Low blood sugar symptoms need immediate attention. Here's what you should do to handle this potential emergency.
Hypoglycemia requires fast treatment. When someone with diabetes begins experiencing low blood sugar symptoms, any delay increases the chance that the hypoglycemia could escalate into a life-threatening illness. Left untreated or not treated promptly, hypoglycemia can result in seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system, and death.
Here are the steps you need to take if your diabetes management plan has failed and you begin to have the low blood sugar symptoms that indicate an episode of hypoglycemia:
1. Recognize the symptoms. The symptoms of hypoglycemia vary from person to person, but anyone taking insulin or diabetes medication should know what they are. Low blood sugar symptoms include:
Weakness or fatigue
Cold sweats or clammy skin
Confusion or fuzzy and unclear thinking
Dizziness or light-headedness
Blurred vision
Hunger Nervousness, anger, or irritability
Headache
Rapid heartbeat
Numb or tingling skin
Difficulty speaking
Shakiness
2. Make yourself safe. If you or a family member with diabetes begins to have any of these symptoms, take immediate safety precautions. Pull over if you are driving a car. Sit down right away if you are walking down steps. Hypoglycemia could cause you to lose consciousness and cause harm to yourself or others. You want to make sure that doesn't happen.
3. Test your blood glucose levels. In most cases, providing that symptoms are still mild, test to make sure you actually are having a hypoglycemic episode rather than another malady. Use your blood glucose meter to check. A reading of 70 mg/dl or lower means you need to take quick action. If symptoms are too severe to manage the testing or you can’t get to your glucose meter quickly, move on to step 4.
4. Get some carbs into your body. A diabetic undergoing an episode of hypoglycemia needs to bring blood glucose levels up quickly. Fast-acting carbohydrates, especially simple sugars, can accomplish this. If you are taking insulin or diabetes medication as part of a diabetes management plan, you should always have on hand a bit of quick-fix food equal to 15 to 20 grams of sugar or carbohydrates. Some foods that can provide this amount and quickly raise your blood sugar level include:
4 or 5 saltine crackers
5 or 6 pieces of hard candy
2 tablespoons of raisins
4 teaspoons of sugar
3 or 4 glucose tablets
1 serving of glucose gel
1/2 cup of fruit juice or regular soda
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of honey or corn syrup
5. Wait, then verify treatment is working. Don't keep eating, as you might over-treat and cause your blood sugar level to go too high. Instead, wait about 15 minutes and then test your blood sugar level again with a meter. If it's still too low, then eat another 15 to 20 grams of sugar or carbohydrate. Repeat until your blood sugar level is at 70 mg/dl or higher. Once you've reached that level, eat a more nutritious, carbohydrate-containing snack unless a meal is less than one hour away.
6. If your body doesn't respond, seek medical help. If you haven't responded to the carbs or if you've passed out or had seizures, you probably have a case of severe hypoglycemia and need medical attention. If someone in your family or at your workplace is aware of your condition and has been trained to give emergency glucagon injections (a substance that quickly raises blood sugar levels), they should do so immediately, even before calling 911 to get help. A diabetic treated with glucagon should respond quickly and be able to eat some food within 15 minutes.
7. Take long-term steps. If you have recurring hypoglycemic episodes or even one severe case, talk with your doctor about adjusting your diabetes management plan to better fit your lifestyle. You also should ask to have a glucagon injection prescribed to you, so that a family member or friend can administer it if you pass out or experience a seizure from another severe case of hypoglycemia.
Being prepared and knowing what to do about hypoglycemia is an important part of a good diabetes management plan.
Showing posts with label low blood sugars and the dangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label low blood sugars and the dangers. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Avoid These Diabetes Traps
If you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, watch out for these lifestyle pitfalls that can make controlling your blood sugar more difficult.
You may be scared or stunned by a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, but it’s critical that you start making the changes suggested by your doctor. That's often easier said than done, since for most of us, what we eat, how much we exercise, and other everyday habits are as cozy — and as hard to get rid of — as well-worn slippers or a soft old sweatshirt.
But although you might have a few false starts and even a misstep or two along the way, a diabetes diagnosis must be taken seriously, beginning with abandoning old habits and committing to new ones to reverse or stabilize the condition.
Steps Toward Positive Change
Here’s a great place to begin: Losing just 10 percent of your body weight will improve your blood sugar control, says Margaret Shields, MEd, RD, a diabetes educator with the Washington University Diabetes Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. That, in turn, will decrease your heart disease risk and keep you healthy and living longer.
Some more bad habits you should be sure to avoid:
Not testing blood sugar. Yes, you have to draw blood, but no, it doesn’t have to hurt. Your doctor or diabetes educator will show you how to get started with a blood glucose monitor and lancets. Keep your diabetic supplies within reach at home, at work, and even in your car. And with time, Shields says, testing will get easier.
Not taking diabetic medications at the right time. To keep blood sugar balanced, you have to “feed” your body at specific times — whether it’s with meds or food. Otherwise you’re wasting time and money and damaging your body.
Skipping meals. If you want to lose weight, skipping meals to hurry the process isn’t the answer. Skip breakfast or lunch, and the drop in blood sugar will set off a chain reaction that disrupts insulin levels and blood sugar — and you’ll likely eat more later. Take time to eat simple, balanced meals. You may also benefit from a mind-set boost: “Try not to think of it as a ‘diabetes diet’ because it’s basically heart-healthy eating, the way we all should eat,” says Ellen Calogeras, RD, LD, a diabetes educator with the Cleveland Clinic Diabetes Center.
