Diabetes - Children - Feeling odd
Recognising too little or too much blood sugar.
Diabetes means you need to keep your blood sugar balanced. It’s tricky: when you eat or drink, your blood sugar goes up. When you inject insulin or exercise, your blood sugar level falls.
Sometimes it can go out of balance and your blood sugar level can go too low or too high, which can make you feel odd, you need to realise what’s wrong and know what to do.
‘Hypo’ (-)
Too little blood sugar – (Hypoglycaemia)
When your blood sugar drops too low you have a hypo. It’s important to know what’s happening and what to do. In extreme cases, you can pass out or become unconscious.
Some tell-tale signs you might feel include:
- Sweating a lot
- Having butterflies in your tummy
- Having shaking/wobbly legs
- Feeling very hungry
- Shivering
- Feeling confused
Other clues to watch for:
- Paleness
- Suddenly feeling tired
- Blurred vision
- Pounding of the heart
- Tingling lips
- Irritability
What to do
- Make sure your friends and relatives know what to do to help
- If you feel like a ‘hypo’ is coming on take sugar or food containing sugar straight away followed by biscuits or a sandwich. If the ‘hypo’ is just before a meal or snack, take the sugar and have your meal as soon as possible
- Always have sugary foods or sugar with you
Will I go unconscious?
-
It’s very unlikely. You’ll usually realise that you need some sugar way before then.
‘Hyper’ (+)
Too much blood sugar – (Hyperglycaemia)
An occasional high blood sugar test may not be a problem but if your tests are high several times, it is your body trying to tell you that something is not right.
Some tell-tale signs you might feel include:
- Peeing lots
- Feeling thirsty
- Feeling sick
- Feeling tired
Other clues to watch for:
- Feeling weak
- Tummy pains
- Not feeling hungry
What to do
- Test your blood sugar level and check for ketones in your wee (ask your nurse to show you the test for ketones)
- If the sugar or ketones are too high, tell someone to call your doctor or nurse urgently
In the meantime:
- Drink water regularly
- Monitor your blood sugar level and check for ketones in your wee
- In any case keep up with insulin injections
______________________________________________________________
The information in this section has kindly been provided by BD Medical. You may want to get a copy of this booklet to keep and refer to from time to time. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
