Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels are less than normal, hence also called as low blood sugar. Variety of symptoms include clumsiness, confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures and sometimes even death. A strong feeling of hunger, shakiness, sweating and weakness is common.
Why does hypoglycemia occur?
The most common cause for hypoglycemia is the oral diabetic medications for treating diabetes mellitus. People with diabetes usually face his when they skip meals, do more exercise than usual or consume more amount of alcohol.
How to overcome hypoglycemia?
Understand your condition and medications.
Learning about your medications- how each medication acts on your body is critical for controlling hypoglycemia.
Be Mindful of Insulin
When using insulin, it is always mandatory to check on the blood glucose levels after 2 hours of taking insulin. This will ensure higher safety in using insulin.
Knowledge on Symptoms
You should be able to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia in order to overcome.
During an episode
Consume a fast acting carbohydrate or glucose tablets or fruit juice to boost the sugar levels. Then wait for 1 minutes, test your glucose again, if still low, it is always advisable to consult your physician.
Always carry a glucose source along with you.
Continuous glucose monitoring
Technology has been a boon in case of diabetics. Wearing a CGMS device helps in monitoring the blood glucose levels consistently at regular intervals.
Get enough sleep
Addressing sleep disorders helps in preventing the risk of hypoglycemia as well as diabetes.
Physical Activity
Adjusting insulin doses and also planning accordingly to eat is an important thing to remember when doing physical activity especially if you had hypoglycemic episodes earlier.
All in all, consulting a physician on repeated episodes of hypoglycemia is always advisable.
