If you have diabetes, try to stick to your medication plan and also eat regular meals to help prevent hypoglycaemia. It is important to monitor your blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Monitoring your blood glucose
The safest way of avoiding a hypoglycaemic attack is to keep a regular check on your blood sugar, and knowing how to recognise the early symptoms.
You can monitor your own blood glucose levels using a simple finger prick test or a urine test.
Eat regularly and limit alcohol
Generally, people with hypoglycaemia should eat regularly and not miss meals.
If you have reactive hypoglycaemia, you will need to include in your diet lots of complex carbohydrates (such as potatoes, rice and pasta) but make sure you eat smaller amounts more frequently to avoid a sudden surge of insulin in your blood.
Alcohol can affect your body's ability to release glucose. If you have type 1 diabetes, you are advised to drink no more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day, and to eat a snack after drinking alcohol.
Make sure you eat some form of carbohydrate before and after you do any exercise.
Be prepared and make others aware
Parents of children with type 1 diabetes can often quickly recognise the symptoms, but children should carry with them at all times a carton of fruit juice (that contains sugar) or a chocolate bar, in case they feel the symptoms coming on. If you have type 1 diabetes, you should carry glucose gel or some sugary food with you at all times.
Tell your friends and family about your condition, how to spot the signs of a hypo, and how to treat it. People with diabetes are advised to carry a form of identification with them that states their condition, so that they can be helped quickly and efficiently.
Preventing nocturnal hypoglycaemia
It is important to avoid recurrent hypoglycaemia during the night as this can lead to reduced warning of daytime hypos. You may sleep through these, but wake up feeling like you have a hangover. Try:
- keeping something sugary by your bedside
- having a snack before bedtime, such as biscuits and milk
- checking your blood glucose levels between 3am and 4am when hypos are most likely to happen
Hypoglycaemia and driving
As hypoglycaemia can cause confusion, drowsiness, or even unconsciousness, this can present a significant risk to you or other road users. If you are taking insulin, or are at risk of hypoglycaemia, you should test your blood sugar before driving and at regular intervals while driving.
If your blood sugar is low, then hypoglycaemia should be treated and your blood sugar retested before driving. If you have problems with recurrent hypoglycaemia, or hypoglycaemia unawareness, then you should inform your diabetes specialist. You may have to inform the DVLA.
