How to Prevent Hypoglycemia

How to Prevent Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels fall to below 4 mmol/L. It is a condition that commonly affects people with diabetes but can also affect individuals with other health conditions. A sharp drop in the sugar levels can not only lead to unpleasant symptoms, but it may also threaten the patient's health. It is therefore important to take the right steps to avoid it. Here at OneHowTo, you can discover how to prevent hypoglycemia.

Steps to follow:
1

Hypoglycemia or low sugar levels can happen for various reasons, including:

  • Too much insulin being released into the blood.
  • Insulin being released too slowly into the blood.
  • Blood sugar being used up too quickly.

In all these cases, it is important to bear in mind some preventive measures to avoid a sudden sugar drop which put the patient's health at risk.

2

To prevent the hypoglycemia, it is important to eat more regularly, preferably between 5 and 6 times a day, at set times and never skip a meal. Because the body has increased demand for glucose, it is important to eat regularly in order to maintain a steady input.

If your blood sugar levels tend to drop too low, you should create an eating schedule and follow it strictly.

3

Make sure you eat enough complex carbohydrates, as they will release sugar slowly; high-fiber foods; and unsaturated fats, in moderation. It is important to monitor the quality of food that you eat to ensure that the body is getting its sugar from good sources.

4

A key part of preventing the hypoglycemia and to preventing low sugar levels from severely affecting your health, is to always have some sugary food handy. This way, when you feel the first symptoms, you can act quickly. For more information on recommended snacks to take out with you, read our article: foods that raise blood sugar.

5

It is also important to avoid out excessively strenuous physical activity, as this will cause the body's glucose levels to drop leading to a sugar low. If you have hypoglycemia, it is important to measure your glucose level before doing any sport and if it is less than 4 mmol/L then you should eat something sugary. A banana or an apple would be good for this.

6

In addition, to prevent hypoglycemia it is important to:

  • Avoid drinking too much alcohol, especially when you haven't eaten.
  • Monitoring your diet closely and avoid disrupting your usual meal routine as this can lead to a sugar low.
  • Strictly follow any recommendations from your doctor to keep yourself in the best possible health.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Prevent Hypoglycemia, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.