It’s alarming to see that such a large number of people are affected by diabetes but still there is hardly any awareness and knowledge to deal with diabetes emergencies. Knowing the basics is the key to recognize and respond to such situations as it could be anyone familiar/non familiar to us who would need help and support at some time due to diabetes.
Dealing with Diabetes Emergencies
From identifying to taking corrective measures, dealing with diabetes emergency situations becomes simpler once you start understanding the symptoms and causes. There are two syndromes:
- Hypoglycemia
It is caused due to low sugar in blood which can be due to intake of medicine that lowers blood sugar, excessive consumption of alcohol, skipping meals, exercising and overdosing of medication.
- Hyperglycemia
It is caused when the blood sugar level is too high and the signs of this type of diabetes are prone to infection (skin and urinary infection), illness and heart attack.
There are more chances of a diabetic person to have increased risk of heart attack or stroke than a non-diabetic person. People with diabetes may also experience kidney failure, loss of limb and blindness. Whenever such a situation occurs the best is to contact the doctor and not try any home treatments. Expert medical help should be the priority as any delay may cause permanent damage or even death.
Other signs of diabetic emergencies may be confused/unusual behavior, very low/high blood pressure.
Immediate Measures To Be Taken
Recognizing diabetic emergencies is the first step and the second step is to respond to it. It is important to respond calmly and swiftly.
- Avoid treating the emergency situation on your own, and call an ambulance and shift the patient to a hospital.
- Call the concerned doctor in an emergency and keep their numbers handy.
- Be aware and prepared with the initial actions to be taken before the arrival of an ambulance.
- A patient as well as his/her family members should know how to use the medical equipment used to monitor blood sugar levels and in case of an eventuality they should also know how to administer insulin shots to the patient.
Read More – Effects Of Diabetes On Your Overall Health
Like any medical problem it is always better to be cautious and to keep a regular check on the blood sugar levels using a compact smartphone glucometer to understand the patterns and also allow timely action to be taken to avoid any sort of emergencies.
