Hypoglycemia

If you are a diabetic and is taking medicines to reduce your blood sugar, you should know about Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Hypoglycemia (also known as an "insulin reaction," or just "low blood glucose") occurs when blood glucose goes too low. Hypoglycemia can be caused by many things: too much insulin, too much tablets, not enough food, too much exercise, eating late, or eating too little carbohydrate. In short, it happens when insulin and blood glucose are out of balance.

People without diabetes usually don't get hypoglycemia. Their body can tell when it has enough insulin and stops releasing it automatically, but people with diabetes have to figure out how much insulin or how much Insulin-secreting tablets they need. Once the insulin is injected, or tablet is taken, it keeps working until it's gone, even if the blood glucose goes too low.

Mild or moderate hypoglycemia is pretty common for children and adults who take insulin or Insulin-secreting drugs like Daonil, Glimepride, Glipizide, or Gliclazide, but it can be dangerous if it's not treated right away. Mild or moderate hypoglycemia can get dangerously low pretty quickly. Severe hypoglycemia could lead to coma. So knowing about hypoglycemia is very important, not just for you, but for family, friends, co-workers etc.
Each person reacts to hypoglycemia differently. You may only have a few symptoms. It's important for you and your family to observe what symptoms are unique to you. That way, you can recognize it sooner, and treat it before it becomes serious.
Most common triad of symptoms of hypoglycemia are

Shivering

Excessive Sweating (clothes drenched with sweat)

Unusual Hunger

If this three happens together, especially just before your next meal and if the symptoms reverse quickly on eating, then you are having a mild hypoglycemia.
Other symptoms include

Nervousness
Irritability, sadness, or anger
Impatience
Chills and cold sweats
Fast heartbeat
Light-headedness or dizziness
Drowsiness
Lack of coordination
Blurred vision
Nausea
Tingling or numbness of lips or tongue
Nightmares or crying out during sleep
Headaches
Strange behavior
Confusion
Personality change
Passing out
Treating Hypoglycemia

When you notice symptoms of hypoglycemia, it's important to treat it right away. If you're feeling a little "off" but not too bad, you should do a blood glucose check first. A blood sugar value below 70mgs means it is hypoglycemia, but if you feel fairly sick and is not able to check, go ahead and treat for hypoglycemia. Here's how.

Step 1
Eat food or drink fluid that is easily digestible that contain at least 10 to 15 grams of carbohydrate.For example you can eat Iddly, Rice, Kanji, Roti, Glucose biscuits, toffees, Bun, Sweet Bread, Honey, Glucose tablets or powder, or you can drink a sugary tea or a sugary fruit juice ,or even a soft drink.

Step 2
Wait for 15 minutes and if possible check your blood sugar again. If you feel better and sugar is rising up take a complete meal so that it wont become low again.

Step 3
If blood sugar is not rising up or if you don't feel better eat another 15 grams of carbohydrate. If you feel better with this eat a complete meal.

Step 4
If your blood glucose is still too low (or you don't feel better), go to a hospital directly and tell the duty doctor or nurse that you are a diabetic on Insulin/tablets, and you think it is hypoglycemia.Don't wait for an appointment to see the doctor who is treating you.

Don't use fear of hypoglycemia as an excuse to eat your favourite sweet stuff. You will have the opposite problem - high blood glucose - later in the day. Also, stick to sugary foods that don't have a lot of fat. Fat slows down the movement of sugar into your blood. So oily sweets are not the best choices for treating hypoglycemia, unless they're the only high-carb foods nearby.


If mild or moderate hypoglycemia is not treated promptly, it can turn into severe hypoglycemia. People with severe hypoglycemia have so little glucose in their system that it affects their brain. When that happens, they pass out.

The best way to avoid severe hypoglycemia is catch it early. Be alert to any symptoms of hypoglycemia. Check your blood glucose if you have any doubt. Always carry some glucose tabs or other carbohydrate with you to treat hypoglycemia.

If you do develop severe hypoglycemia, you will need help from the people around you. You cannot drink juice or chew glucose tablets when you're unconscious. Glucagon is useful here, but is not widely available in India. Glucagon is a substance that makes the liver release sugar into your bloodstream. It can be injected to treat severe hypoglycemia.If no glucagon is available you must be taken to the hospital right away.

Do not forget to wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace that says you have diabetes and take insulin/tablets. You cannot tell anyone about your diabetes if you're unconscious or confused, but the medical ID can.

Keep something containing sugar like glucose powder or toffees with you at all times to treat hypoglycemia.

Tips to prevent hypoglycemia.
1.Always take the correct dose of Insulin/tablets.
2.If you plan to do some unusual physical activity, eat an additional snack before doing that.
3.If you feel unwell or have some illness like loose motions or vomiting and is not able to consume your usual calories, reduce the dosage of Insulin/tablets.
4.Never delay your meal