Hypoglycemia Treatment and Management

Randomly felt dizzy or shaky? Well, that's probably because you are running low on blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemia is a condition where your blood sugar levels suddenly drop to low levels causing various symptoms, and is especially found in people with diabetes. The root causes of blood sugar level dropping are skipping meals, taking too much insulin, intensive physical activities, or sometimes even a few medications. While treating and managing Hypoglycemia is simple and easy, it could lead to severe complications if left untreated. Here’s all there is to know about Hypoglycemia, from symptoms to treatments.

While symptoms of Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels are easy to identify, they are often confused with other diseases because of how common they are. If you see these symptoms along with proper reasoning (like if you skipped a meal or had a heavy workout) then most likely it's due to the drop in sugar levels in the blood. Here are the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Early Symptoms of Hypoglycemia:

These are your body’s first signals that your blood sugar is dropping:

• Shakiness or trembling

• Sweating (even in cool weather)

• Sudden hunger

• Irritability or mood swings

• Anxiety or nervousness

• Fast or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

• Headache

• Dizziness or light-headedness

• Tingling or numbness of the lips, tongue or cheek

• Difficulty concentrating

• Fatigue or weakness

Severe Symptoms of Hypoglycemia:

If left untreated, early symptoms can quickly escalate into serious complications:

• Confusion or disorientation

• Slurred speech

• Poor coordination or clumsiness

• Fainting or loss of consciousness

• Seizures

• Unresponsiveness (in extreme cases, coma)

It is important to note that symptoms occur differently in different people. Sometimes, people do not even have symptoms, yet can have low blood sugar levels. The best way to determine Hypoglycemia is to monitor the blood sugar levels on a regular basis.

If you feel the early symptoms of Hypoglycemia, you can have some immediate, easy to do treatments at home by:

Using the 15-15 rule:

• Take 15g of carbohydrates and wait 15 minutes

• If the sugar levels are not back to normal in 15 minutes, repeat the process

• Note that children may require less than 15g of carbs

• After the sugar levels are normal, you can go back to maintaining a balanced diet.

You can have the following food or drinks to elevate your sugar levels immediately:

• ½ glass (120 ml) of fruit juice or regular soda (Non diet)

• 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey

• 3 to 4 glucose tablets

• Hard candies

Do not overeat or have high fat content food to treat Hypoglycemia, overeating may cause too much increase in blood sugar levels, whereas food like chocolates may increase blood sugar level, but not immediately. These treatments are only for immediate treatment of early symptoms of Hypoglycemia. Do not give food or drinks to an unconscious person due to Hypoglycemia as it can create choking of the airway. Seek immediate medical care for severe hypoglycemia.

Managing Hypoglycemia long term is about balance and awareness. With proper lifestyle adjustments and maintaining a proper diet, you can steadily control blood sugar levels. Maintaining healthy habits, monitoring sugar levels, can help you minimize the sudden ups and downs of blood sugar levels. Here are a few tips that can help you manage long term blood sugar levels.

Diet modifications and meal planning

Having small and frequent meals throughout the day can help maintain sugar levels. Avoid skipping meals or having huge gaps between meals. Add protein and healthy fats with carbs to your diet. Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is the key to maintaining blood sugar levels in the body.

Regular blood sugar monitoring

Optimum blood sugar levels differ from person to person. Monitoring blood sugar levels regularly will help you determine ideal blood sugar levels for you, and also give you a heads up if your blood levels are dropping significantly. It is also important to monitor blood sugar levels because at times, symptoms do not show up or clearly indicate Hypoglycemia.

Medications and Insulin Adjustments

If you are on diabetes medicine or take insulins, they might need fine tuning for Hypoglycemia as per your body needs. However, do not change dosage on your own, consult your doctor about the dosage. If you are facing frequent low blood sugar levels, ask your doctor for a change in dosage.

Exercise precautions

While regular exercising sounds like a good habit, exercising on an empty stomach can lead to a sudden drop in blood sugar levels. Having juice or a snack bar before or after exercising can help maintain the balance in the blood sugar levels. Also, try to monitor blood sugar levels before and after exercising.

Managing stress and sleep

Stress inducing hormones and irregular sleeping schedules can alter blood sugar levels unpredictably. Try to have a good 7-8 hours of quality sleep everyday, and avoid having heavy meals before bedtime. Also try stress reducing techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or journaling.

Controlling alcohol consumption

Alcohol can make blood sugar levels drop even hours after consumption. Alcohol also hinders insulin medications and having alcohol on an empty stomach can have severe consequences. Try switching to healthy alcohols like wine with meals instead of having it on an empty stomach and limit intake as much as possible.

Glucagon:

It is a hormone that helps increase blood sugar levels immediately. It comes in two forms: mixed in a syringe or as a nasal spray in powdered form. Glucagon requires a prescription. It is an essential lifesaver for people who are not able to increase their blood sugar levels on their own. If glucagon is given to an unconscious person, make sure they are tilted towards the side to avoid choking and vomiting. If the person given glucagon does not respond in 15 minutes of injecting, contact health care emergency services immediately. A person who requires glucagon should carry an ID card for others to help them during emergency situations.

Continuous Glucose Monitor:

Inserts a sensor inside the skin that monitors blood sugar levels every few intervals. This device is necessary to monitor someone who has irregular blood sugar levels on a daily basis.

Insulin Pumps:

These are small, wearable devices that deliver a steady flow of insulin throughout the day and they can play a big role in reducing the risk of hypoglycemia, especially in people with type 1 diabetes. Insulin pumps can be integrated with CGMs to deliver food through them as per requirement.

If you have constant problems of hypoglycemia, especially if you have diabetes, it is essential to have health insurance. A health insurance policy will help you cover medical bills that will be a burden on your financial health as well. While hypoglycemia itself might not always be listed as a standalone illness, you can find the related treatments, hospital visits, and devices are often covered under broader diabetes management benefits.

What is Covered in Health Insurance?

• Doctor Consultations & Diagnostic Tests

• Hospitalisation for Severe Episodes

• Prescription Medications & Supplies

  • Insulin and oral diabetes medications
  • Glucose tablets or gels (if prescribed)
  • Glucagon injections (emergency use)

• Medical Devices

  • Insulin pumps (often partially covered under advanced diabetes plans)
  • Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
  • Flash glucose monitoring systems

Note: Inclusions depend on the policy, read your insurance policy properly before buying insurance. This is just a general list.

What is not Covered in Health Insurance?

These are not covered under health insurance - over-the-counter glucose sources (like candy or sports drinks), Non-prescribed CGMs or insulin pumps, Routine health checkups not linked to a specific claim, Nutritional supplements unless medically prescribed.