For people with diabetes, severe hypoglycemia or insulin shock is a serious health threat. Insulin shock, also known as an insulin response, is the result of high insulin levels in a patient’s body. This can occur at any time when there is an imbalance between the body’s insulin levels and the amount of food consumed or physical activity. It can even occur during a patient’s best efforts to control their diabetes.
The symptoms of insulin shock may seem mild at first, but should never be ignored. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can become more severe, causing the patient to faint, at which point immediate medical attention must be sought. Insulin shock can also cause coma and death in patients. Patients themselves, their family members, and those around the patient should learn to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia and what to do about it. This can save the patient’s life.
What is hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is a low blood sugar level. Cells in the body get their energy from sugar that comes from carbohydrates. Insulin, usually secreted by the pancreas, is essential for the sugar in the blood to enter the cells. It helps control the excess sugar in the blood.
It is extremely important to keep the sugar level in the blood within the right range. High sugar levels can lead to severe dehydration and even life-threatening conditions. Over time, excess sugar in the body can cause serious damage to organs such as the heart, eyes, and nervous system.
Usually, the body automatically regulates insulin production so that the body has the amount of insulin needed to control sugar levels. However, if a patient is unable to produce insulin or is unable to effectively use the insulin that he or she produces, then the patient must inject insulin or take other medications to increase the amount of insulin in the body. Therefore, when insulin is needed for treatment, patients should have their insulin levels tested promptly.
The exact timing of insulin injections or other medications and the amount of insulin taken depends on when the patient eats, what foods he or she eats, and how much he or she consumes. It is also related to the amount of exercise the patient gets, because the body’s cells use more sugar when they exercise. Hypoglycemia is usually a response of the patient’s body to too much insulin in the body. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels at an accelerated rate. Blood sugar drops to dangerous levels when no food is eaten or when exercise consumes a lot of sugar.
What are the causes of hypoglycemia?
There are many causes of hypoglycemia. A patient’s blood glucose level may drop if:
- Increased physical activity compared to usual
- Failure to eat on time
- Changes in previous meal times and food intake
- Change in insulin or other medication dosage or change in timing of medication
- Drinking too much alcohol on an empty stomach
What are the symptoms or warning signs before the onset of hypoglycemia or insulin shock?
Symptoms of hypoglycemia can be classified as mild/early, moderate, and severe. Mild symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Hypomania or sudden changes in behavior
- Hunger
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
Symptoms of hypoglycemia when severe include:
- Fainting and loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Coma
- Delirium of consciousness
- Headache
- Limb incoordination
Low blood sugar may also occur at night when the patient is sleeping. Its symptoms include:
- Crying in sleep
- Having nightmares
- Sweating through pajamas or sheets
- Waking up tired, irritable, or unconscious
If a patient develops any symptoms of possible mild hypoglycemia, the patient’s blood glucose should be measured promptly while ensuring that the blood glucose does not continue to drop. If hypoglycemia is identified, the patient should be treated quickly or seek emergency care. If for some reason it is not possible to measure blood glucose levels, patients should treat themselves continuously or seek emergency care when symptoms of hypoglycemia are detected. If symptoms are severe or the patient is unable to help themselves, they need to seek emergency medical help immediately.
How do you treat hypoglycemia?
When a person has mild or moderate hypoglycemia, the best way to raise blood sugar levels quickly is to consume or drink foods containing 15 to 20 grams of glucose or other sugars, or take glucose tablets from the pharmacy, or drink half a glass of juice.
Other snacks that raise blood sugar levels include:
- Half a glass of regular soda – not sugar-free soda
- One cup of milk
- One tablespoon of sugar
- One tablespoon of honey
- Quarter cup of raisins
- Water with 2 large sugar cubes or 6 small sugar cubes
If needed, ask your doctor or dietitian for other snacks that can help raise blood sugar levels quickly.
After snacking, wait 15 minutes and then check your blood glucose level again. If it is still low, eat another snack and wait 15 minutes before testing again. Repeat this process until the patient’s blood glucose level is in the normal range. After that, if you have an hour before your normal meal time, you will need to add some more snacks.
Patients should seek immediate medical attention if they lose consciousness. It is important for the patient to make family and colleagues aware of insulin shock and how to manage it. If the patient’s family and colleagues are unable to manage, the patient should be called for emergency care or taken to the emergency room.
Patients can be prescribed a glucagon first aid kit from their doctor and teach others how to use it. Glucagon is a natural hormone that can quickly raise a patient’s blood glucose level. If a patient loses consciousness, administering glucagon before emergency help arrives can prevent complications and help the patient recover.