How can you tell if someone has low blood sugar?
Signs of low blood sugar include unusual behaviour, confusion, tiredness, faintness, dizziness, irritation, paleness and sweating.
Low blood sugar in diabetics
Low blood sugar can be life-threatening for a diabetic.
There are a total of around 500,000 diabetics in Finland, and the majority of them have type 2 diabetes. Diabetics who are treated with insulin can develop hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar.
Hypoglycaemia requires immediate treatment with sugar.
The sugar can be administered in the form of, for example, between 4 and 8 sugar cubes, a piece of fruit, a glass of sugary soft drink or some other quick sugary snack.
What to do if someone is suffering from low blood sugar:
1
If the person is conscious:
Give them something sugary to eat or drink or some glucose tablets.
2
If the person is not improving after 10 minutes:
Give them more sugar.
3
If the person loses consciousness:
Call 112.
4
If the person cannot be woken up but is breathing normally:
Place them in the recovery position and keep their airways clear.
5
Keep the person warm and monitor their breathing and their condition otherwise until help arrives.
Please note: never give an unconscious person any food or drink, as they could choke.