Coping With a Hypoglycaemic Attack
For over 22 years I’ve been teaching and practicing first aid and in that time I have seen a number of “hypos” in people who have diabetes.
I just wanted to share my experiences and knowledge about the warning signs of a hypo.
The first warning sign of a hypo that I notice is a general vagueness. The person may have trouble stringing together a sentence and lose track of their words, or even the topic being discussed. At this stage I usually suggest ‘let’s get a (sweet) cup of tea!’
If the hypo progresses you may notice tremors or shakes, especially in the hands. Then they usually break out in an unbelievable sweat! If you notice these symptoms it is vital to give the person a sweet drink in now.
They then hit what I call: the drunk and disorderly stage, where they may behave as if they are under the influence of alcohol. The person having a hypo may become giggly, behave strangely, or even become violent or aggressive! This is the totally unco-operative stage!
At this stage you may need to force them to drink something sweet, as long as they are still conscious. If they are unconscious CALL an Ambulance.
When a friend of mine, Kay had an hypo just recently she didn’t respond quickly to the lemonade we poured into her! So we called an ambulance.
They were able to take her BGL and they gave her a glucagon injection. Once they had seen her eat a sandwich they satisfied that she was OK and although Kay was a little embarrassed, she was fine and able to enjoy the rest of the day!
If you know that your friends have diabetes, you can help them avoid hypos by encouraging them to eat if you notice them slowing down! If they keep to their schedule you won’t need to see a hypo! If they are able to reach for their sweets, they are not at the stage of needing your help.
If on the other hand they go past the point of helping themselves, and you notice the above signs – give them a sweet drink! For my mate Ian I know he has a boxed fruit drink in his bag! For others you may give them a soft drink that has sugar, cordial or dissolve sugar in water for them to drink.
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