Normal Blood Sugar Levels: Fasting, After Meals and HbA1c Chart

Blood sugar (or blood glucose) rises after you eat and falls as insulin moves glucose into your cells. Knowing your numbers helps you spot prediabetes early and, if you already have diabetes, shows whether your treatment is working.

All values below are in mg/dL, the unit used by labs and glucometers in India.

Blood sugar levels for people without diabetes

A single high reading isn't a diagnosis: doctors confirm with a repeat test. Learn more in our type 2 diabetes guide.

Target levels if you have diabetes

International guidelines suggest these general targets for most nonpregnant adults with diabetes:

• Before meals: 80 to 130 mg/dL
• 1 to 2 hours after starting a meal: below 180 mg/dL
• HbA1c: below 7%

Your doctor may set looser targets if you're older, have heart disease or often get low sugars, and tighter ones if you're young and newly diagnosed. Pregnancy targets are stricter still.

What is HbA1c?

HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) measures how much sugar is stuck to your red blood cells. Because red cells live about three months, it shows your average sugar over the past 2 to 3 months, so you don't need to fast for it. Conditions that change red blood cell lifespan, such as anaemia or thalassaemia trait (both common in India), can make HbA1c less accurate.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

A reading below 70 mg/dL is low. Symptoms include shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, hunger, irritability and confusion. It mostly affects people taking insulin or sulfonylureas.

Use the 15/15 rule: take 15 g of fast acting sugar (3 teaspoons of sugar or glucose powder in water, or half a glass of fruit juice), wait 15 minutes, and recheck. Repeat if it's still low, then eat a snack. Someone who is drowsy or unconscious needs emergency help: don't put food or drink in their mouth.

Tips for testing at home

1. Wash and dry your hands: traces of fruit or sweets on your fingers can give a false high.
2. Prick the side of your fingertip rather than the pad; it hurts less.
3. Use test strips that match your meter and haven't expired.
4. Keep a log with the time, the reading and what you ate. Patterns matter more than any single number.

What affects blood sugar?

Food (especially refined carbohydrates such as white rice, maida and sugary drinks), physical activity, stress, illness, poor sleep, some medicines such as steroids, and hormonal changes all move your numbers. Pairing carbohydrates with protein and fibre (dal with rice, or sprouts with poha) slows the rise after meals.

When to see a doctor

Consult your doctor if your fasting sugar is repeatedly 100 mg/dL or higher, if you have symptoms such as excessive thirst and urination, or if you have diabetes and often see readings above 250 mg/dL or below 70 mg/dL.