Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) happens when you eat too little or not often enough, exercise more than usual, take too much of some diabetes medicine(s), or drink alcohol. Here are some signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Hunger
- Nervousness and shakiness
- Sweating
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Sleepiness
- Confusion
- Trouble speaking
- Feeling anxious or weak
If you have any of these symptoms, test your blood sugar. If it’s low, eat or drink a small amount of something that has sugar. This includes two or three glucose tablets, five or six pieces of hard candy, or 1/2 cup of fruit juice.
After 15 minutes, test again. If your blood sugar is still low, or you still have symptoms, have another serving of sugar. Wait 15 minutes and test again. If your have low blood sugar several times a week, call your doctor.
If you are feeling ill, but your meter shows that your blood sugar is fine, recheck your blood sugar and treat your symptoms as explained above. Sometimes this might happen if your meter isn’t working right.
NEVER DRIVE while you have low blood sugar or symptoms of low blood sugar.
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