How to Lower Blood Sugar Quickly in an Emergency: Tips and More

The quickest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way. However, in severe cases, you should go to the hospital.

High blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose. This can result in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), when insulin levels are low. it is a medical emergency. DKA typically occurs in type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of DKA include:

• shortness of breath
• breath that smells fruity
• nausea and vomiting
• dry mouth

If you aren’t sure what to do, call your doctor for instructions on administering a dose of insulin and for advice about whether to go to the emergency room.

This article looks at ways to lower your blood sugar quickly when to go to the emergency room or see a doctor, and tips for managing high blood sugar.

When treated early, you can bring high blood sugar levels down and prevent complications, including DKA.

Some sources suggest that drinking water or eating a high protein snack can quickly lower your blood sugar levels, though there isn’t enough research to support this.

If you have high blood sugar and need to lower it fast, try the following methods:

Take your insulin as prescribed

High blood sugar occurs when your body has too little insulin, or your body can’t use insulin properly. Administering insulin can bring your blood sugar levels down.

Talk to your doctor about how much rapid-acting insulin you should administer when your blood sugar is high.

You may want to check your blood sugar a minimum of 30 minutes after taking insulin to make sure your blood sugar is going down and that it’s not dropping too low.

In these instances, you should not administer more correction insulin until at least 3 hours later to prevent insulin stacking and hypoglycemia.

Exercise

Exercise is a fast and effective way to lower your blood sugar levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar for 24 hours or more. This is because it makes your body more sensitive to insulin.

Physical activity causes the body to demand glucose for energy. As a result, the cells deliver glucose to the muscles and blood sugar levels usually drop.

Importantly, if your blood sugar is above 240 mg/dl, you should check your urine for ketones. If ketones are present, do not exercise because this can make your blood sugar rise even higher.

While exercise is an effective way to lower your blood sugar throughout the day, some exercises — particularly short bursts of strenuous activity — can briefly increase blood sugar levels.

This is because strenuous activity activates the body’s stress response, causing a release of glucagon to power the muscles.

According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. They recommend calling a doctor if you have two readings in a row of 300 or more.

Call your doctor if you’re worried about any symptoms of high blood sugar. They can offer advice and reassurance.

See your doctor if you have consistently high blood sugar levels. Symptoms of this include:

• consistently high blood sugar readings
• frequent urination
• increased thirst
• high levels of sugar in urine

Ask your doctor how often to check your blood sugar and your ideal blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar can be very concerning because your body can start burning fat for energy instead of blood glucose.

This can cause DKA, which is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated.

Symptoms that can indicate you should go to the emergency room include:

• ketones in your urine
• confusion
• nausea
• shortness of breath
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• fruit-scented breath

DKA is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes. It’s rare in people with type 2 diabetes, but can occur.

When to call 911

If you or someone around you is experiencing any of the above symptoms in relation to diabetes, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room. Prompt treatment can enhance outcomes.

Was this helpful?

Checking your blood sugar and then treating hyperglycemia early will help prevent any complications.

Health problems can arise when someone has high blood sugar regularly and without treatment.

Examples of complications include:

• nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, that may affect sensations in the feet and hands
• diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the blood vessels in the eyes that affects vision
• increased risks for kidney problems
• increased risks for heart problems

Taking steps to keep your blood sugar at target levels can help to minimize the likelihood that these complications will occur.

Find several tips for avoiding blood sugar spikes here.

Here are some general guidelines for blood sugar ranges:

Blood sugar	What to know
70 mg/dL or lower	Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Eat a snack to raise blood sugar (e.g. 1/2 cup fruit juice, 1 tbsp. honey, or 2 tbsp. raisins).
80–130 mg/dL	Ideal preprandial range (before a meal).
180 mg/dL or lower	Ideal postprandial range (1–2 hours after beginning a meal).
240 mg/dL or higher	Check your urine for ketones. Call your doctor if you find moderate amounts of ketones after more than one test.

Read more about blood sugar monitoring here.

Most people can manage their diabetes in a way that stops their blood sugar levels from ever getting too high. The following tips can help:

• following your treatment regimen
• eating a balanced diet
• regularly exercising
• reducing stress
• staying hydrated
• following a consistent sleep schedule
• maintaining a moderate weight

Administering insulin and exercising are two of the most common ways to get blood sugar levels down.

