Treating Hypoglycemia

Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia changes from person to person. You should be aware of the symptoms and explain it to your family or peer groups, so that they can easily identify it. If you have experienced hypoglycemia repeatedly in short duration then you need to see your doctor to modify you plan of treatment. Once the test results confirm hypoglycemia, start its treatment. It is important to treat hypoglycemia quickly because it can get worse and you could pass out. If so, you will need treatment, such as an injection of glucagon or an emergency treatment in a hospital. When you finish the treatment part, wait 15 or 20 minutes and check your blood sugar level again. If your blood glucose is still low and symptoms of hypoglycemia don't go away, repeat the treatment. After regaining the normal blood sugar you need to eat your regular meals and snacks as planned to keep the blood glucose level up. Ask your health care professional or dietitian to list foods that you can use to treat low blood glucose.

If it is 70 mg/dl or below, you can take any one of the listed things:

• 2 or 3 glucose tablets
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of any fruit juice
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of a regular (not diet) soft drink
• 1 cup (8 ounces) of milk
• 5 or 6 pieces of hard candy
• 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar or honey

After 15 minutes, check your blood glucose again to know whether you are out of risk zone or not. If it is still too low, have another serving. Repeat these steps until your blood glucose is at least 70 mg/dl.

If you pass out from hypoglycemia, and situation has worsened, then you need to take care of the following things:

• Don’t inject insulin.
• Don’t take any food or fluids.
• Don’t put your hands in your mouth.
• Inject glucagons
• Call for emergency help.