The first thing to be done when experiencing hypoglycemia is
to bring up the levels of blood sugar back to its normal values. This is achieved
by ingesting a hard candy or any food products rich in carbohydrates.
Diabetics should always carry an emergency supply of carbohydrates, such as hard candy, just in case
hypoglycemia strikes. They should also be familiar with their bodies so as to
readily detect early symptoms of hypoglycemia and start treatment at once so as
to avoid further complications that may arise from it. Begin treatment of
hypoglycemia promptly when symptoms of low levels of blood sugar are felt, even
if there is a possibility that the symptoms presented are not from hypoglycemia, it is always safer to presume that the symptoms are caused by hypoglycemia.
Mild Hypoglycemia Treatment Using carbohydrates of even just a small amount, around 15 grams, can resolve a mild case
of hypoglycemia easily, emitting a positive response from the
patient. How can you be sure that the carbohydrate rich food taken measures
only 15 grams? Here are the several examples:
1 cup of milk
3 ounces of grape juice
6 ounces of orange juice
3 teaspoons of honey
5 ounces of Coke or 7up
Moderate Hypoglycemia Treatment For those suffering from moderate hypoglycemia, a larger amount of
carbohydrate is needed to place levels of blood sugar within acceptable levels,
about double the amount for mild cases, or approximately thirty grams of
carbohydrates. This means that aside from the initial hard candy given to halt
the hypoglycemia from progressing, an additional meal afterward is also needed.
Levels of blood sugar may be measured and used as a reference for treatment. There are
patients who still have exhibited neurological symptoms even if the blood sugar
levels have already normalized to over 100 mg/dL.
Severe Hypoglycemia Treatment Cases of severe hypoglycemia should be treated at once. With these cases,
every minute counts towards the success of the treatment. Do not force an
unconscious patient to ingest food or drink. The most effective treatment is the intraveneous injection of glucose. Glucagon vials are available for home treatment. The usual adult dose is 1 mg. Also,
check on the expiration date of the vials used, to be sure is has not yet expired. It is also
encouraged that families familiarize themselves with the technique of injecting
glucagon so as to be prepared should an emergency arise. They can practice
using sterile saline solution. If there is no visible response to the
treatment, or if there is no glucagon available for injection, 911 should be called.
There are some conditions wherein hypoglycemia
persists for several hours especially if the patient is taking in
chlorpropamide. To treat these delayed reactions, continuous monitoring of blood
sugar levels is required and the infusion of glucose solution through the veins, especially if the patient is older.
Hypoglycemia is a very serious complication of diabetes. With knowledge, preperation, and some basic principles, it can be managed very well.