However, if someone has ketones in their urine or symptoms of excessively high blood sugar, they may need to go to the emergency room.

How to Lower Blood Sugar Quickly in an Emergency: Tips and More

The quickest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way. However, in severe cases, you should go to the hospital.

High blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose. This can result in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), when insulin levels are low. it is a medical emergency. DKA typically occurs in type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of DKA include:

• shortness of breath
• breath that smells fruity
• nausea and vomiting
• dry mouth

If you aren’t sure what to do, call your doctor for instructions on administering a dose of insulin and for advice about whether to go to the emergency room.

This article looks at ways to lower your blood sugar quickly when to go to the emergency room or see a doctor, and tips for managing high blood sugar.

When treated early, you can bring high blood sugar levels down and prevent complications, including DKA.

Some sources suggest that drinking water or eating a high protein snack can quickly lower your blood sugar levels, though there isn’t enough research to support this.

If you have high blood sugar and need to lower it fast, try the following methods:

Take your insulin as prescribed

High blood sugar occurs when your body has too little insulin, or your body can’t use insulin properly. Administering insulin can bring your blood sugar levels down.

Talk to your doctor about how much rapid-acting insulin you should administer when your blood sugar is high.

You may want to check your blood sugar a minimum of 30 minutes after taking insulin to make sure your blood sugar is going down and that it’s not dropping too low.

In these instances, you should not administer more correction insulin until at least 3 hours later to prevent insulin stacking and hypoglycemia.

Exercise

Exercise is a fast and effective way to lower your blood sugar levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar for 24 hours or more. This is because it makes your body more sensitive to insulin.

Physical activity causes the body to demand glucose for energy. As a result, the cells deliver glucose to the muscles and blood sugar levels usually drop.

Importantly, if your blood sugar is above 240 mg/dl, you should check your urine for ketones. If ketones are present, do not exercise because this can make your blood sugar rise even higher.

While exercise is an effective way to lower your blood sugar throughout the day, some exercises — particularly short bursts of strenuous activity — can briefly increase blood sugar levels.

This is because strenuous activity activates the body’s stress response, causing a release of glucagon to power the muscles.

According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. They recommend calling a doctor if you have two readings in a row of 300 or more.

Call your doctor if you’re worried about any symptoms of high blood sugar. They can offer advice and reassurance.

See your doctor if you have consistently high blood sugar levels. Symptoms of this include:

• consistently high blood sugar readings
• frequent urination
• increased thirst
• high levels of sugar in urine

Ask your doctor how often to check your blood sugar and your ideal blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar can be very concerning because your body can start burning fat for energy instead of blood glucose.

This can cause DKA, which is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated.

Symptoms that can indicate you should go to the emergency room include:

• ketones in your urine
• confusion
• nausea
• shortness of breath
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• fruit-scented breath

DKA is a serious complication of type 1 diabetes. It’s rare in people with type 2 diabetes, but can occur.

When to call 911

If you or someone around you is experiencing any of the above symptoms in relation to diabetes, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room. Prompt treatment can enhance outcomes.

Was this helpful?

Checking your blood sugar and then treating hyperglycemia early will help prevent any complications.

Health problems can arise when someone has high blood sugar regularly and without treatment.

Examples of complications include:

• nerve damage, called diabetic neuropathy, that may affect sensations in the feet and hands
• diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the blood vessels in the eyes that affects vision
• increased risks for kidney problems
• increased risks for heart problems

Taking steps to keep your blood sugar at target levels can help to minimize the likelihood that these complications will occur.

Find several tips for avoiding blood sugar spikes here.

Here are some general guidelines for blood sugar ranges:

Read more about blood sugar monitoring here.

Most people can manage their diabetes in a way that stops their blood sugar levels from ever getting too high. The following tips can help:

• following your treatment regimen
• eating a balanced diet
• regularly exercising
• reducing stress
• staying hydrated
• following a consistent sleep schedule
• maintaining a moderate weight

Administering insulin and exercising are two of the most common ways to get blood sugar levels down.

However, if someone has ketones in their urine or symptoms of excessively high blood sugar, they may need to go to the emergency room.

