Hypoglycemia consists of a drop in blood glucose. The rate is obtained by performing a capillary blood glucose test.
It is considered that we are facing hypoglycemia when the blood glucose rate is less than 70 mg/dl and is accompanied by symptoms, which reverse after taking sugar.
We can classify hypoglycemia based on its severity, from a mild degree to a situation of loss of consciousness.
-Mild-moderate: the patient notices the symptoms and is able to treat himself.
-Severe: the patient needs help from another person to correct the situation.
-Hypoglycemic coma: the patient is unconscious.
Another classification is nocturnal hypoglycemia that appears during sleep. The symptoms of significant sweating, nightmares, restlessness and morning headache plus occasional morning hyperglycemia, interspersed with blood glucose levels that are too tight the previous days, should make us suspect it. If this complication is suspected, it would be advisable to do a blood glucose test at 03:00 or 04:00 in the morning and make the necessary adjustments.
What to do in case of hypoglycemia:
-If you have the possibility, you should do a capillary blood glucose test quickly and act. If in doubt, act as if hypoglycemia were confirmed.
-Take without delay CHs that raise glucose quickly: 100 ml of natural juice or sugar (two cubes or one sachet). 75 ml of cola drink or 10 g of pure glucose.
-The intake should be repeated after 15-30 minutes if symptoms persist and/or blood glucose remains below 70 mg/dl.
-Later, take CH that raises glucose more slowly and for a longer period of time, to avoid relapses: 1 or 2 pieces of fruit, or 2 to 4 Maria-type cookies. 20-40 g of bread or 2 to 4 slices of toast. 2 glasses of milk or 1 glass of milk + 2 Maria cookies.
-If the patient has lost consciousness, you should never give him food by mouth. We must inject glucagon and contact the healthcare team (phone: 112). Remain expectant for 5-10 minutes and if recovery of consciousness does not occur, administer glucagon again.
-If you do not have glucagon, you could apply sugar paste or honey with your fingers on the inside of the mouth or under the tongue and contact the healthcare team as soon as possible.
To consider:
-If hypoglycemia is due to alcohol consumption, injected glucagon is not effective. In this case, you must contact the emergency service to receive medical assistance.
-All diabetics treated with Insulin must have a container of glucagon at home and always carry sugars (juices, colas, pure glucose).
-It is very important that family members and people close to the diabetic know how hypoglycemia manifests and how it is solved.
-It is essential to analyze the cause of hypoglycemia in order to avoid it on future occasions.
-Hypoglycemia in a trained patient is easy to correct, therefore, health education is very important.
-The severity of hypoglycemia will depend more on the activity being performed (driving, climbing, scuba diving, etc.) than on the hypoglycemia itself. Exercise should not be performed until complete recovery from hypoglycemia.
-Although in general hypoglycemic episodes resolve without major complications and are not serious, it is necessary to remember that they could be serious in young children and people with a history of heart attacks or the elderly. In these groups we must take extreme care to avoid this complication.
-Better control of Diabetes implies an undoubted long-term benefit.