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Diabetes-Related High and Low Blood Sugar Levels
About this symptom
- Topic Overview
-
Health Tools
- Check Your Symptoms
- Home Treatment
- Prevention
- Preparing For Your Appointment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
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When you have diabetes, whether it is type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes, one of the most important skills you will learn is how to manage your blood sugar level. Following your doctor's instructions on the use of insulin or diabetes medicines, diet, and exercise will help you avoid blood sugar problems. You will learn to recognize the symptoms and distinguish between high and low blood sugar levels. It may be hard for a parent of a young child to distinguish the difference between high and low blood sugar symptoms in a child.
Learn the symptoms of high and low blood sugar levels.
Once you have learned to recognize high or low blood sugar levels, you can take the appropriate steps to bring your blood sugar level back your target blood sugar levels.
People who keep their blood sugar levels under control with diet, exercise, or oral diabetes medicines are less likely to have problems with high or low blood sugar levels. Do not drink alcohol if you have problems recognizing the early signs of low blood sugar.
Learn how to deal with high blood sugar levels
Be sure to know how fast your insulin medicine will work to bring your blood sugar down. Some insulins work very fast while regular insulin takes a little longer to bring the sugar level down. Knowing how fast your insulin works will keep you from using too much too quickly.
Learn how to deal with low blood sugar levels
Because you have diabetes and can have low blood sugar levels, you need to keep some type of food with you at all times that can quickly raise your blood sugar level. These should be quick-sugar foods (about 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrate) that puts glucose into your bloodstream in about 5 minutes. Any quick-sugar food on this list will raise your blood sugar about 30 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) in about 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to check your blood sugar level again 15 minutes after eating a quick-sugar (carbohydrate) food to make sure your level is getting back to your target range. When your blood sugar gets to 70 mg/dL or higher, you can eat your normal meals and snacks.
| Food | Amount |
|---|---|
Table sugar | 1 tablespoon |
Fruit juice or regular soda pop | ½ cup |
Fat-free milk | 1 cup |
Honey or corn syrup | 1 tablespoon |
Jam | 2 tablespoons |
Raisins | 2 tablespoons |
Gumdrops | 7 small |
Life Savers candy | 8 pieces |
Hard candy | 3 pieces |
Glucose tablets | 3 tablets |
Glucose gel | ½ tube |
It is important to know that sugar foods like a candy bar or ice cream do not help raise low blood sugar levels quickly because these foods also have fat and protein. So the body can't use the sugar (carbohydrate) in these foods quickly to raise the blood sugar level.
Diabetes in Children: Preventing Low Blood Sugar- Diabetes in Children: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
- Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Insulin
- Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar From Medicines
- Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
Since low blood sugar levels can quickly become a medical
emergency, be sure to wear medical identification, such as a
medical alert bracelet 
, to let people know you have diabetes so they can get
help for you.
If you have severe symptoms of low blood sugar,
someone else may need to give you a
shot of glucagon 
. If this occurs, be sure to call your doctor immediately to let
him or her know this has happened.
Symptoms to Watch For During Home Treatment
Use the Check Your Symptoms section to evaluate your symptoms if any of the following occur during home treatment:
- Symptoms of high blood sugar develop.
- Symptoms of low blood sugar develop.
- Symptoms become more severe or frequent.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 17, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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