Emotional eating. If you feel depressed, anxious, or stressed, it will affect your blood sugar, so it’s important to get your emotions under control. Medication, meditation, psychotherapy, exercise, and deep breathing can help, alone or in combination.
Binge eating. Stock up on healthy foods — avoid temptation every time you open your kitchen cabinets by not buying chips, doughnuts, and other “trigger” foods.
Drinking too much sugar. Go for milk or water as beverages of choice. When you want to enjoy fresh juice, put the brakes on at a half-cup.
Skipping veggies. Vegetables supply nutrients that support all your body functions, including helping to regulate both blood pressure and blood sugar. Get a wide variety in deep hues — red, yellow, orange, and green.
Avoiding fish in favor of red meat. Fish like salmon and tuna are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Don't care for seafood? Other good sources of lean protein include chicken and beans.
Skipping exercise. Getting your weight and blood sugar under control means getting enough regular exercise. Though the goal is 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, if exercise doesn’t get you excited, make it easy on yourself and break down that total into manageable amounts — short but frequent bouts. “Just 10 minutes of walking several times a day is good,” says Shields.
Getting too little sleep. With less than five hours of sleep, you disrupt hormones that control hunger and blood glucose, so give yourself an earlier bedtime if you’ve been shortchanging yourself on the shut-eye. If snoring is a problem, talk with your doctor. You may have sleep apnea, which disrupts hormone levels and drives up blood sugar.
Diabetes Educators: A Helping Hand
If you need a bigger push to get moving, working with a certified diabetes educator can help. These health-care professionals have the important job of helping people learn how to manage diabetes successfully. The American Association of Diabetes Educators is a great resource for more information.
“Take all this very seriously,” says Shields. “The ability to follow diet and exercise guidelines is what separates the winners from the losers. And with diabetes, the stakes are very high.”
You may be scared or stunned by a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, but it’s critical that you start making the changes suggested by your doctor. That's often easier said than done, since for most of us, what we eat, how much we exercise, and other everyday habits are as cozy — and as hard to get rid of — as well-worn slippers or a soft old sweatshirt.
But although you might have a few false starts and even a misstep or two along the way, a diabetes diagnosis must be taken seriously, beginning with abandoning old habits and committing to new ones to reverse or stabilize the condition.
Steps Toward Positive Change
Here’s a great place to begin: Losing just 10 percent of your body weight will improve your blood sugar control, says Margaret Shields, MEd, RD, a diabetes educator with the Washington University Diabetes Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. That, in turn, will decrease your heart disease risk and keep you healthy and living longer.
Some more bad habits you should be sure to avoid:
Not testing blood sugar. Yes, you have to draw blood, but no, it doesn’t have to hurt. Your doctor or diabetes educator will show you how to get started with a blood glucose monitor and lancets. Keep your diabetic supplies within reach at home, at work, and even in your car. And with time, Shields says, testing will get easier.
Not taking diabetic medications at the right time. To keep blood sugar balanced, you have to “feed” your body at specific times — whether it’s with meds or food. Otherwise you’re wasting time and money and damaging your body.
Skipping meals. If you want to lose weight, skipping meals to hurry the process isn’t the answer. Skip breakfast or lunch, and the drop in blood sugar will set off a chain reaction that disrupts insulin levels and blood sugar — and you’ll likely eat more later. Take time to eat simple, balanced meals. You may also benefit from a mind-set boost: “Try not to think of it as a ‘diabetes diet’ because it’s basically heart-healthy eating, the way we all should eat,” says Ellen Calogeras, RD, LD, a diabetes educator with the Cleveland Clinic Diabetes Center.
Emotional eating. If you feel depressed, anxious, or stressed, it will affect your blood sugar, so it’s important to get your emotions under control. Medication, meditation, psychotherapy, exercise, and deep breathing can help, alone or in combination.
Binge eating. Stock up on healthy foods — avoid temptation every time you open your kitchen cabinets by not buying chips, doughnuts, and other “trigger” foods.
Drinking too much sugar. Go for milk or water as beverages of choice. When you want to enjoy fresh juice, put the brakes on at a half-cup.
Skipping veggies. Vegetables supply nutrients that support all your body functions, including helping to regulate both blood pressure and blood sugar. Get a wide variety in deep hues — red, yellow, orange, and green.
Avoiding fish in favor of red meat. Fish like salmon and tuna are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Don't care for seafood? Other good sources of lean protein include chicken and beans.
Skipping exercise. Getting your weight and blood sugar under control means getting enough regular exercise. Though the goal is 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, if exercise doesn’t get you excited, make it easy on yourself and break down that total into manageable amounts — short but frequent bouts. “Just 10 minutes of walking several times a day is good,” says Shields.
Getting too little sleep. With less than five hours of sleep, you disrupt hormones that control hunger and blood glucose, so give yourself an earlier bedtime if you’ve been shortchanging yourself on the shut-eye. If snoring is a problem, talk with your doctor. You may have sleep apnea, which disrupts hormone levels and drives up blood sugar.
Diabetes Educators: A Helping Hand
If you need a bigger push to get moving, working with a certified diabetes educator can help. These health-care professionals have the important job of helping people learn how to manage diabetes successfully. The American Association of Diabetes Educators is a great resource for more information.
“Take all this very seriously,” says Shields. “The ability to follow diet and exercise guidelines is what separates the winners from the losers. And with diabetes, the stakes are very high.”
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