How To Avoid Hypoglycemia in Type 1 and 2 Diabetes

You may develop hypoglycemia from taking too much diabetes medication or insulin, exercising more than usual or skipping a meal. You can determine if you have low blood sugar by using a blood glucose meter.

Early symptoms of diabetic hypoglycemia include: dizziness, hunger, headache, sweating and anxiety.

If left untreated, diabetic hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and loss of consciousness. Watch for more severe symptoms such as muscle weakness, jerky movements, blurry vision, slurred speech and confusion.

Short-term hypoglycemia treatment involves drinking fruit juice or soda, eating hard candy or taking glucose tablets to raise your blood sugar to a normal range.

To prevent diabetic hypoglycemia don't skip meals, monitor your blood sugar, take your insulin and diabetes medication as prescribed and record your low glucose reactions to help identify patterns.

Having a hypoglycemic event has not been shown to affect the way a patient subsequently manages their diabetes

Research shows that dietary habits influence disease risk. While certain foods may trigger chronic health conditions, others offer strong medicinal and protective qualities. Thus, many people argue that food is medicine. Yet, diet alone cannot and should not replace medicine in all circumstances. Do you look at food as if it can be medicine for your disease? If yes would you like more information on this, save the PDF for further conversation with your HCP.