College Umluj

10 February 2021

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia
Diagnosis
If you use insulin or another diabetes medication to lower your blood
sugar, and you have signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia, test your blood
sugar levels with a blood glucose meter. If the result shows low blood sugar
(under 70 mg/dL), treat accordingly.
If you don't use medications known to cause hypoglycemia, your
doctor will want to know the following:
What were your signs and symptoms? If you don't have signs and
symptoms of hypoglycemia during your initial visit with your doctor, he or
she might have you fast overnight or longer. This will allow low blood
sugar symptoms to occur so that he or she can make a diagnosis.
It's also possible that you'll need to undergo an extended fast in a
hospital setting. Or if your symptoms occur after a meal, your doctor will
want to test your glucose levels after you eat.
What is your blood sugar level when you're having symptoms? Your
doctor will draw a sample of your blood to be analyzed in the laboratory.

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 Do your symptoms disappear when blood sugar levels increase?

In addition, your doctor will likely conduct a physical examination
and review your medical history.
Treatment
Immediate treatment
If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, do the following:
Eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. These are
sugary foods without protein or fat that are easily converted to sugar in the
body. Try glucose tablets or gel, fruit juice, regular — not diet — soft
drinks, honey, and sugary candy.
Recheck blood sugar levels 15 minutes after treatment. If blood sugar
levels are still under 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), eat or drink another 15 to
20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, and recheck the blood sugar level
again in 15 minutes. Repeat these steps until the blood sugar is above 70
mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L).
Have a snack or meal. Once your blood sugar is normal, eating a
snack or meal can help stabilize it and replenish your body's glycogen
stores.

Immediate treatment of severe hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is considered severe if you need help from someone to
recover. For example, if you can't eat, you might need glucagon injection
or intravenous glucose.

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 In general, people with diabetes who are treated with insulin should
have a glucagon kit for emergencies. Family and friends need to know
where to nd the kit and how to use it in case of emergency.
If you're helping someone who is unconscious, don't try to give the
person food or drink. If there's no glucagon kit available or you don't know
how to use it, call for emergency medical help.
Treatment of an underlying condition
Preventing recurrent hypoglycemia requires your doctor to identify the
underlying condition and treat it. Depending on the underlying cause,
treatment may involve:
Medications. If a medication is the cause of your hypoglycemia, your
doctor will likely suggest changing or stopping the medication or adjusting
the dosage.
Tumor treatment. A tumor in your pancreas is treated by surgical
removal of the tumor. In some cases, partial removal of the pancreas is
necessary.

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