What should I do if my blood glucose level is too low?

If your blood glucose level is slightly too low then you should first try to increase it by eating or drinking something sugary. However, if your blood glucose level is substantially low (i.e. you have hypoglycaemia) and you are diabetic then this is a medical emergency and you may require immediate hospitalisation. This is due to the fact that your brain will be starved of glucose (which it requires for fuel) and will start burning molecules known as ketones that cause numerous problems than can eventually put you into a coma. If you have a glucagon kit at home then you may be able to reverse your hypoglycaemia by injecting yourself with glucagon (which is a hormone that has the opposite effect of insulin). Hypoglycaemia can be caused if you inject yourself with too much insulin or by excessive consumption of alcohol. If you know that you have injected yourself with too much insulin or are planning on drinking alot of alcohol then you should try to manage this by increase your dietary intake of carbohydrates and sugars. However, it is much better if you avoid both of these events as the better you control your blood glucose level, the lower your risk of developing heart disease and stroke and going into a coma induced by hypoglycaemia.

« What should I do if my blood glucose level is too high? What is a ‘foot amputation’? »