How is a hypoglycemic reaction treated
Hypoglycemia: Definition, Identification, Prevention, and Treatment
hi I'm your glucometer and I'm here to
give you information about hypoglycemia
what is hypoglycemia hypoglycemia means
low blood sugar
your sugar can go low due to illness
certain medications insulin exercise or
skipping meals hypoglycemia is when your
blood sugar drops below 70 milligrams
per deciliter you might be wondering
what is the typical range for people
with diabetes when fasting which is 8
hours with no food or drink except water
the goal for your blood sugar is between
80 and 132 hours after eating the goal
is less than 180 how do you know if you
have low blood sugar
finger sticks are the most reliable way
to know where your blood sugar level is
sometimes you might feel mild to
moderate symptoms sweaty pale shaky
dizzy or lightheaded confused or
disoriented blurred vision a fast or
irregular heartbeat vivid dreams
nightmares or sudden awakenings
sometimes you might have severe symptoms
like being unable to eat or drink having
seizures convulsions or jerky movements
or falling unconscious and sometimes you
might experience hypoglycemic
unawareness which means that your body
doesn't give any warning signs that your
blood sugar is getting low this can put
you at risk of severe sometimes
life-threatening low blood sugar
our bodies don't always give us
consistent messages so we can't depend
upon experiencing symptoms to let us
know that something is wrong the only
way to truly know if you have low blood
sugar is to check with an fda-approved
glucose meter how do you prevent
hypoglycemia here are several tips eat
meals and snacks on a regular schedule
take your medications as prescribed if
your blood sugar is high you may be
tempted to take too much insulin or an
extra pill however doing this is
dangerous and could lead to hypoglycemia
if you are taking insulin or a
medication that is known to cause low
blood sugar you should check your blood
sugar regularly checking your blood
sugar regularly and before and after
vigorous exercise can help you catch a
low before it becomes an emergency how
do you treat hypoglycemia if your blood
sugar is between 59 and 78 in 15 grams
of fast-acting carbohydrates can help
bring your blood sugar back to normal if
after 15 minutes it is still below 70
eat another 15 grams of fast-acting
carbohydrates once your blood sugar is
in the normal range between 80 and 130
eat a small snack to prevent another low
fast-acting carbohydrates include 1/2
cup or 4 ounces of regular soda not diet
1/2 cup or four ounces of fruit juice 1
cup or 8 ounces of skim milk hard
candies be sure to check the label to
see what serving size equals 15 grams of
total carbohydrates glucose gel or tabs
to be chewed for better absorption avoid
having anything with chocolate nuts or
higher fat dairy because fat and
proteins slow the digestion of the
carbohydrates into sugar so your blood
sugar won't rise fast enough
remember it can take 15 minutes for the
carbohydrates to raise your sugar try to
stay calm and not overeat
what happens if your blood sugar goes to
low and you're asleep or unresponsive
there is an emergency medication called
glucagon that can be injected into you
if you're unresponsive somebody who
finds you unresponsive can easily inject
glucagon into your body glucagon is a
hormone that breaks down stored glucose
so glucose can enter your bloodstream
and bring your blood sugar up your
doctor will prescribe you a glucagon
injection kit keep the expiration date
of your kit written down and request a
new prescription as that date approaches
be open about your diabetes with family
partners friends and co-workers so they
can help you if you need it it is
important that you show them where the
kit is and how to use it wear a bracelet
or necklace that says that you have
diabetes keep a card in your wallet that
says that you have diabetes and lists
your medications set up an emergency
alert on your cell phone to let people
know that you have diabetes to see a
demo of how to do a glucagon injection
please go to WWE my arg glucagon for the
most part hypoglycemia is preventable
and almost always treatable stay
prepared keep your meter and glucose
source with you and if you feel odd
check your sugar sometimes low blood
sugar and high blood sugar can feel
similar so it is important to be sure
you are low before treating if you eat
because you feel low but your sugar is
actually high your blood sugar will rise
even higher making you feel worse for
more information talk with your doctor
dietitian nurse pharmacist and diabetes
educator they are all here to help keep
you safe
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