Low blood sugar, additionally referred to as hypoglycemia, signifies that your physique doesn’t have sufficient sugar within the bloodstream to gasoline all your physique’s cells. This situation is a continuing danger for everybody with diabetes — whether or not sort 1, sort 2, or gestational diabetes — that makes use of insulin. Another medicines, significantly sulfonylureas, additionally carry a danger of hypoglycemia.
A “hypo” could be very scary. Within the severest circumstances, they can lead to grave injury, together with seizure, coma, and even loss of life. Hypoglycemia additionally will increase the chance of on a regular basis conditions corresponding to driving or swimming.
One of the vital in style questions I get requested, and see circulating within the diabetes on-line neighborhood, is, “what does a low blood sugar really feel like?” Many instances, the query comes from mother and father of youngsters newly identified with sort 1 diabetes — the youthful the child, the much less means they should establish and describe how they really feel.
For a mum or dad, this data could be so useful in avoiding a really harmful scenario. Additionally it is necessary for these of us residing with diabetes to be attuned to our our bodies and acknowledge the signs earlier than they turn out to be extra pronounced and extreme. The faster we will act and deal with our low the much less of an interruption this will even be on our, or our youngster’s, every day lives.
I requested our associates within the diabetes on-line neighborhood if they might do their finest to explain how they really feel when having a low blood sugar. Bear in mind, everybody’s expertise is totally different and the way it’s possible you’ll react can rely upon how briskly or gradual you’re dropping. It could actually additionally range every time so be sure that to remain in your toes and keep vigilant!
“I really feel like I’m within the Matrix, all the things is slowed down. I really feel tremendous floaty as if I’m drunk and all I can take into consideration is how sweaty and scorching I’m.”- Jesse, 28, NY
“Principally I don’t really feel them however once I do it’s like having run a marathon whereas having a panic assault adopted by exhaustion.” – Jessica, age 32, PA
“Usually once I’m low I get the chills and chilly sweats. I might be drenched in sweat. Folks round me discover I get slightly hyper, particularly with my speaking. I used to be having unhealthy lows in my sleep for some time and would get up to somebody placing juice or soda down my throat. My spouse might inform I used to be low as a result of large quantity of sweat.” – Bradley, 34, TX
“Weak. Fatigue. Dry mouth. Sweaty. Grumpy. Hungry.” – Briana, 26, UT
“It appears like somebody is deflating your power like a pool float.” – Matt, 25, NC
“I actually really feel drunk. Not the ‘enjoyable’ drunk however the confused and dizzy variety. Plus, it’s like I’m having a scorching flash. And generally I get that ‘sense of impending doom’ the place it’s like ‘omg I believe I’d truly die this time’.”- Abby, 27, OH
“If it isn’t a horrible low, I simply really feel slightly off, woozy and shaky. A nasty low will make me sweaty and tingly after which confusion units in. As soon as I understand I’m low, all my signs get magnified. I can really feel my coronary heart race and the drops of sweat construct upon each inch of my pores and skin. Typically this comes together with gentle panic assault signs.” – Vonda, 21, NZ
“It makes my knees go weak. Additionally, my depth notion will get distorted.”- Maria, 38, TN
“It’s like my entire equilibrium will get thrown off and it appears like I’m on the very high of a rollercoaster proper earlier than you come down. Aside from that, I really feel sweaty, shaky, disoriented, and generally numb round my lips and tongue. I’m additionally irritable, emotional and slightly bit snippy.” – Allison, 35, TX
“I at all times examine it to being outdoors all day, with out consuming something, and attempting to stroll house uphill.” – Jim, 35, PA
“Each low is slightly totally different, however total it appears like circuits in my mind are breaking, the decrease I drop the extra damaged circuits there are. Hypoglycemia starves your mind, so that you’re certain to really feel bizarre!” – Paige, 29, CO
“Fast drops trigger sensory overload. Gentle, sound, contact turn out to be overwhelming inputs. Panic units in, incapability to type coherent ideas, chilly sweats then rage. By this time battle or flight has kicked in and I normally take away myself from different folks and like to remain at nighttime with earphones in however no sound taking part in till my blood sugar returns to baseline.” – Rodney, age 37, TX
“I’ve an excessive amount of power and craziness once I’m low. I really feel invincible and don’t have any disgrace.” – Jeroen, 24, Belgium
“Like these music movies the place the singer is in common movement when everybody round them is in tremendous quick velocity. Mind fog, illogical and irrational ideas. Like my limbs weigh 100 lbs. every and transferring them causes me to sweat.” – Nicole, 40, NC
“My first symptom is at all times that feeling once you’re on a airplane that has taken off and it drops a bit and appears like the underside has dropped out of your cranium. I don’t understand how else to explain it.” – Cat, 35, NZ
“Feeling like your physique is shutting down.”- Lauren, 22, WY
“When I’m simply barely low I really feel largely shaky. As I’m going decrease I get sweaty, irritable, lose my imaginative and prescient and may’t make choices. Dangerous lows really feel like your mind is melting after which it hits that impending doom feeling the place it’s like ‘eat to remain alive’.” – Nicole, 31, DE
“A nasty low appears like donating blood then operating a marathon.” – Eustacia, 42, CO
“I begin feeling hungry and drained if it’s a gradual approaching low. I really feel sweaty, zonked out, and if I begin seeing spots, it’s a quick dropping one.” – Cally, 39, CA
“It appears like I’ve spun round actually quick (like little youngsters do) after which all of the sudden stopped.” – Lela, 41, NY
Realizing how your physique and mind react to low blood sugars can assist you to right them shortly and keep away from a scary scenario. For folks of youngsters residing with sort 1 diabetes, it’s so necessary to know what indicators to search for. Asking your youngster to explain how they really feel might be useful in detecting lows.
Whereas we will do our greatest to establish and deal with low blood sugars, it’s not at all times doable to deal with your individual hypoglycemia. Some folks with diabetes undergo from hypoglycemia unawareness, a particularly harmful situation during which the physique doesn’t give any of the widespread signs of hypoglycemia (till it’s too late). In case you or a beloved one makes use of insulin, hypo preparedness is job primary.
