Hypoglycemia, sometimes called an insulin reaction, can happen even during those times when you’re doing all you can to manage your diabetes. So, although many times you can’t prevent it from happening, hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) can be treated before it gets worse. For this reason, it’s important to know what hypoglycemia is, what symptoms of hypoglycemia are, and how to treat hypoglycemia.

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

The symptoms of hypoglycemia include:

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

How do you know when your blood glucose is low?

Part of managing diabetes is checking blood glucose often. 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.

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: When in doubt, treat.

How do you treat hypoglycemia?

The quickest way to raise your blood glucose and treat hypoglycemia is with some form of sugar, such as 3 glucose tablets (you can buy these at the drug store), 1/2 cup of fruit juice, or 5-6 pieces of hard candy.

Ask your health care professional or dietitian to list foods that you can use to treat low blood glucose.  And then, be sure you always have at least one type of sugar with you.

Once you’ve checked your blood glucose and treated your hypoglycemia, wait 15 or 20 minutes and check your blood again.  If your blood glucose is still low and your symptoms of hypoglycemia don’t go away, repeat the treatment.  After you feel better, be sure to eat your regular meals and snacks as planned to keep your blood glucose level up.

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.

Glucagon raises blood glucose. It is injected like insulin. Ask your doctor to prescribe it for you and tell you how to use it.  You need to tell people around you (such as family members and co-workers) how and when to inject glucagon should you ever need it.

If glucagon is not available, you should be taken to the nearest emergency room for treatment for low blood glucose.  If you need immediate medical assistance or an ambulance, someone should call the emergency number in your area (such as 911) for help.  It’s a good idea to post emergency numbers by the telephone.

If you pass out from hypoglycemia, people should:

• NOT inject insulin.
• NOT give you food or fluids.
• NOT put their hands in your mouth.
• Inject glucagon.
• 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

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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.

Resources

Watch the Association’s glucagon training video.

Glucagon Training Video

Source: American Diabetes Association (ADA)

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