Treatment of diabetes mellitus – Altamedica, Vinnitsa

Many signs of diabetes are visible to the naked eye. If you pay attention to them in time, the serious consequences of the disease can be avoided.

Today, the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, unfortunately, is not uncommon. However, the achievements of medicine, based on the constant study of this disease, allow patients with diabetes to lead a normal life, work fully and play sports.

Diabetes mellitus has become a global epidemic: according to WHO, about 347 million people in the world have diabetes, and by 2030 their number may exceed 530 million. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of premature morbidity and mortality, as it often leads to limb amputation, vision loss, kidney failure and provokes cardiovascular disease.

According to Ukrainian statistics, about 1. 3 million people in our country suffer from diabetes. However, many Ukrainian endocrinologists are convinced that there are 2-2.5 times more diabetics among Ukrainians than the official figure shows. Due to a lack of knowledge, most of them are unaware of their diagnosis until complications begin to develop.

At the same time, it is possible to suspect a high risk of developing diabetes mellitus or the disease itself before a blood sugar test is performed. Just listen to your body.

In medical practice, there are two main types of diabetes mellitus:

• Type 1 diabetes mellitus
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus can occur in people of different nationalities, ages and professions. This disease does not bypass celebrities. Many famous actors and politicians, singers and even athletes are familiar with this disease. But diabetes did not become an insurmountable obstacle for them between dreams, plans and real achievements. Diabetes cannot diminish a person’s talent or eliminate a person’s genius.

Signs and signals of the body that should alert

• polyuria – increased excretion of urine caused by an increase in its osmotic pressure due to the presence of dissolved glucose in urine (normally there is no glucose in urine)
• polydipsia – constant thirst, due to significant loss of water in the urine, as well as an increase in the osmotic pressure of the blood.
• polyphagia – a constant feeling of hunger. This symptom accompanies diabetes mellitus due to the cells’ inability to absorb and process glucose without insulin. There is also a craving for sweets.
• nausea
• permanent chronic fatigue
• weight loss (for type 1 diabetes)
• cramps of the calf muscles
• dry skin
• itching of the skin and genitals
• fungal infections (including persistent vaginal infections in women) Fungi and bacteria thrive in a sugar-rich environment
• numbness, heat in hands and feet, swelling
• slow wound healing. Too much sugar damages the blood vessels, making it difficult for blood to reach the wound and slowing down healing
• blurred vision

The presence of these signs is a serious reason to measure your blood glucose level

If your fasting blood sugar is above 5.5 mmol/l, and after eating it is above 7.8 mmol/l, you should not delay a visit to the doctor.

There are myths among the older population that blood sugar up to 10 mmol/l for their age is the norm. This is a very serious error. The level of sugar in the blood does not depend on age.

The sooner a person pays attention to the signals that may indicate the development of diabetes, the more likely they are to stop the disease or at least take it under control in order to avoid deadly consequences.

The doctors of Altamedica Medical Center will always come to the rescue in time.

Altamedica Medical Center needs only 9 to confirm or refute the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus0013 a few hours. You will be examined by an endocrinologist, they will conduct a blood test for glucose levels, and if necessary, for glycosylated hemoglobin (the level of glucose concentration in the patient’s blood for 2-3 months)

If the diagnosis is confirmed and more complex studies are needed:

definition C – peptide, antibodies to insulin (for the differential diagnosis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), then such tests require 3-4 days.

Diabetes is always easier to prevent. Therefore, follow a few recommendations:

• Eat right! Eat foods that are low in fat and high in fiber. Five meals with vegetables and fruits per day.
• Eat more foods rich in complex carbohydrates. This will slow down the flow of glucose into the blood, will keep cholesterol levels low (for example, wholemeal bread, pasta, rice, vegetables, oats, barley, cabbage, buckwheat, potatoes).
• Do not create a large load on the pancreas! Eat small meals every 4 hours. This is the best way to provide the blood with the necessary amount of insulin to digest the food you have eaten.
• Do not eat sugar and salt! Even a very small amount of sugar eaten can skyrocket its blood level. And salty foods dramatically increase blood pressure.
• Watch your weight!
• Go in for sports! Light exercise at least 5 times a week reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 50%.
• Drink vitamins!
• Don’t be nervous!

