| Category | Blood Sugar Level |
| Normal | 80 - 120 mg/dL |
| Border Line Hypoglycemia | 70 mg/dL |
| Fasting Hypoglycemia | 50 mg/dL |
| Insulin Shock | Less than 50 mg/dL |
To treat hypoglycemia (and bring your blood sugar up to at least 70 mg/dL,) you need to consume a sugar that is easily absorbed so that it works in your body quickly. Some ideas are: juice, non-diet pop, life savers or glucose tablets or gel. I usually drink 8 oz. of orange juice, suck down a Capri Sun or eat 4 glucose tablets. After 10 minutes you should check your blood sugar again and if it is still not above 70 mg/dL then you would treat again. If it doesn't come back up after 3 treatments, it is probably time to take a trip to the ER.
Insulin shock occurs when your blood sugar level falls quickly and leads to unconsciousness. It is the severest form of hypoglycemia and it is considered a diabetes emergency because if left untreated it can be fatal.
Like all diabetics I have experienced hypoglycemia at some point. It is not a pleasant feeling. I have had times where I get confused and can't think straight. I remember a time right after I had started taking insulin that I woke up in the night and knew my blood sugar was low. I knew that I needed to get a glass of orange juice. But, I could not make myself go downstairs and get that stupid juice! I woke my Mom up and told her I need o.j. and she and I went to the kitchen together. If you are ever around me and notice that all of a sudden I get quiet, can't seem to focus or remember what our conversation is about, or if I tell you, "I can't remember what I was saying," my sugar is probably low. Just ask me, "Are you low? Do you need some juice?" I won't mind you asking.
About 17% of T1 diabetics suffer from hypoglycemic unawareness (which simply means you do not feel any symptoms when your sugar gets low.) I happen to fall into that 17% the majority of the time.
Now that you are educated on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar,) you can understand the name I chose for this blog.
"A Visit From the Sweat Fairy" is a diabetes term of endearment. As I said earlier, a symptom of hypoglycemia (a "hypo") is sweating. So a visit from the sweat fairy simply means that your blood sugar is low enough for you to feel sweaty. When you get a visit from the sweat fairy during the night (a "nypo"), you wake up with your shirt and sheets soaking wet, and usually freezing cold. Sounds pleasant, right?
