Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is when your blood sugar falls to less than 4 mmol/L (or 70 mg/dl). This can happen to people with diabetes who take insulin or other diabetes medication. Some people with diabetes develop symptoms of low blood sugar at slightly higher levels. If your blood sugar levels are high for long periods of time, you may have symptoms and feel poorly when they drop closer to 5.6 mmol/L (or 100 mg/dl).
If your blood sugar is low, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
There are many factors that cause low blood sugar including:
STEP 1
Test your blood sugar
(If unable to test, treat as if blood sugar is less than 4 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl)
STEP 2
If your blood sugar is low (less than 4 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl), eat or drink 15-20 g of a fast-acting carbohydrate. Choose one of the following:
STEP 3
Wait 15 minutes then retest your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is still less than 4 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl, repeat step 2 until blood sugar is more than 4 mmol/L or 70 mg/dl
STEP 4
If your next meal is more than an hour away, eat a small snack:
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This information is provided by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, part of Mubadala Healthcare, and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
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