Endocrinologists at Altamedica MC provide comprehensive diagnostics and treatment with an individual approach to each patient!

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Diabetes – health articles

11/10/2022

Diabetes mellitus is a very heterogeneous group of diseases accompanied by an increase in blood glucose levels. The most common and well-known types of diabetes are types 1 and 2.

Type 1 diabetes begins in childhood and adolescence. The production of insulin, the only hormone that lowers blood glucose levels, stops, which leads to its pronounced deficiency and the need for insulin treatment.

Type 2 diabetes develops already in adults, as a rule, against the background of obesity, and is due to the fact that the body becomes resistant to the action of insulin (insulin resistance).

In addition to these two types, several dozen genetic variants of diabetes mellitus are known (neonatal diabetes, MODY diabetes, etc.).

Causes

Heredity

Very often, parents with diabetes mellitus give birth to children with the same disease, while the disease can manifest itself both immediately after birth and after many years (20 – 30, or even 50 years).

Overeating

Eating a large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugar, chocolate, flour products) leads to a large load on the child’s insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. These cells quickly deplete their reserves and stop working, which leads to a decrease in insulin in the blood.

Overweight

When a child receives more sugar than is required by energy expenditure at the moment, its excess is not excreted from the body, but is stored in reserve in the form of fats. Fat molecules make insulin-glucose receptors immune to this complex. Because of this, with a sufficient amount of insulin, blood sugar does not decrease.

Inactive lifestyle

First, it leads to weight gain. And secondly, physical activity enhances the work of cells that produce insulin, which leads to a decrease in blood sugar.

Frequent colds

Our immune system fights infection by producing antibodies that destroy viruses and bacteria. If you constantly stimulate the immune system, the interactions between the systems of immunity activation and its suppression are disrupted. At the same time, our body begins to constantly produce antibodies, which, if they do not find bacteria or viruses to destroy, begin to attack their own cells, in particular, insulin-producing cells, which leads to damage to the pancreas and a decrease in the amount of insulin.

Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes is accompanied by very characteristic complaints: severe thirst and frequent copious urination, not only during the day, but also at night; body weight decreases; lethargy appears.

Often, within 2-3 weeks after the appearance of the first complaints, a pronounced violation of all types of metabolism (ketoacidosis) already develops, which requires emergency therapy.

Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes develops completely imperceptibly for the patient, and many patients live with an undiagnosed diagnosis for years. Therefore, adults, especially those who are overweight, need regular measurement of blood glucose levels.

Diagnosis

The most common specific test to detect diabetes is arterial blood glucose. The test is carried out using a glucometer or special test strips. Blood sampling is performed several times: on an empty stomach and after a meal – the glucose level should not exceed.

There is also a glucose tolerance test, also known as the exercise test. The patient on an empty stomach drinks a solution of glucose, and an hour later, the level of glucose in the blood is determined. After another hour, a control measurement is made.

Laboratory diagnosis of diabetes mellitus also includes a daily urine test for glucose. There is no glucose in the urine of a healthy person. In some cases, an additional urine test is performed to determine the level of acetone. If the analysis determines an increased level of decomposition products (acetone), then this indicates a serious condition of the patient.

Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is carried out using a C-peptide test. The presence or absence of this peptide indicates the type of disease – insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. This analysis is necessary if the analysis for glucose showed borderline values.

Treatment

In type 1 diabetes, the need to administer insulin is due to the fact that own insulin is not produced, and other hormones that would lower glucose levels simply do not exist. Insulin is a protein in its structure, so it is useless to take it orally, and it is only administered subcutaneously. In their structure, insulin preparations fully correspond to the structure of human insulin. In children, insulin analogues are mainly used – due to minor modifications, their improved effect is noted.

Patients have to do at least 4-5 injections every day, so it is necessary to constantly change injection sites. But most importantly, the dose of insulin should be calculated before each meal, taking into account how much the patient plans to eat carbohydrates and what level of glucose at a given time.

The pump is a very compact device that not only makes it much easier for the patient to administer insulin, but also does it in a mode that is as close to physiological as possible. This allows you to lead an active lifestyle, play sports. But most importantly, the pump reduces the number of injections by 15-20 times, instead of five injections daily, only one injection is needed every three days.