Let’s Talk Lows
2020-05-17
Low blood sugars—also known as hypoglycemia—can be one of the most challenging, stressful and often scary parts of living with diabetes. If you take insulin or other medications that can cause lows, learning how to prevent and treat them is a daily effort. Low blood sugars can affect your mental health and physical health. Lows are complicated—and preventing or treating them is complicated, too. Let’s talk lows.
Hypoglycemia Basics
Hypoglycemia and How to Treat It
If you take insulin to manage your diabetes, learning how to prevent or safely manage hypoglycemia is a must!
4 Things You Need to Know Before Your Next Low Blood Sugar
For everyone who doses insulin, low blood sugar (also called hypoglycemia) is the most immediate and severe possible side effect.
What to Eat: Fast-Acting Carbs to Treat Low Blood Sugars
Learn what and how much to eat for your next low blood sugar with this easy fast-acting carbs chart.
Avoiding Lows While Drinking Alcohol
Did you know alcohol can actually lead to low blood sugars in the hours after you drink? Learn how to stay safe.
Not All Sugars Are the Same: Using Glucose to Treat Hypoglycemia
Learn why treating low blood sugars with glucose can raise your blood sugar faster than using other types of sugar.
How To Help Me With A Low Blood Sugar
Use this easy printable guide to teach everyone you know how to help with a severe low blood sugar.
3 Tips: Getting Off the Blood Sugar Roller Coaster
Stuck on the blood sugar roller coaster for hours? Here are a few tips to get off the ride quickly—or avoid the ride altogether.Emergency Glucagon for Severe Hypoglycemia
Emergency Glucagon: Everything You Need to Know
Glucagon is a life-saving hormone that anyone with diabetes taking insulin should have on-hand!MORE
Mini-dosing of Glucagon in Everyday Diabetes Management
If the pancreas of someone without Type 1 uses glucagon naturally to help maintain stability of blood sugars, can people with Type 1 also benefit from using glucagon in non-emergency situations? What ...MORE
Why Glucagon Might Not Work with Alcohol
You may have heard that glucagon is ineffective in treating low blood sugar when you're drinking. But why doesn't glucagon work with alcohol? Turns out, there are actual biological processe...MORE
How to Get Emergency Glucagon: CoPay Cards & Insurance Denials
If you take insulin or a medication that can cause low blood sugar, having an emergency glucagon treatment is a must -- it could save your life. Here, we’ll look at getting insurance coverage for em...MORE
How to Ask Your Primary Care Provider for Glucagon
Your doctor may not know about emergency glucagon, why you need it, and the newest types available. Here's how to ask for it...MORE
If You Take Insulin, Why Do You Need Glucagon?
Members of the Beyond Type 1 staff share their experiences with the new glucagon options, plus resources on how to get glucagon.MORE
How To Help Me With A Low Blood Sugar
Use this easy printable guide to teach everyone you know how to help with a severe low blood sugar.MORE
If You Take Insulin: You Need a Prescription for Emergency Glucagon
Emergency glucagon is a medication that raise blood sugar levels quickly during severe hypoglycemia.MOREExercise + Hypoglycemia
Start Working out with T1D
I’m a big advocate of resistance training. I even compete in fitness competitions so I definitely practice what I preach. I believe that resistance training is the most effective way to get in shape...MORE
Avoid Exercise Lows: How to Time Your Workouts Around Insulin Doses
Looking for a way to avoid those mid-exercise low blood sugars? This method can help, whether you’re exercising first thing in the morning or later in the day!MORE
Tips: Endurance Exercise with a Closed-Loop Pump
Learn how to adjust your closed-loop insulin pump for any type of exercise with type 1 diabetes -- especially endurance training!MORE
How to Adjust Your Basal Rates for Endurance Exercise Training
Adjusting your insulin doses while training for an endurance sport is a careful and personal process. Here are some tips to help you along the way!MORE- Read more: Exercising with Diabetes
Mental Health + Hypoglycemia
Finding a Diabetes Mental Health Provider
Even though diabetes is a physical condition, it's no secret that sometimes the biggest challenges in living with diabetes are mental. Finding the right mental health provider for you is importan...MORE
Coping with Fear of Hypoglycemia
This panel features opinions from a psychologist, CDE and patient regarding fears of hypoglycemia and ways they can be assuaged -- one of which involves having tools at your disposal. MORE
Anxiety in People with Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes
Anxiety in people with diabetes may not be discussed very often, but research finds that it's very common.MORE
Low Blood Sugars & Anxiety While Returning to Your Busy Routine
Easing back into "regular" life can increase your anxiety about low blood sugars and diabetes management. Here are a few tips to help:MORE- Read more: Mental Health with Diabetes
At School + Hypoglycemia
6 Must-knows for the College Sick Day with T1D
The day you send your T1D kiddo to college is a stressful one. Here is my advice on the 6 must-knows for your T1D college sick day.MORE
Your Child Can Exercise Safely with T1D
Learn helpful guidelines for when to reduce your child's insulin intake, increase carbohydrate, and respond to various blood sugar levels.MORE
Low Blood Sugars at School: Spot the Symptoms & How to Help
If your classmate or student has type 1 diabetes, you can support them by learning how to spot the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar.MORE
Backup Supplies and a Low Box: Back to School with Type 1 Diabetes
If you have type 1 diabetes, managing your blood sugars at school means you need to be prepared for anything.MOREReal Life + Hypoglycemia
Worst Case Scenario
Two years ago, Sara had a worst-case scenario when working with her son's school to manage his type 1 diabetes. Learn from her experience.MORE
Diabetes Disaster Preparedness Plan
Managing diabetes can be even harder when you are dealing with a major storm, loss of electricity and possible evacuation from your home. Building a “diabetes kit” now can save a lot of worry and ...MORE
My Journey with Hypoglycemia Anxiety
Kristi shares the story of her anxiety surrounding hypoglycemia, how she came to name the issue and how she has grown in the face of adversity.MORE
5 Tips to Stop Over-Treating Low Blood Sugars
Low blood sugars are the worst—but what makes them even more miserable is the desperate urge to eat everything in sight. Here are a few tips to help you break this habit.MORE
Managing Low Blood Sugars as a Mom with Type 1 Diabetes
Work and family can make it feel like type 1 diabetes management comes third. Here are tips and encouragement to help you make time for your diabetes needs, too!MORE
Diabetes Astrology: Snacks for Hypoglycemia Based on Your Zodiac Sign
What are the stars trying to tell you? Here's a little Astrological guidance on which fast-acting carbs to reach for during your next low.MORE
Preventing + Treating Hypoglycemia in Older Adults with Diabetes
When it comes to low blood sugars, there are a few additional things to consider if you are over 60 years old. Let’s take a look… MORELet’s Talk Lows with BT1 Staff
In this causal conversation we discussed some of our scarier hypo experiences, sharing what we wish people knew about low blood sugars, and changing the way we think about treatment options.
Let’s Talk Lows with Dr. Anne Peters
Dr. Peters discusses some of the barriers to obtaining glucagon, when to use in an emergency situation and how newer formulations are making it easier than ever to train loved ones how to use.
Educational content related to severe hypoglycemia is made possible with support from Lilly Diabetes, an active partner of Beyond Type 1 at the time of publication. Editorial control rests solely on Beyond Type 1.
