Five Tips to Avoid Diabetic Hypoglycemia
January 16, 2025
When a person doesn’t have enough sugar in their blood, they can develop hypoglycemia. Sugar (or glucose) is the primary source of energy for the body. When it drops to dangerous levels, it can lead to the body not being able to function as well as it should. For someone with diabetes and managing their blood sugar levels, keeping those levels regular is an important part of their daily healthy regimen.
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
Early symptoms of hypoglycemia can include:
- An irregular or elevated heartbeat
- Lips, tongue, and/or the cheeks may become tongue or tingle
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hungry or nauseous
- Sweating without cause
- Developing a headache
- Feeling irritable or “hangry”
- Losing the color of the skin or looking pale
If hypoglycemia takes place during the night while your loved one is sleeping, she might notice these symptoms:
- Nightmares
- Damp sheets due to excessive perspiration
- Waking up confused or irritable
Symptoms can vary from person to person and if not treated, they can lead to possible seizures or a loss of consciousness.
Five Tips to Prevent Hypoglycemia
Luckily, with regular care and consistent monitoring of blood sugar levels, it is fairly simple to greatly reduce the risk of hypoglycemia developing in your elderly loved one. Here are five steps you can take with your loved one to prevent an attack.
- The most important step in reducing the risk of hypoglycemia is consistently monitoring blood sugar levels. Your loved one’s doctor will recommend how often she should check them, whether it’s several times a day or several times a week. With consistent monitoring, your loved one will know if her blood sugar levels are getting too low and can take steps to treat it before it makes her ill.
- Take prescribed medication on time and in the correct dosage.
- Keep eating habits consistent. Your loved one shouldn’t skip meals or snacks if she can avoid it. By staying consistent, her blood sugar levels should also stay consistent.
- When physically active, plan on eating a few extra snacks as well as consider checking levels more frequently. Exercising uses extra glucose so it’s important to make needed adjustments.
- If having a drink, plan on having a snack or food with the alcohol. Drinking on an empty stomach may lead to hypoglycemia.
Personal Care at Home Providers Can Help with Diabetes Management
While it looks easy on paper, maintaining level glucose levels through medication, food, and activity can be tricky. If your loved one continually struggles with hypoglycemia (having it occur once increases the risk that it’ll occur again), you might find having someone help with personal care at home could be the answer. A provider of personal care at home may help your loved one with meals and snacks, making sure she is eating what she should and avoiding what she shouldn’t eat. They can also help by providing a regular meal schedule if your loved one struggles with forgetting to eat.
Personal care at home providers can also help with medication management, helping your loved one to stay on top of her medication and take it as directed. If your loved one does develop hypoglycemia, they can help raise her blood sugar levels back up to where they should be by offering a simple sugar source.
If you or your loved one is looking for Personal Care at Home in Sunnyvale, CA, please call Familiar Surroundings Home Care.
Santa Clara County: (408) 979-9990
San Mateo County: (650) 353-9777
Santa Cruz County: (831) 480-3990