Hypoglycemia and how to deal with it

Hypo glycaemia ( low blood sugar level), is 

one of the most common and serious complications of Diabetes, and this condition can occur due to many causes, like :

1. Delaying your meal, having your meal late is a very common cause of hypoglycemia, and that’s why it’s better to be very restrict about your meal time, and to carry your lunch with you especially when you’re having a long day at work or at university.

2. Having an overdose of your diabetic medications, your medications which are prescribed by your doctor, act in controlling your blood sugar level by lowering it to the normal if you’re taking it within the recommended doses, but if someday you accidentally had a larger dose than what you’re supposed to, this may lower your blood sugar level to the degree of hypoglycemia.

3. Having smaller meals than you should, Eating enough amount of food in your meal is essential to have a constant level of blood sugar, and having a meal rich in fibers will make digestion more slow which will help in keeping that level of sugar more stable

4. Doing extreme exercise that requires an unusually high effort for you, this might actually consume energy by consuming glucose which means decreasing blood sugar level and this may lead to hypoglycemia.

5. Having a disease that consumes body energy like diarrhea or vomiting, leading to a massive increase in blood sugar.

What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?

Symptoms vary from a patient to another, and they are not specific to hypoglycemia, but the most common symptoms of them are hunger, dizziness, anxiousness, Sweating, tremors or shaking, visual disturbances, headache, and palpitations.

These symptoms are considered initial symptoms, and if not treated early the patient can enter a state of fainting and complete loss of consciousness or seizures. 

As we mentioned, symptoms are not constant, and that’s why you should regularly monitor your blood glucose levels and compare the symptoms, to know what kind of symptoms you have during a hypoglycemic state, and it is also preferred to teach these things to your family si they can act quickly and help you in case of an emergency. 

What to do when you have hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is a serious condition, but luckily it can be easily managed by following the following steps:

A. Measure your blood sugar levels as quick as you can hypo glycaemia is considered as having a blood glucose level lower than 70 mg/dL, or 3.9 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

B. Immediately take a few discs of readily soluble sugar or hard sugar bars , a candy bar, or a sweetened juice or drink as a source of sugar and the amounts should be as following :

• Five to six pieces of hard candy. 

• Four ounces (120 milliliters) of fruit juice or regular — not diet — soda

• One tablespoon (15 milliliters) of sugar, jelly or honey. 

• Four glucose tablets (available without a prescription at most pharmacies)

• A serving of glucose gel (read the label for amount)

C. Stop doing any physical activity, and take some rest, and if you’re driving your car it’s better to stop immediately.

D. Measure your blood sugar level 20 minutes later, and if it’s still low you may have another source of sugar. 

E. If this case recurred for many times, look for the precepitating factors and  treat them (i.e. Check your meal timing and amount, check if you have any other disease that may cause hypoglycemia, recheck your doses and consult your physician to know id you should change the dose or the type of your diabetic medications.