Family and friends should be aware of the symptoms and be prepared:
- If the patient is helpless (but not unconscious), family or friends should administer three to five pieces of hard candy, two to three packets of sugar, half a cup (four ounces) of fruit juice, or a commercially available glucose solution.
- If there is inadequate response within 15 minutes, additional oral sugar should be provided or the patient should receive emergency medical treatment, possibly including the intravenous administration of a glucose solution.
- Family members and friends can learn to inject glucagon, a hormone, which, in contrast to insulin, raises blood glucose.
 | Click the icon to see an example of a glucagon kit. |
Experts have been concerned that the increased incidence of hypoglycemia accompanying strict blood glucose control could cause mental deterioration over time, but a 6-year study has found no evidence of this in adolescents and adults. (The effect on young children, however, is not known.)
Previous Section
