A kind of sugar called glucose (say: GLOO-kose) is the body's main source of energy. Having too little glucose in the blood is dangerous, especially for kids with diabetes. Doctors call low blood sugar hypoglycemia (say: hi-po-gly-SEE-me-uh). Some low blood sugar levels are easy to handle, but a very low blood sugar level might need medical help right away.
Glucose comes from the foods you eat. It gets inside your cells with help from a hormone called insulin. Kids with diabetes have trouble making or using insulin (say: IN-suh-lin). Getting the right balance of food, physical activity, and medicines can help glucose levels stay in a healthy range. Your doctor will give you a care plan to guide you and tell you your healthy blood sugar range.
Many things can cause blood sugars to drop. Kids with diabetes can have low blood sugar if they:
A kid with mild low blood sugar might:
A kid with severe low blood sugar might:
A dose of sugar is the treatment for low blood sugar levels. The goal is to get the blood sugars back into a healthy range as quickly as possible.
Here’s what to do when a person has symptoms of low blood sugar:
Tell your doctor if low blood sugars happen often.
It’s an emergency when a low blood sugar makes a kid so weak or sleepy that they can’t eat or drink any sugar.
In an emergency, a kid needs a dose of glucagon right away. Glucagon (say: GLOO-kuh-gon) is a hormone that raises blood sugar levels very quickly. It’s also made as a medicine. Your diabetes care team will tell you if you need to keep glucagon in your to-go kit and what your parents and teachers need to know about it.
Even if you follow your care plan, you can still have low blood sugar levels sometimes.
Here are tips to help you prevent low blood sugars:
It’s a good idea to wear a medical ID bracelet or necklace that says you have diabetes. If you don’t feel well, your ID will give important information to the adult helping you.
Reviewed by: Melanie L. Pitone, MD
Date Reviewed: Jan 9, 2024
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