Managing Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a condition where the blood sugar of a patient falls below 72 mg/dl. Mg/dl is the measurement of blood sugar, and in simple terms it is the reading that you get in your blood report or on your Glucometer. Hypoglycemia is as much or more serious a condition as compared to high blood sugar. It can be an emergency. Extremely low blood sugars, can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and (rarely) permanent brain damage or death.

It is most common with diabetic people, with the reason being that they are taking, either higher than required dose of medication or insulin or someday they did not have a regular meal. There can be other reasons for this too, like some kind of infection, organ failure, hormone deficiency, inborn metabolism error etc. Some of the symptoms are: 

• blurry vision
• rapid heartbeat 
• sudden mood changes
• sudden nervousness
• unexplained fatigue
• nausea
• pale skin
• headache
• hunger
• shaking
• sweating
• difficulty sleeping
• skin tingling
• trouble thinking clearly or concentrating
• loss of consciousness

In my experienced, it may be difficult to recognize that your blood sugar is dropping. One of the main symptoms is: trouble thinking clearly, and this makes it difficult for you to analyze your own condition properly and treat it. Sugars can drop so quickly that, you may not experience any warning signals. I have taken insulin in past, and therefore I have figured out that, for me the most common symptoms are nausea, blurred vision and trouble thinking clearly. If I get confused, and start wondering about what is happening to me, then it is clear that my sugars are dipping. It is always advisable for diabetics to maintain slightly higher blood sugar levels and not strive for the non-diabetic levels, as we are manually managing the blood sugars, which can never be as precise as it is in nature. In non-diabetics it is a natural process that is working fine.

If you have a high risk of hypoglycemia due to any of the above mentioned reasons, you need to be alert and always ready to treat it. If you experience it often and suddenly, then carrying a glucagon kit with you may be a good idea. I have added a link below, where it explains about, how you can use a glucagon kit. If it is not a common phenomenon, you can carrying sugar sachets in your purse or wallet. Sugar candies also work well, but there is a chance you will finish them, and will not be left with any, for when you actually need them. A regular cola like, coke or fruit juice also have high sugar content. But the easiest to carry are the sugar sachets.

How to use a glucagon kit: http://www.novonordisk.com/diabetes/public/diabetestools/hypoglycaemia/howtouseaglucagonkit.asp