Low Blood Sugar or Hypoglycemia

Adapted from the American Diabetes Website ADA.org

Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia occurs when your blood sugar falls below 70. It is important to learn to recognize your symptoms. Low blood sugar is less common with pills used to treat diabetes especially metformin or Glucophage. Some things increase your risk of low blood sugars like sudden changes in diet or level of activity, or illness.

What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?

  • Shakiness
  • Dizziness
  • Sweating
  • Hunger
  • Headache
  • Pale skin color
  • Difficulty paying attention, or confusion
  • Feeling grouchy
  • Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason
  • Clumsy or jerky movements
  • Seizure

How do you know when your blood glucose is low?

Part of managing diabetes is checking blood glucose. Ask your doctor how often you should check and what your blood glucose levels should be. The results from checking your blood will tell you when your blood glucose is low and that you need to treat it. It is important that other people in your family know how to use your blood sugar machine. Have them practice when you are feeling fine.

You should check your blood glucose level according to the schedule you work out with your doctor. More importantly though, you should check your blood whenever you feel low blood glucose coming on. After you check and see that your blood glucose level is low, you should treat hypoglycemia quickly.

If you feel a reaction coming on but cannot check, it's best to treat the reaction rather than wait. Remember this simple rule: > strong>When in doubt, treat.

How do you treat low blood sugar?

The quickest way to raise your blood sugar is with some form of sugar, such as glucose tablets (you can buy these at the drug store), 1/2 cup of fruit juice, or hard candy. Each glucose tablet has 15 grams of easy to absorb carbohydrate. After you have taken one, wait 15 minutes and repeat your glucose test. If your sugar does not rise above 70, repeat the glucose tablet or other sugar source once. If your sugar is still below 70, you will need to seek treatment. If your sugar comes up, be sure to eat your regular meals and snacks as planned to keep your blood glucose level up.

Glucose tablets can be kept in your glove compartment or purse. Glucose tablets are nice because you won't be tempted to eat them when you feel fine (unlike hard candies).

It's important to treat hypoglycemia quickly because hypoglycemia can get worse and you could pass out. If you pass out, you will need IMMEDIATE treatment, such as an injection of glucagon or emergency treatment in a hospital.

If you pass out from hypoglycemia, people should:

  • NOT inject insulin.
  • NOT give you food or fluids.
  • NOT put their hands in your mouth.
  • Call for emergency help.

How do you prevent low blood glucose?

Good diabetes control is the best way we know to prevent hypoglycemia. The trick is to learn to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia. This way, you can treat hypoglycemia before it gets worse.

Hypoglycemia Unawareness

Some people have no symptoms of hypoglycemia. They may lose consciousness without ever knowing their blood glucose levels were dropping. This problem is called hypoglycemia unawareness. Hypoglycemia unawareness tends to happen to people who have had diabetes for many years.

Hypoglycemia unawareness does not happen to everyone. It is more likely in people who have neuropathy (nerve damage), people on tight glucose control, and people who take certain heart or high blood pressure medicines.

As the years go by, many people continue to have symptoms of hypoglycemia, but the symptoms change. In this case, someone may not recognize a reaction because it feels different.

These changes are good reason to check your blood glucose often, and to alert your friends and family to your symptoms of hypoglycemia. Treat low or dropping sugar levels even if you feel fine. And tell your team if your blood glucose ever drops below 50 mg/dl without any symptoms.

ESSENTIALS if you have had low blood sugars or take insulin

  • Wear you Medicalert bracelet at all times
  • Be sure someone else is able to use your glucose testing machine and knows what to do if your sugar is low
  • Let your friends and co-workers know what your common symptoms may be. They may spot your hypoglycemia before you