Very occasionally, it can happen in people who do not have diabetes. Preventing a low blood sugar level If you have diabetes, you can reduce your chance of getting a low blood sugar level if you: Check your blood sugar level regularly and be aware of the symptoms of a low blood sugar level so you can treat it quickly.
Always carry a sugary snack or drink with you, such as glucose tablets, a carton of fruit juice or some sweets. If you have a glucagon injection kit, always keep it with you. Do not skip meals. Be careful when drinking alcohol. Do not drink large amounts, check your blood sugar level regularly, and eat a carbohydrate snack afterwards.
Be careful when exercising; eating a carbohydrate snack before exercise can help to reduce the risk of a hypo. If you take some types of diabetes medicine, your doctor may recommend you take a lower dose before or after doing intense exercise. Have a carbohydrate snack, such as toast, if your blood sugar level drops too low while you're asleep nocturnal hypoglycaemia If you keep getting a low blood sugar level, talk to your diabetes care team about things you can do to help prevent it.
A low blood sugar level without diabetes A low blood sugar level is uncommon in people who do not have diabetes.
Possible causes include: your body releasing too much insulin after eating, called reactive hypoglycaemia or postprandial hypoglycaemia not eating fasting or malnutrition a complication of pregnancy a gastric bypass a type of weight loss surgery other medical conditions, such as problems with your hormone levels, pancreas, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands or heart some medicines, including quinine taken for malaria See a GP if you think you keep getting symptoms of a low blood sugar level.
A low blood sugar level and driving You may still be allowed to drive if you have diabetes or you're at risk of a low blood sugar level for another reason, but you'll need to do things to reduce the chance of this happening while you're driving. For more information, see: Diabetes UK: driving and diabetes Diabetes. Updated visitor guidelines. Top of the page Actionset. Introduction Low blood sugar hypoglycemia occurs in people with diabetes when the sugar glucose level in the blood drops below what the body needs to function normally.
If you are pregnant, your baby could be harmed. Low blood sugar can develop if you take too much insulin, do not eat enough food or skip meals, exercise without eating enough, or drink too much alcohol especially on an empty stomach. You can usually treat mild—and sometimes moderate—low blood sugar by eating something that contains sugar.
You should teach your friends and coworkers what to do if your blood sugar is very low. How to deal with low blood sugar emergencies Here are some ways you can manage low blood sugar. Be prepared Always be prepared for the possibility of having a low blood sugar level. Keep some quick-sugar foods with you at all times. If you are at home, you will probably already have something close at hand that contains sugar, such as table sugar or fruit juice. Carry some hard candy or glucose tablets with you when you are away from home.
Quick-sugar foods are foods you need to eat to raise your blood sugar. Know the symptoms of low blood sugar , such as sweating, blurred vision, and confusion. Post a list of the symptoms where you will see it often, and carry a copy in your wallet or purse. Think of insulin as the key that unlocks your cells, letting glucose in for energy. People with diabetes use a variety of treatments to help their bodies use the glucose in their blood.
Among these are oral medications that increase insulin production and insulin injections. If you take too much of these types of medications, your blood sugar may drop too low. People also sometimes experience low blood sugar when planning to eat a big meal, but then they do not eat enough. Skipping meals, eating less than normal, or eating later than normal but taking your medication at your normal time can also lead to low blood sugar levels. Unplanned excess physical activity without eating enough can also cause a drop in blood sugar levels.
When the body is trying to get rid of alcohol it becomes worse at managing blood sugar levels. Some other causes of low blood sugar include:. If you experience low blood sugar often — say, a few times a week — see your doctor right away to determine why. They will perform a physical examination. These include:. Your doctor may send you home with a blood glucose meter — a small, handheld blood testing device — to track your blood sugar over time at home.
They will give you instructions to test your blood sugar during certain times of the day, such as after waking up and after eating meals. To perform a blood sugar test, you will need to prick your finger with a lancet provided in your blood glucose test kit. Be sure to treat it right away. Use the tips for eating 15 grams of carbohydrate described above. Test again in 15 minutes, and if your blood sugar is not increasing, treat with another 15 grams of carbs.
If your blood sugar remains unresponsive, contact your doctor or emergency services right away. When in doubt, treat. When your blood sugar levels are too low, eating something made of carbohydrates is key.
If you have diabetes, try to keep high-carbohydrate snacks on hand. The American Diabetes Association recommends that your snack have at least 15 grams of carbohydrates. Some good snacks to keep on hand include:. These include: taking a hot shower or bath right after having an insulin injection increases blood flow through the blood vessels in the skin, which can make the insulin be absorbed more quickly than usual injecting the shot into a muscle instead of the fatty layer under the skin injecting the insulin into a part of the body used a lot in a particular sport like injecting the leg right before soccer practice.
All of these situations increase the chances that a person may get hypoglycemia. Different people may feel low blood sugar levels differently. People with low blood sugar may: feel hungry or have "hunger pains" in their stomach feel shaky or like they're trembling have a rapid heart rate feel sweaty or have cold, clammy skin have pale, gray skin color have a headache feel moody, cranky, or irritable feel drowsy, weak, or dizzy be unsteady or stagger when walking have blurred or double vision feel confused have seizures or convulsions lose consciousness pass out If you have diabetes, try to remember how your body reacts when your blood sugar levels are low.
Checking for Low Blood Sugar Levels The warning signs of hypoglycemia are the body's natural response to low blood sugar levels. This can make someone: pale sweaty start shaking have an increased heart rate If the hypoglycemia isn't treated, more serious symptoms may happen, such as drowsiness, confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness. Your health care team might suggest that you: Eat, drink, or take something that contains sugar that can get into the blood quickly.
Your doctor may tell you to have really sugary foods or drinks like regular soda, orange juice, or cake frosting or might give you glucose tablets or gel to take — all of these can help to raise your blood sugar level fast, which is what you need to do when it's low. Wait about 10 minutes to let the sugar work. Recheck your blood sugar level with a glucose meter to see if blood sugar levels are back to normal.
Get a glucagon shot see below , if your symptoms are severe or get worse after you eat, drink, or take glucose. Preventing Low Blood Sugar Levels By knowing what causes low blood sugar levels and being prepared, you can lessen the chance that you'll have them.
Here are some other tips to help you avoid low blood sugar levels: Eat all your meals and snacks on time and try not to skip any. Take the right amount of insulin. If you exercise longer or harder than usual, have an extra snack.
Don't take a hot bath or shower right after an insulin shot. Stick to your diabetes management plan. Check your blood sugar levels regularly, so you can tell if your blood sugars are running too low and your treatment plan needs adjustment.
Carry something containing sugar with you at all times and take it right away if you have symptoms. Don't wait to see if the symptoms will go away — they may get worse!
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