care provider.

What are type 1 and 2 diabetes?

The difference between diabetes type 1 and type 2 is that Type 1 arises due to a total lack of insulin being created by the body.  Type 2 is where the body becomes insulin resistant, although insulin is still being produced.

Type 1 tends to occur in children to adults under the age of 40.  Type 2 occurs most often in adults over the age of forty, but is becoming more prevalent due to obesity.

What is a fasting blood sugar?

A fasting blood sugar (FBS) measures blood glucose after you have not eaten for at least 8 hours.  A fasting blood glucose level lower than 6mmol/l is normal. A fasting blood glucose of 7mmol/l or higher (UK levels) may indicate diabetes.

What are the symptoms of juvenile diabetes?

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are not always easy to spot.  As onset can be quite slow, it can be easy to miss them.

Check here for more information about juvenile diabetes symptoms.

What causes juvenile diabetes ?

At present, it's not really known how it is caused, though it's thought it's another auto immune type of disease.  So, how do people get diabetes - and why is the number of child diabetics increasing - we are still waiting for research teams to find some of those answers

Is diabetes contagious ?

It's not possible to become diabetic by catching it from someone else.  It's not transmitted in that way, but is one persons body failing to produce insulin

Got any other questions - please contact us!

Useful Resources

Healthy Diabetic Recipes - we share our tips for cooking & eating healthier food

Hyperglycemia - what to do when blood sugar levels get too high and how to bring down your sugar levels