How to prevent from having a low blood sugar level?
My friend is having a low blood sugar level. How can I help him?
1) Can an 18 yrs old person have a low blood sugar level?
2) What can I do to prevent it?
Unless you are eating a meal right away, the best treatment for lows is a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates plus some protein. Quickly treating lows lessens stress hormone release and lowers the chance of the blood sugar going high after a reaction. You'll feel better if the body is quickly resupplied with the fuel it needs. Your brain, muscles and other cells will thank you for not prolonging their misery.
Glucose is the "sugar" in blood sugar and may also be referred to as dextrose on labels. It comes in tablets, such as Dex4 or BD Glucose tablets, and in certain candies like Sweet Tarts. Glucose breaks down quickly and reaches the blood as 100 percent glucose, which makes it the best choice for raising the blood sugar quickly.
Table sugar consists of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule, so when it breaks down in the stomach, only half is immediately available as glucose. Fruit juices, like orange juice, contain mostly fructose and are a relatively poor choice for quick treatment of serious hypoglycemia because they take so long to raise the blood sugar. For mild lows, these differences may not be vital, but if a low is serious, you want to choose the fastest carb available to get you back on your feet quickly. Choose high glycemic food for a quick rise of the blood sugar.
How much glucose is needed? A good rule of thumb is that 1 gram of glucose raises the blood sugar 3, 4, or 5 points for body weights of 200 lb., 150 lb., and 100 lb., respectively. For example, a 5-gram glucose tablet raises the blood sugar about 20 points at 150 lbs.
Quick Carbs
Each has 15 grams of quick carbs:
1 tablespoon of honey
3 BD Glucose Tablets
3 Smartie® Rolls (in cellophane)
4 CanAm Dex4® Glucose Tablets
5 Dextrosols Glucose Tablets
5 Wacky Wafers®
6 SweetTart® (3 tabs/packet)
7 Pixy Stix
8 SweetTarts® (3/4" Lifesaver size)
14 Smarties® (3/4" diameter roll)
Use 15 to 20 grams of quick carbohydrate for all low blood sugars. Check to see how many grams are in each glucose tablet you use so that you actually get 15 to 20 grams. The quick carbs listed below should rapidly raise the blood sugar between 45 and 80 mg/dl (1.7 to 4.4 mmol) depending upon your weight. Test your blood sugar again in 20 to 30 minutes to ensure the low has been corrected.
Thinking and coordination remain abnormal for 30 minutes after you treat a major low blood sugar. Wait 30 to 45 minutes after the blood sugar has returned to normal before driving a car or operating machinery.
Once you have eaten simple carbs and your thinking is no longer impaired, consider your situation. A recent injection of Humalog or Novolog, extra exercise, or a missed meal will all require more than 15 to 20 grams of carbs for treatment. At bedtime, in particular, add an additional 10 to 20 grams of carbohydrate, such as a glass of milk or half an apple. Raw cornstarch, a complex carbohydrate that breaks down very slowly, is available in special bars to help prevent overnight lows. An alternative to raw cornstarch is to have a high fat and protein food, like cheese or peanut butter, or part of an athletic bar. Protein and complex carbohydrates help keep the blood sugar from dropping for several hours.
For more info visit my free website
http://www.reddiabetes.com
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Posted in blood sugar
March 19th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
" Soy Milk. "
References :
March 19th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I prevent mine by sticking to a proper diet and eating on time otherwise I become a frigid bitch. I won't speak to anyone or I go crazy and then go to sleep. Wierd but he must eat right.
References :
March 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Unless you are eating a meal right away, the best treatment for lows is a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates plus some protein. Quickly treating lows lessens stress hormone release and lowers the chance of the blood sugar going high after a reaction. You'll feel better if the body is quickly resupplied with the fuel it needs. Your brain, muscles and other cells will thank you for not prolonging their misery.
Glucose is the "sugar" in blood sugar and may also be referred to as dextrose on labels. It comes in tablets, such as Dex4 or BD Glucose tablets, and in certain candies like Sweet Tarts. Glucose breaks down quickly and reaches the blood as 100 percent glucose, which makes it the best choice for raising the blood sugar quickly.
