Hypoglycemia means that your blood glucose is low - generally below 60 to 80 mg/dL. Symptoms occur quickly and need to be treated as soon as possible.
Not enough food
Eat all your meals and snacks on time.
More physical activity than usual
Eat extra food to match your increased activity.
Too much diabetes medicine
Take only the dose that has been prescribed.
You may have one or more of the following symptoms:
You are never harming yourself if you take glucose tablets or eat a simple sugar food because you suspect you have low blood glucose.
If you are injecting insulin, always carry a simple sugar food with you. These include raisins, marshmallows, glucose tablets or a juice box.
After you've experienced hypoglycemia, you may need more food.
Do not subtract what you eat to treat hypoglycemia from your next snack or meal. This food is needed to keep your blood glucose in a better range.
Call your health care provider or diabetes educator if you have unexplained hypoglycemia two times in one day or two days in a week.
Source: Allina Health's Patient Education Department, Gestational Diabetes: When You Have Diabetes During Pregnancy, third edition, ISBN 1-931876-21-6
Reviewed by Allina Health's Patient Education Department experts
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