If your next meal is more than 1 hour away, have a snack to keep your blood glucose level in your target range. Try crackers or a piece of fruit.
If you feel symptoms of hypoglycemia but are unable to check your blood glucose, then it is best to treat yourself than risk your glucose level going too low. The American Diabetes Association states, “When in doubt, treat.”
The following actions can help prevent hypoglycemia:
Check blood glucose levels. Knowing your blood glucose level can help you decide how much medicine to take, what food to eat and how physically active to be.
Eat regular meals and snacks. Your meal plan is key to preventing hypoglycemia. Eat regular meals and snacks with the correct amount of carbohydrates to help keep your blood glucose level from going too low. Ask your health care provider what to do if you often skip meals. Also, if you drink alcoholic beverages, limit to 1 to 2 drinks per day and eat some food at the same time.
Be physically active safely. Physical activity helps your body better use insulin so if you are not careful you may experience hypoglycemia after exercising. Physical activity can lower your blood glucose during the activity and for hours afterward. It is important for you to check your blood glucose before and after exercising and may be necessary for you to test during exercise as well. You may also need to adjust your medicine or carbohydrate intake. For example, you might eat a snack before being physically active or decrease your diabetes medication dose as directed by your healthcare provider to keep your blood glucose from dropping too low.