Table sugar consists of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule, so when it breaks down in the stomach, only half is immediately available as glucose. Fruit juices, like orange juice, contain mostly fructose and are a relatively poor choice for quick treatment of serious hypoglycemia because they take so long to raise the blood sugar. For mild lows, these differences may not be vital, but if a low is serious, you want to choose the fastest carb available to get you back on your feet quickly. Choose high glycemic food for a quick rise of the blood sugar.
How much glucose is needed? A good rule of thumb is that 1 gram of glucose raises the blood sugar 3, 4, or 5 points for body weights of 200 lb., 150 lb., and 100 lb., respectively. For example, a 5-gram glucose tablet raises the blood sugar about 20 points at 150 lbs.
Quick Carbs
Each has 15 grams of quick carbs:
1 tablespoon of honey
3 BD Glucose Tablets
3 Smartie® Rolls (in cellophane)
4 CanAm Dex4® Glucose Tablets
5 Dextrosols Glucose Tablets
5 Wacky Wafers®
6 SweetTart® (3 tabs/packet)
7 Pixy Stix
8 SweetTarts® (3/4" Lifesaver size)
14 Smarties® (3/4" diameter roll)
Use 15 to 20 grams of quick carbohydrate for all low blood sugars. Check to see how many grams are in each glucose tablet you use so that you actually get 15 to 20 grams. The quick carbs listed below should rapidly raise the blood sugar between 45 and 80 mg/dl (1.7 to 4.4 mmol) depending upon your weight. Test your blood sugar again in 20 to 30 minutes to ensure the low has been corrected.
Thinking and coordination remain abnormal for 30 minutes after you treat a major low blood sugar. Wait 30 to 45 minutes after the blood sugar has returned to normal before driving a car or operating machinery.
Once you have eaten simple carbs and your thinking is no longer impaired, consider your situation. A recent injection of Humalog or Novolog, extra exercise, or a missed meal will all require more than 15 to 20 grams of carbs for treatment. At bedtime, in particular, add an additional 10 to 20 grams of carbohydrate, such as a glass of milk or half an apple. Raw cornstarch, a complex carbohydrate that breaks down very slowly, is available in special bars to help prevent overnight lows. An alternative to raw cornstarch is to have a high fat and protein food, like cheese or peanut butter, or part of an athletic bar. Protein and complex carbohydrates help keep the blood sugar from dropping for several hours.
For more info visit my free website
http://www.reddiabetes.com
References :
March 20th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Try to eat 6 small and well-balanced healthy meals a day. They sell glucose tablets at the pharmacy and yes, there is such a thing as Juvenile diabetes.
References :
March 20th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Your friend needs to eat a well balanced food plan and to eat frequently, like no more than every 4 hours.
Sugar foods as in starchy foods and sugary foods don't do Hypo people any good at all. They are too sensitive to the natural insulins in their bods. so they should be aware of what breads, cereals, grains, and starchy veggies and some really soft sweet fruits do to them.
Balance food plan one third each: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
And plenty of exercise to blow off the excess energy!!
References :
March 20th, 2008 at 10:17 am
He needs to see his doctor to help him monitor his glucose levels. If he is on mediciation his doctor may need to adjust it. The best way to prevent low blood sugar is to check your glucose through out the day and maintan a healthy diet.
References :
March 20th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Is your friend diabetic?? Give him some orange juice if he is in bad shape. If he's not too bad, give him peanuts, or peanut butter, or a power bar. If you just give him sugar it will make his sugar level rise, but then drop again soon. Carbs will raise the sugar level and help keep it stable longer. If he is hypoglycemic, he should be eating smalls meals often during the day with lots of good carbs. Tell him to carry hard candy with him at all times and use in emergency. Also carry protein bars or power bars to snack on to prevent the low blood sugar. If he is a diabetic, he still needs the OJ and check with doctor to see if his meds need adjusted. Or just not skip meals. Any one can get low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. There is no age limit
References :
Had hypoglycemia almost all my life until I was 45. Then I became a diabetic