Type 1 Diabetes: Low Blood Sugar/Hypoglycemia
What is it :
A blood sugar less than 70mg/dl is a low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Your body needs glucose to use as fuel. If your blood sugar gets too low you usually can tell by how you feel. Any time a person has received insulin, there is a chance of a low blood sugar reaction. It can get worse quickly, so you need to treat it immediately.
Signs and symptoms:
It's important to recognize a low blood sugar as early as possible. By doing this, the reaction will not progress to a severe reaction. Symptoms will vary from person to person.
- Shaky
- Sweaty
- Fast heart beat
- Anxious
- Hungry
- Blurred vision
- Weakness or sudden fatigue
- Irritable
- Dizzy and/or headache
- In its' extreme form it can cause you to become confused, disoriented and even make you unconscious
What causes it:
- Missing meals or snacks or eating them late
- Too much insulin
- Giving a shot into muscle which results in the insulin working faster than usual
- More activity than usual
- Too much alcohol
How to treat it:
If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, test your blood sugar. If it's less than 70mg/dl, or if you can't test, act quickly. You need:
- 15 grams of fast acting glucose: That could be:
- 4 flavored glucose tablets
- 4-6 ounces of fruit juice
- 8 oz of low fat milk
- 4 oz of “regular” soda, not diet soda
- If your blood sugar is 50 mg/dl or less, you need to treat with 30 grams of fast acting glucose.
- Wait 15 minutes and test your blood sugar to make sure it is back up to a safe zone.
- If your next meal is more than 30 minutes away, eat a healthy snack.
- If you have symptoms of a low blood sugar before a scheduled meal, you need to treat first, wait 15 minutes, re-check and then take your insulin and eat your meal. The fat and proteins in your meal could delay the work of the carbohydrate and cause a more severe decrease in your blood sugar.
Severe Hypoglycemia:
Severe hypoglycemia is when someone is having a low blood sugar that they are unable to treat themselves. The person may be confused, unable to swallow, unconscious or having a seizure. "Glucagon for Emergency Injection" should be given by a family member or friend who has been trained to do this.
How NOT to treat low blood sugar:
Chocolate, donuts, cake, pie, candy bar, cheese, meat, etc. are NOT good choices to treat a low blood sugar. All of these foods have a high fat content. The fat in these foods makes them stay in the stomach longer, so it doesn't get into your blood stream quickly - where you need it to be. The dietitian will show you how to fit these foods in your meal plan when you can take the time to enjoy them.
How to prevent low blood sugars:
Pay attention to when and why you go low. Do you see a pattern? Is it always before a certain meal or after exercise? You may have to talk to your health care team to get a change in your medication or learn how to prevent low blood sugars when you exercise. Be sure your family and friends and co-workers know how to recognize and help you treat a low blood sugar.