There are various complications that can be associated with diabetes. There are situations and causes that could possibly bring your blood glucose levels to dangerously low levels. Such a situation where the blood glucose level falls below a particular level is known as hypoglycemia or a diabetic shock. It is important that not only a diabetes patient but all the near and dear ones of the patient be aware of this life-threatening condition and the ways of handling the same. So, let us understand from this article what should a person do if he or she or anyone around is going into a diabetic shock.

What is a Diabetic Shock?

In order to understand how to deal with a situation where a diabetes patient has suffered from a diabetes shock, we first need to understand the very meaning of diabetic shock.

Diabetes shock is also known as severe hypoglycemia or insulin shock. It is a situation where the sugar or glucose levels of a patient drops below 70 mg/dl. The main situation which leads to the occurrence of a diabetic shock is an imbalance between the amount of the hormone insulin in our system, the total quantity of food eaten, and the level of physical activity.

The main causes of a diabetic shock include the following:

• You suddenly become more physically active than before
• You suddenly change the total amount as well as the frequency with which you eat food
• When you skip a meal
• You are an alcoholic and keep drinking without eating food
• When you are not taking your insulin at the prescribed time as suggested by the experts

Having too low of blood glucose in the body is an extremely dangerous situation and you should not only be aware of how to deal with it but there are certain warning signs which tend to send you the signal that the person needs medical help. This ensures a speedy recovery

What are the Warning Signs of a Diabetic Shock?

Following are some of the signs and symptoms of a situation when the blood glucose level of a diabetes patient becomes too low:

• Extreme hunger in the patient
• The person feels dizzy and there is too much of anxiety
• Pale skin
• A headache in the patient
• The patient is about to faint
• The pulse becomes too rapid than usual
• Changes in behavior is sudden
• The patient starts shaking
• There can be seizures as well as a coma
• Crying out in the sleep
• Nightmares and the behavior becomes too aggressive
• Sweaty pajamas as well as bedding

When you are experiencing any of the above signs or symptoms, be sure that you do get your blood glucose levels checked and take all the necessary precautions.

What to do if Someone Goes into a Diabetic Shock?

When a person gets into a diabetic shock, there is a total panic and chaos that is caused. However, in such a situation, it is extremely important that you be aware of the steps that you need to take in order to treat the same. Following are some of the things that you need to do when you are witnessing a situation where a person has slipped into a diabetic coma.

• To begin with, you should try to give some form of sugar to the patient. The most common ways of giving the same include a small candy, a glass of orange juice, etc.You can also use some of the following snacks in order to bring the level of blood glucose to normal levels:
• A tablespoon full of honey or sugar
• Few raisins or other nuts
• A cup of milk
• Regular soda
• A few sugar cubes which have been dissolved in water
• After the patient has been administered with any of the above snacks which can help improve the level of blood glucose, wait for around 15 to 20 minutes and check if the blood glucose has returned to normal. If not, another snack is to be given and the waiting process has to be repeated.
• If the blood glucose does not stabilize or if the patient starts losing consciousness, it is imperative that you call for immediate medical help. You should be able to call 911 emergency number and seek medical help at the earliest possible time. You should keep checking their pulse rate as well as respirations.
• If the person has not reacted to any of the snack given above and has become unconscious, before the medical help arrives, you might as well give some glucagon injections to the patient. This can help the glucose levels rise quickly
• Finally, it is important that when a person has shown signs of getting into a diabetic shock, you should not leave that person alone. You should keep on trying to talk to him or her. After the medical help arrives, you should give all the vital information to the doctor with respect to the sugar source given, whether or not glucagon was given, etc.

As we see, diabetic shock can be a life-threatening condition and if there is a diabetic patient in your home, you should know how to deal with the situation without any panic.

Can You Prevent the Occurrence of a Diabetic Shock?

There are ways in which you can reduce the risk of the occurrence of a diabetic shock in a diabetes patient. Following are some of the ways in which the same can be done:

• Take your medicines as prescribed by the doctor. Do not stray from the time or the quantity of the medicines taken. Be very careful and be in regular contact with your expert to understand when should you make any changes to the daily care.
• Blood sugar and glucose monitoring form a very important part of managing diabetes. Similarly, in order to prevent yourself from a diabetic shock, you should monitor the condition regularly. This will help you take appropriate measures wherever necessary and warn you against unforeseen circumstances.
• Limit the use of alcohol and even if you are taking some in, discuss the effect of the same with your medical expert.
• Stick to the regular physical exercise routine that might have been prescribed to you by your doctor.
• When you are a diabetes patient, you should always carry with you a quick snack that can bring your blood glucose levels to normal in case you might suffer hypoglycemia while on the move.
• Finally, diet plays a very important role in helping you prevent any of the diabetes-related complications. Be sure you are taking the proper diet and avoid skipping your meals.

Thus, the simple yet important precautions go a long way in helping you to at least reduce the risk of suffering from a dangerous situation such as diabetic shock. If you follow the doctors prescribed plan in a disciplined way and persistently, you might as well prevent the occurrence of such a condition completely.

We hope that the above post has been helpful in educating you about diabetic shock and how to deal with a situation when you yourself or a person around you is suffering from such a situation. This could be a very serious condition and make sure that you are thorough with the ways of handling the same. Also, there are ways of preventing it and the above-mentioned tips are highly recommended!