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Friday, June 22, 2018

What To Do If Your Sugar Drops

The balance between glucose, or sugar, and insulin in an individual’s bloodstream is a delicate one. For people with diabetes, glucose and insulin levels are vital—too little insulin can cause glucose to climb to dangerous levels. Too much insulin, however, can cause low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, which can be an emergency. Individuals living with diabetes and those around them should know the signs of low blood sugar, and how to quickly treat the condition. 
Hypoglycemia can cause seizures or loss of consciousness, making it an important condition to detect and treat as soon as possible. Levels that below 70 milligrams per deciliter are considered low and often dangerous.

A drop in blood sugar in diabetics can be caused by a number of factors, including too much insulin or other medication for diabetes, unusually vigorous exercise, drinking alcohol (especially without food) or skipping meals.

Know the Symptoms: The first step in treating a drop in blood sugar is knowing the signs. In addition to educating yourself on the symptoms of hypoglycemia, it’s important to let your family, friends and others around you know what to look for.

The symptoms of low blood sugar usually begin quickly, with mild signs like headache, shakiness, sweating, hunger and irritability. It’s possible for low blood sugar to occur at night when an individual is sleeping, too. Nightmares, profuse sweating and confusion when waking can signal a drop in blood sugar.

Symptoms can progress into seizures, drowsiness, confusion and unconsciousness, which can be especially dangerous when an individual is driving, exercising or operating machinery. 

You can read the rest of this article on ShareCare here.


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