Diabeties: Hypoglycemia

 

Hypoglycemia. What to do.

In a perfect diabetic world, you take your insulin, eat your meals and exercise and your blood glucose levels remain stable.  But things happen, you take your insulin late, you eat a light meal and then spend all afternoon running errands.  This is a recipe for hypoglycemia a condition when your blood glucose levels fall dangerously low.

Hypoglycemia isn't so much a hazard for the baby but it is for a mom with gestational diabetes.  The best way to prevent this from happening is to know the signs and how you feel when you blood sugar is getting low and to carry emergency supplies with you at all times.  

Some of the symptoms of low blood sugar include feeling:

* Hungry

* Nauseous

* Light-headed

* Faint

In the case of any of these symptoms, you should test your blood sugar right away and have something to eat.  The best choice is a glass of juice or another food item that is considered fast-acting such as a piece of fruit or a piece of candy.  Carry something with you at all times and a regular snack too.  If you are out and need to eat (say you are stuck in your car during a traffic jam) it is important to have food with you.

Other precautions that you should take when you have gestational diabetes include 

carrying a card or another item that identifies you have diabetes and what type of insulin you are taking.  The worse case scenario is you passing out and the people who come to help you need to know that you are diabetic.  Make sure people at work and your family members are aware of your condition and know what warning signs to look for if you need help and when to bring your some juice or something else to eat.

While a combination influenza-COVID mRNA jab has not yet been approved, it's in the pipeline,9 so it's only a matter of time before they "simplify" your life further by recommending a combo jab.

Commenting on the new COVID jab strategy, Dr. Deb Salas-Lopez, senior vice president for community and population health at Northwell Health, told NewsDay she believes making it an annual shot "may convince more people to get it,"10 which is precisely the thinking of the FDA as well.