Diabetes
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): symptoms and first aid
Short answer
Hypoglycemia is a drop in blood sugar below 70 mg/dL, together with the matching symptoms. Symptoms: cold sweat, trembling, chills, weakness, impaired consciousness. First aid: measure your blood sugar right away and take 15–20 g of sugar. For this, it is enough to dissolve 3–5 pieces of sugar in water and drink it, or to drink 1 glass of fruit juice. The doctor's warning: “Very low sugar levels are more dangerous than high sugar levels.” If your blood sugar often drops below 4 mmol/L (72 mg/dL), be sure to consult your doctor.
Schematic illustration
General information
- Symptoms: cold sweats, impaired consciousness, chills, trembling and shaking, weakness and fatigue. If these symptoms appear, measure your blood sugar right away; hypoglycemia is confirmed by measuring with a glucose meter.
- First aid:
- Right away, dissolve 3–5 pieces of sugar in water and drink it. Instead, 1 glass of fruit juice or 15–20 g of sugar will also do.
- If the patient is not conscious, loved ones should give a ready-to-use glucagon injection. Do not give anything by mouth.
- In severe cases, along with first aid, the patient must be taken to the hospital.
- If, after first aid at home, more than 25–30 minutes remain until the next meal, repeat the process. This prevents hypoglycemia from coming back.
- In people without diabetes. Low blood sugar does not occur only in people with diabetes. It can also happen with inadequate insulin secretion, metabolic syndrome and in other cases. If you do not have diabetes and your blood sugar drops, it may be a warning signal from the body. By seeing a doctor in time, diabetes and other disorders can be prevented.
- “Hypoglycemia at a high reading.” In some cases, hypoglycemia symptoms can be felt even at readings above normal. The main cause is irregular, rapid attempts to bring down blood sugar that has been very high for a long time. This is why the doctor lowers high blood sugar in stages.
Q&A
What should I do when my blood sugar drops?
Check your blood sugar right away and take 15–20 g of fast-absorbing sugar: 3–5 pieces of sugar dissolved in water or 1 glass of fruit juice. If consciousness is lost, loved ones should give glucagon and call an ambulance.
I don't have diabetes, but my blood sugar drops. What does this mean?
This can be a warning of conditions such as impaired insulin secretion or metabolic syndrome. Consult an endocrinologist.