Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Hungry, Hungry Hypo: When Lows Attack!

Remember the old board game Hungry, Hungry Hippos? Where whichever player gets the most balls in their hippo wins? When a diabetic's bg is low we act like those hippos do!
The worst thing to deal with being diabetic is dealing with low blood glucose levels. The term for lows is Hypoglycemia which is when your blood glucose is below your minimum target goal, like my blood glucose level goal is 70-130 so <70 for me is considered low. Here is everything you need to know about hypoglycemia:
Symptoms:
-Dizzy
-Nauseous 
-Sweaty
-confusion
-(for me) increased heart beat--I hear mine very clear

What to do if you're a non-diabetic & your loved one experiences a low:
-REMAIN CALM! If you flip out, he/she will too
-If they're conscious, give them OJ & make them sip on it. Make sure they're are awake & alert
-DO NOT encourage them to take any insulin--You'll be surprised at how many non d's suggest insulin dosages....
-If the individual is unconscious, inject them with glucagon & call 911 Immediately!

If You are diabetic & are on a pump:
-Suspend your pump(if it doesn't automatically) until your bg is normal
So how do you combat lows w/o the afterspike? Here's how I do it!
1.) I eat 6 crackers w/ peanut butter & 1 glass of OJ 
2.)Check bg every 20-30 mins & repeat if necessary 

2 comments:

  1. Great advice and i totally agree that non diabetics know how to help, let alone understand anything much about life with diabetes.

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    1. Thank you! Feel free to SHARE this. Happy Thanksgiving!

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