How to deal with the not-sweet- diabetes emergencies

Diabetes is a slow but debilitating disease and there are emergencies that one should always watch out for.

 Hypoglycemia: When blood sugar levels drop down below normal stages and need immediate attention. Blood glucose check strips present in the ambulance are used to detect this condition and treatment is initiated accordingly.

 Hyperglycemia: These are situations where blood sugar levels are abnormally high.

Q .What causes a sudden drop or shooting up of sugar levels in the body?

 Being on a fast or starving

 Taking extra doses of insulin or other diabetic medicines

 Not eating food after taking diabetes medicines

 Drinking alcohol

 Any other kinds of infections

Q.However, as they say, prevention is better than cure.So, what are some precautions you can take to avoid diabetic emergencies?

 However tight a schedule you have, do not forget to eat small, frequent meals at regular intervals

 At all times, ensure you follow medical advice to monitor your blood sugar levels and take tablets as prescribed

Q.How do you identify a diabetic emergency?

Call for an amubulance immediately if:

 The victim has difficulty speaking

 The victim has a fit, appears confused or is unresponsive

 Also watch out for signs like weakness, trembling, sweating, palpitations or even intense hunger

Q.What are some dos and don’ts you can follow before the ambulance arrives on the scene?

Dos:

 Comfort and reassure the victim

 If the victim responds to instructions, give him/ her sweetened drink, candy, chocolate or biscuits.

 Place the victim in a recovery position if they are unresponsive.

 Perform CPR if the victim is not breathing

Don’ts:

 DO NOT administer insulin or any other diabetic medicines

 If the victim is unconscious DO NOT pour any liquids into their mouth

If you are located in Maharashtra and you have a diabetic emergency, you can dial 108 to take advantage of the facilities offered under the Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) launched by the Government of Maharashtra- Public Health Department. Under the MEMS scheme, over 1931987 Emergency patients have been served till date. Operational across 35 districts in Maharashtra, MEMS has a total of 937 ambulances, 233 Advanced Life Support (ALS) and 704 Basic Life Support Ambulances (BLS) with over 6000 EMS professionals to address such diabetic emergencies.