Treating Low Blood Sugar (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to eat when your blood sugar is low? ›

If you're still below 70 mg/dL, have another 15 grams of carbs, wait 15 minutes, and check your levels again. Among the foods you can try for a quick blood sugar boost are: a piece of fruit, like a banana, apple, or orange. 2 tablespoons of raisins.

If you have hypoglycemia symptoms, do the following: Eat or drink 15 to 20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates. These are sugary foods or drinks without protein or fat that are easily converted to sugar in the body. Try glucose tablets or gel, fruit juice, regular (not diet) soda, honey, or sugary candy.

Symptoms such as weakness, feeling tired, shaking, sweating, headache, hunger, nervousness and irritability are signs that a persons blood sugar is getting dangerously low. A person showing any of these symptoms should check their blood sugar.

Blood sugar can usually be treated with the 15-15 rule, which involves consuming 15 grams of rapidly acting carbohydrates and then waiting 15 minutes before checking your blood sugar. Fruit juice, honey, hard candies, and glucose tablets are recommended to treat hypoglycemia between 55-69 mg/dL.

Glucose or sucrose is the best choice. Liquids will raise your blood sugar faster than solid foods. Many adults use 15 grams of carbohydrate to raise blood sugar. Children usually need less than 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Coma can occur at glucose levels in the range of 2.3–2.7 mmol/l (41–49 mg/dl) (9) as well as at lower glucose levels. All of these responses are typically corrected after the plasma glucose concentration is raised.

A: Consuming peanuts and peanut butter can be a great way to balance blood sugar and provide fullness. Since peanuts are a fat, they have higher calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins. This means you don't need as much to feel full.

Studies suggest that almost half of all episodes of low blood glucose — and more than half of all severe episodes — occur at night during sleep. Nocturnal hypoglycemia can be potentially dangerous.

Severe liver illnesses such as severe hepatitis or cirrhosis, severe infection, kidney disease, and advanced heart disease can cause hypoglycemia. Kidney disorders also can keep your body from properly excreting medications. This can affect glucose levels due to a buildup of medications that lower blood sugar levels.

Will my body wake me up if my blood sugar is low? ›

An individual may frequently wake up in the middle of the night as a result of nighttime hypoglycemia. In other instances, though, people may know if they experienced hypoglycemia during their sleep if they notice the following symptoms: Waking up with a headache. Waking up in a sweat.

The cause of the dawn phenomenon isn't clear. Some researchers believe the overnight release of certain hormones that happens naturally increases insulin resistance. That causes blood sugar to rise. The hormones are called counter-regulatory hormones because they have an effect that opposes the effect of insulin.

Be prepared, have rapid-acting carbohydrates like glucose tablets, juice or soda at your bedside. If you find yourself experiencing frequent nighttime hypoglycemia you may need to adjust your insulin doses.

The fastest way to lower blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin medication. Exercise can also help to bring down blood sugar levels quickly. Diet and lifestyle changes can help manage overall blood sugar levels, but for immediate action, prescription medication or medical assistance may be necessary.

The quickest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way. However, in severe cases, you should go to the hospital. High blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose.

Eating protein — from meat and fish, tofu, nuts, eggs, and cheese — with carbs can slow that flow of glucose and help stabilize blood sugar. “Proteins hold back the sugars, slow them down, and then release them into the bloodstream slowly so that your blood sugar stays in a more normal range,” O'Meara says.