Top Tips to Avoid Diabetic Hypoglycemia

Diabetic hypoglycemia is very dangerous and even life threatening. Living as a diabetic for over a decade, I have learned from experience and from the advice of my health care provider tips to avoid diabetic hypoglycemia. It is important for anyone living with diabetes or with a diabetic person to learn tips to avoid diabetic hypoglycemia.

What is diabetic hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is when your blood sugars drop abnormally low. With diabetes there is a condition called diabetic hypoglycemia. Diabetic hypoglycemia typically occurs when a diabetic is having too tight a control of their blood sugars. The blood sugar level becomes too low for the diabetic, even though it's normal range for a non-diabetic. Diabetic hypoglycemia results when the blood sugar range is below what is normally kept in that particular diabetic's body because of the sudden drop in overall sugar levels.

Don't Skip Snacks or Meals

As a diabetic, it is imperative that you keep a scheduled and regular eating routine. Your body needs food and fuel in order to function. Too much blood sugar can cause long term damage. But not enough blood sugar can cause diabetic hypoglycemia. Skipping meals or snacks can drop your blood sugar levels and induce diabetic hypoglycemia.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water enables your body to better use your insulin that you either inject or take orally. A danger is becoming dehydrated because you don't want to make constant runs to the bathroom. Water also helps to regular your sugar levels if you're diabetic. Not enough water and you run the risk of getting diabetic hypoglycemia.

Know the Warning Signs of Hypoglycemia

Learn, memorize and know the warning signs of diabetic hypoglycemia. Knowing the warning signs can mean the difference in life and a coma. If you go into diabetic hypoglycemia and sugars plummet too low, you're at risk for a coma. Sugars below 70 mg per dl should be treated immediately. Warning signs include pounding heart, headache, dizziness, sudden fatigue or alertness, nightmares if asleep, sweating and less awareness of your surroundings.

Write Down Your Medication Times

One way that you can accidentally get diabetic hypoglycemia is taking too much insulin. Write down your medication times. This will prevent you from double dosing because you forgot that you took a dose of insulin. Just get in the habit of doing this on a daily basis.

Count Your Carbohydrates Instead of Guessing

If you use fast acting insulin at meals and snacks, count your carbohydrates and sugars instead of guessing. If you guess, you run the risk of taking too much insulin for what you ate and getting diabetic hypoglycemia. This can be extremely dangerous.

Lower Your Overall Sugars Slowly

With tight diabetic control, some of us want to lower our A1C scores quickly. We get excited to be back on control and end up lowering the overall sugars too quickly. This can send our diabetic bodies into diabetic hypoglycemia. Your sugar doesn't have to go as low as 70 if your body had been used to the 250 or higher range to be susceptible to diabetic hypoglycemia.

Protein Snack Prior to Exercise

Eat a small protein snack prior to exercise. My doctor and I have been working on losing weight to lower my overall need for insulin. I walk several miles a day. Prior to each walking session, I was told to have a small protein snack. This will give your body the fuel it needs to keep you from hitting a diabetic hypoglycemia attack during your exercise.

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