About this topic
Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia. It can happen all of a sudden or more slowly. It is often mild and can be treated. An easy way to treat it is to have your child eat or drink something that has a lot of sugar. Some examples are hard candy, glucose tablets, liquid glucose, or juice. If low blood sugar is not treated, it can get worse. Then your child may have serious health problems like an inability to think normally. Your childs doctor will talk to you about what has caused your child to have low blood sugar. ‚
Signs of low blood sugar are: ‚
- Anger
- Fast heartbeat
- Nervousness
- Bad headache
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Feeling tired
- Confusion
Children may not understand the signs of low blood sugar. ‚
The most common causes of low blood sugar in people with diabetes are: ‚
- Taking insulin or diabetes drugs at the wrong time
- Taking too much insulin or diabetes drugs by mistake
- Not eating enough after taking insulin or diabetes drugs
- Skipping meals
- Waiting to eat meals
- Exercising more or at a different time than usual
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Learn how to take your childs blood sugar. Keep a diary of your child's blood sugar. Write down the results and how your child was feeling at the time. This may help the doctor treat your child.
- Carry hard candy or some type of sugar with you always. Give them to your child at any signs of low blood sugar.
- After you treat your child's low blood sugar, check the blood sugar 15 to 20 minutes later.
- Have your child eat small meals often.
- Have your child eat extra meals when your child exercises.
- Help your child learn how to manage stress.
- Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet.
- Tell family and friends about your child's condition and how to help. Also, let teachers and coaches know about your child's condition.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Replace the sugar in your childs body
- Control sugar levels
Will physical activity be limited?
Your child does not need to limit activity. Sometimes, low blood sugar can be caused by exercise. If this is the case, you may need to adjust your childs diet before exercise. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Keep juice, hard candy (not sugar-free), glucose tablets, liquid glucose, or crackers around to treat low blood sugar.
- If your childs blood sugar has not improved in 15 to 20 minutes, repeat the snack.
- Your child may return to a normal diet after the low blood sugar is gone.
- Do not use chocolate, cookies, or cake to treat low blood sugar. They have lots of sugar but are high in fat. This makes them slower at boosting your child's blood sugar up.
What problems could happen?
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Low blood sugar happens again
- You cannot fix the low blood sugar
- Your child has a seizure
- Your child passes out
- Your child is not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you what I need to keep with me to treat my child's low blood sugar.
- I can tell you the signs of low blood sugar and what I will do if my child has them.
Where can I learn more?
American Diabetes Association ‚
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/diabetes_center/diabetes_basics/hypoglycemia.html ‚
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ‚
http://www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/hypoglycemia.pdf ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