Managing Hypoglycemic episodes in Diabetics

Hypoglycemic episodes are often seen in diabetic people. The common symptoms are weakness, sweating, anxiety, trembling, irritability and palpitations. So what do we do when we see a diabetic person having all these symptoms. Normally we immediately try to give sugar/sweets in such cases without even checking the blood glucose levels which is not right. True hypoglycemic event is when blood glucose levels are found in mid sixties or below. Therefore, it becomes very important to check the blood glucose levels before starting the treatment.

To further add, many a times people treat hypoglycemia with cakes, cookies, biscuits, chocolates etc. However, one must remember that the sugar in the form of complex carbohydrates or sugar when combined with protein and fat is very slowly absorbed and so is not useful in the acute treatment of hypoglycemia.

Any source of easily absorbed sugar which will help raise the blood glucose rapidly must be chosen for acute mangement of hypoglycemia, for example – table sugar, candies, soft drinks

Generally the treatment should be –

TEST-----------  TREAT  ------------  WAIT FOR 15 MINUTES  ------------ TEST

TEST – If blood glucose levels are in mid sixties or below,

TREAT – with 15 gms of glucose,

WAIT FOR 15 MINUTES  –  TEST - If  there is no improvement, the same therapy can be repeated upto three times and still if there is no response to this therapy, one should call for an ambulance

Remember once the acute episode has been treated and the diabetic person has responded well to the above mentioned therapy, a healthy, complex, long- acting carbohydrate should be given so as to maintain the blood glucose levels in appropriate range.

DON’T  FIGHT WITH DIABETES, LIVE WITH DIABETES