Preventing Hypoglycemia (Insulin Shock)
For prevention of long-term complications of diabetes, experts now recommend that all patients with diabetes aim at keeping blood levels as close to normal as possible. Such intensive insulin treatment can increase the risk of hypoglycemia, which occurs when blood sugar is extremely low (below 60 mg/dL). The following tips may help avoid hypoglycemia or prepare for attacks.
- Patients are at highest risk for hypoglycemia at night. Bedtime snacks may be helpful.
- Patients who intensively control their blood sugar should monitor blood levels as often as possible, four times or more per day. This is particularly important for patients with hypoglycemia unawareness.
- In adults, it is also particularly critical to monitor blood glucose levels before driving, when hypoglycemia can be very hazardous.
- Patients on therapies that put them at risk for hypoglycemia should always carry hard candy, juice, sugar packets, or commercially available glucose substitutes designed for individuals with diabetes.
Other Factors Influencing Diet Maintenance
Food Labels. Every year thousands of new foods are introduced, many of them advertised as nutritionally beneficial. It is important for everyone, most especially people with diabetes, to be able to differentiate advertised claims from truth. The current food labels show the number of calories from fat, the amount of nutrients that are potentially dangerous (fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars) as well as useful nutrients (fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins).
Labels also show "daily values," the percentage of a daily diet that each of the important nutrients offers in a single serving. Unfortunately, the daily value is based on 2,000 calories, generally much higher than most patients with diabetes should have, and the serving sizes may not be equivalent to those on the Exchange Lists. Most people will need to recalculate the grams and calories listed on food labels to fit their own serving sizes and calorie needs.
Previous Section
