Hypoglycemia
First, Try This…
When the insulin level in the body is too high and the blood sugar level is too low, the resulting condition is called hypoglycemia. (This is true for insulin dependent diabetics too).
When the the blood sugar level is too high in the body, the resulting condition is called hyperglycemia. If this condition is not corrected, the victim may go into a diabetic coma. All insulin dependent diabetics should be monitoring their glucose levels at home several times a day.
Unfortunately, the symptoms of hyper and hypoglycemia are very similar. They include:
- dizziness
- drowsiness
- confusion
- rapid breathing
- rapid pulse
- sweating, yet with skin that is cold to the touch
If you know that a person is diabetic and he or she is experiencing these symptoms, treat the person as though he or she has hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. If the victim is conscious, give him or her something to eat or drink that contains plenty of sugar, such as life saver candies, orange juice, sugar soda, etc. If the person is suffering from low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, the sugar will help within minutes. If the person is feeling ill because of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, he or she will not be harmed by the extra sugar.
If Nothing Works…
If the victim does not feel any better after five minutes, 
call 911 in the U.S. & Canada. (For other countries, see our First Aid page.)
For more on Diabetes see:
- Must-Read article on Diabetes Type 1
- Diagnosing and Screening for Diabetes – Good information, check it out!
- Yeast Infections and Diabetes
- Treating the Nerve Damage of Diabetes
- Diabetes Resource Center
- In Spanish – Resource Center
- Maneras de tratar a la Diabetes Tipo 2