Users Manual
179
Living with Diabetes 1313 Living with Diabetes
Tip: Hypoglycemia unawareness is a condition in which you do not realize when
your blood glucose level is low. If you are prone to hypoglycemia unawareness, you
may want to use the PDM’s blood glucose reminder and check your blood glucose
more frequently (see "Check BG aer Bolus reminders" on page 110).
Tip: Make sure your blood glucose is at least 100 mg/dL before driving or working
with dangerous machinery or equipment. Hypoglycemia may cause you to lose
control of a car or dangerous equipment. Also, when you focus intently on a task, you
may miss the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Tip: Even if you cannot check your blood glucose, do NOT wait to treat symptoms
of hypoglycemia, especially if you are alone. Waiting to treat symptoms could lead to
severe hypoglycemia, which can quickly lead to shock, coma, or death.
Tip: Teach people you trust (like family members and close friends) how to give a
glucagon injection. You will need to rely on them to give it to you if you have severe
hypoglycemia and become unconscious. Include a copy of the glucagon instructions
in your emergency kit and periodically review the procedure with family and friends.
To avoid hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)
• Work with your healthcare provider to establish individualized BG Targets
and guidelines.
• Keep a fast-acting carbohydrate with you at all times to respond quickly to
low blood glucose. Examples of fast-acting carbs are glucose tablets, hard
candies, or juice.
• Teach your friends, family members, and colleagues to recognize the signs of
hypoglycemia, so they can help if you develop hypoglycemia unawareness or
a severe adverse reaction.
• Keep a glucagon injection kit with your emergency supplies. Teach friends
and family members how to give a glucagon injection in case you have severe
hypoglycemia and become unconscious.
Periodically check the expiration date of your glucagon kit to make sure it has
not expired.
Note: Always carry medical identication (such as an emergency wallet card) and
wear an emergency medical necklace or bracelet such as the Medic Alert tag.
Again, frequent blood glucose checks are the key to avoiding potential problems.
Detecting low blood glucose early lets you treat it before it becomes a problem.
Check with your healthcare provider for guidance in any and all areas listed above.
To treat hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)
Any time your blood glucose is low, treat it immediately according to your
healthcare provider’s instructions. Check your blood glucose every 15 minutes
while you are treating, to make sure you don’t overtreat the condition and cause