Glucose is a simple sugar that cells use as a source of chemical energy. Low-blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause dizziness, impaired concentration, coma and even death in extreme cases. You can frequently treat mild cases of hypoglycemia with simple changes in diet, but severe cases may require medical treatment.
Instructions
1. Measure your blood glucose before a meal. Your pre-meal blood glucose level should be between 90 and 130 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dl). A level of 70 mg/dl is generally defined as hypoglycemia, although this level may not be symptomatic.
2. Consume a source of simple sugar when your blood glucose drops below its desired level. The sugar in food breaks down into glucose very quickly and is an effective method of treating mild hypoglycemia. You may wish to carry hard candy, fruit juice or glucose tablets if you have a tendency toward hypoglycemia.
3. Eat more frequently. You may need to reduce the time between meals to prevent your glucose level from dropping too low. Make sure your caloric intake doesn't change by making your meals smaller.
4. Increase the percentage of calories that you get from starches. Starches are complex carbohydrates that the body breaks down into glucose during digestion. A diet high in starches can therefore help maintain the glucose level in people who tend toward hypoglycemia. Nonmeat sources of protein can also raise blood glucose levels.
5. Treat extreme hypoglycemia as an emergency. Health-care personnel may need to give glucagon to a patient with severe hypoglycemia. Extreme cases of hypoglycemia may require intravenous dextrose. Provide protein to relieve reactive hypoglycemia after revival.
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