Non-severe hypoglycemia can be self-treated

If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia and your glucose level is less than 3.9 mmol/L, follow these steps:

• Eat or drink 15-20 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as:
     • 4 glucose tablets; or
     • 1 tube of glucose gel; or
     • ½ cup (4 ounces) of fruit juice (NOT low-calorie or reduced-sugar juice) – apple, grape and cranberry juices are good options; or
     • ½ can (4-6 ounces) of pop (NOT diet or reduced sugar); or
     • 1 tablespoon of sugar, honey or corn syrup
• Check your glucose level again after 15 minutes. If your level is still low, eat or drink another 15-20 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate, as mentioned above.
• Continue to check your glucose levels every 15 minutes. Repeat the steps above until your glucose levels are back to normal.  
• If your next meal is over an hour away, have a healthy snack, like crackers or a piece of fruit^226,232.

Tips to prevent hypoglycemia during exercise²³³:

• Follow an eating plan, including carbohydrate counting
• Monitor glucose before and after exercise
• Eat a snack before exercise if glucose level is low or falling
• Modify physical activity that’s caused hypoglycemia in the past
• Take care with prolonged or unaccustomed exercise
• Watch out for delayed hypoglycemia (several hours after exercise)

Advice for insulin-treated drivers²³⁴:

• Test glucose before driving and during long journeys (every 2 hours)
• Have a snack before driving if glucose is <5.0 mmol/L; do not drive if <4.0 mmol/L
• Take regular meals/snacks and take a rest period during journeys
• Keep an emergency supply of fast-acting carbohydrate in your car AND an additional supply of food
• Stop the car in an appropriate location if hypoglycemia happens
• Delay restarting driving until 45 minutes after glucose has returned to normal

The Trend Arrows on your glucose reading can be used to estimate the direction your glucose is heading.

These arrows are especially useful to know if your glucose is lowering and you might be heading towards a hypo (hypoglycemia).

If you see a downward angled Trend Arrow, you know that your glucose is falling. Knowing this, along with your current reading, you can estimate if this is going to take you into the hypoglycemia zone (below 4.0 mmol/L) and take action to bring your glucose back to target as your healthcare team advised you. 

Here’s an example of how you might use the trend arrows:

Follow these steps:

• Use the following calculation to estimate how much your glucose level will change over 15 minutes: [rate of change] x [number of minutes since reading] = [change in glucose level 
(mmol/L)]
     • 0.06 mmol/L/minute x 15 minutes = 0.9 mmol/L
     • 0.1 mmol/L /minute x 15 minutes = 1.5 mmol/L
• Next, you will SUBTRACT these values from your current glucose reading. This will give you an estimate of your glucose level 15 minutes from now: [current glucose level] - [change in glucose level] = [estimated glucose level]
     • 4.4 mmol/L - 0.9 mmol/L = 3.6 mmol/L (upper end of glucose)
     • 4.4 mmol/L - 1.5 mmol/L = 3.0 mmol/L (lower end of glucose) 
• Continue to check your glucose levels every 15 minutes. Repeat the steps above until your glucose levels are back to normal.  
• If your next meal is over an hour away, have a healthy snack, like crackers or a piece of fruit^236,232.

So, in this example, your estimated glucose level in 15 minutes will be between 3.6 mmol/L and 3.0 mmol/L. In this instance, it’s really important to take action right away to stop yourself from having a hypoglycemic event. 

Note: If your glucose is rising and you want to calculate where your glucose level would be in 15 minutes, follow the same steps above. However, in step 2, you will ADD the values to your current glucose reading. So, you would use the following calculation: 



[current glucose level] + [change in glucose level] = [estimated glucose level] 

IMPORTANT: There are many factors influencing your glucose levels, so although this is handy to know, it’s important to understand that this is only for guidance. Plus, if math just isn’t your thing and you really want to know your glucose reading at any point in time, you can always just re-check your glucose¹⁰.

The “Low Glucose Events” report from the FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre 2 systems are a good way to see if any particular part of your day is contributing to episodes of hypoglycemia (hypos). It puts you in the know, so you can make changes to reduce or even avoid hypos.

Results that matter

Studies have shown that FreeStyle Libre users spend less time below 3.9 mmol/L than people who use finger prick blood glucose testing^235,236. This important improvement is not just during the day, but also at night when many people may worry about having a hypo.