People with diabetes must be keen to frequently check their blood sugar levels to ensure they are in a healthy range.
People with diabetes often suffer from hyperglycemia, but they also need to be aware of hypoglycemia. This can be dangerous and even fatal.
But what is considered hypoglycemia?
This article explains what hypoglycemia is, why people with diabetes experience hypoglycemia, and how to explain how to prevent hypoglycemia levels.
Why do people with diabetes get hypoglycemia?
People with or without diabetes can suffer from hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Having hypoglycemia means that the system simply has too much insulin and does not have enough glucose to allow the cells to function properly.
People with insulin-dependent diabetes may be particularly prone to developing hypoglycemia levels.
This is because counting carbohydrates and administering insulin for every meal and snack can be an inaccurate science.
Sometimes you may administer your insulin for a meal and not finish that meal, or maybe there are fewer carbohydrates in the meal than you expected.
The timing of insulin administration is also very important.
If you take insulin for your diet and do not eat within the specified time frame, your blood sugar levels may be low.
If you have diabetes, it is very common to experience hypoglycemia levels. It is part of everyday life.
The average person with type 1 diabetes experiences two episodes of hypoglycemia per week.
Don’t blaming yourself if your blood sugar levels are often low.
However, if that is affecting your quality of life, contact your doctor. They help you try to regulate your medication and reduce the frequency of your hypoglycemia.
What causes hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia can be caused by a variety of causes. Some of them are:
- There’s too much insulin in your diet
- I’m not eating enough insulin to take already
- Miscalculated carbohydrates in food and snacks
- There’s too much exercise, especially if your system has a lot of insulin
- Timing of insulin (I didn’t eat quickly enough after taking insulin)
- Hormonal changes such as adolescence and menopause
- Pregnancy (early stage)
- Alcohol, especially hard alcohol
- Hot climate
- Weight loss changes insulin sensitivity
- Changes to schedules, especially insulin administration schedules
- Changes in your diet
What is considered hypoglycemia?
What is considered hypoglycemia varies from person to person.
It depends on what you and your doctor consider to be too low for you to be comfortable and normally (physically and mentally) to function.
Some people have a closer range of targets than others.
For example, pregnant women have much lower glycemic targets than those who are not pregnant or unmotivated.
However, many people with diabetes will consider anything below 80 mg/dl as hypoglycemia that requires intervention.
Severe hypoglycemia is less than 40 mg/dL.
This video provides a great overview of what hypoglycemia is and how to treat it.
At what level is hypoglycemia dangerous?
Hypoglycemia can be dangerous at all levels. Some people can function normally due to hypoglycemia, while others cannot.
However, those below 40 mg/dl have a higher risk of seizures, unconsciousness, diabetic coma, and death.
Severe hypoglycemia requires immediate treatment with rapidly acting glucose (such as orange juice or sugar).
If the person has hypoglycemia below 40 mg/dL and does not respond, call 911 after administering glucagon.
This requires immediate treatment with either fast-acting glucose or glucagon (if the person is unable to chew or swallow).
If someone’s blood sugar level is below 40 mg/dl for a few hours, you are at a higher risk of becoming a diabetic coma.
What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?
It is important to know the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Because if left untreated, it can be extremely dangerous and even fatal.
Furthermore, up to 40% of people with type 1 diabetes, and 10-15% of people with type 2 diabetes, have some degree of low motivation.
Keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels and even mild symptoms of imminent hypoglycemia can save your life.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
- Shakakkes
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- confusion
- sweating
- Rapid heart rate
- Nervous
- Hungry
- It’s hard to concentrate
- I’m irritated
Severe hypoglycemia symptoms suggesting a medical emergency include:
- Unclear speech
- Confused thoughts
- Unconscious
- Crucifixion
- Panel
- In rare cases, death
If someone you know is experiencing severe hypoglycemia, call 911.
This is considered a medical emergency that requires immediate attention and professional medical assistance.
What are the consequences of hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia can have both short-term and long-term outcomes.
However, many people experience mild, moderate, frequent hypoglycemia levels without many negative consequences.
It is important to remember that hypoglycemia, especially severe hypoglycemia, can be dangerous and even fatal if not treated promptly.
Short-term outcome
Short-term consequences of hypoglycemia include physical inability to function during low blood sugar.
This includes not being able to drive, read, stand, speak, speak, or think clearly.
This can be dangerous if you are operating or operating heavy machinery.
Always hold fast glucose in your hands to treat unexpected hypoglycemia.
Long-term outcomes
Many people spend their lives without suffering from the long-term consequences of hypoglycemia.
No matter how rare, the long-term consequences of hypoglycemia are permanent, causing you to fall into a diabetic coma, suffering from brain damage, or even premature death.
Call 911 and if someone you know is experiencing blood sugar levels below 40 mg/dL and is unable to chew or swallow it, immediately administer glucagon.
How can I prevent hypoglycemia?
Although hypoglycemia cannot be prevented in all cases, there are ways to minimize the frequency of it being experienced.
Use the following strategies to help prevent hypoglycemia from having a negative impact on your life.
- Consult your doctor regularly regarding medication adjustments
- I cook more meals at home so I can tell you how many carbohydrates are.
- Eat well-known meals at predictable times (e.g. chicken salad for lunch at 12pm every day)
- Recheck your insulin dose before administration
- Do not exercise with blood sugar levels below 100 mg/dl. When I recently took insulin
- Do not sleep with blood sugar levels below 100 mg/dl
- Take all prescribed insulin and other medications
- If you have pre-bolus insulin for a meal, finish that meal
- Don’t drink too much alcohol and never drink it on an empty stomach
- Do not drink alcohol with blood sugar levels below 100 mg/dl
- Always carry fast glucose and glucagon
- If you are not hoping, wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or get a diabetic alert dog (dad)
- Set CGM low alarm
- Always treat hypoglycemia early before it becomes potentially dangerous
Is hypoglycemia fatal?
Unfortunately, yes.
Many people who lose consciousness and fall into diabetic coma from hypoglycemia experience brain damage, which can be fatal. This happens rarely, but it happens.
This is why it is important to treat hypoglycemia quickly before it becomes dangerous.
How can I raise my blood sugar level quickly?
Treatment of hypoglycemia involves eating glucose or sugar.
It is served in the form of glucose tablets, pure sugar, juice, sweets such as cake icing, candies and more.
Surprisingly, the more something there is, the lower it is a worse snack.
This is why candies like peanut butter chocolate bars and ice cream don’t make low-cost snacks.
A similar reaction occurs in the fiber, which can be difficult to treat hypoglycemia with fruits.
If someone you know has hypoglycemia below 40 mg/dL and doesn’t respond or chew or swallow it, the best way to quickly bring it up is to give glucagon and call 911.
In hospitals, patients can be connected to IV dextrose drip, which also quickly raises blood sugar levels.
