Hypo vs Hyper

Hypo vs Hyper - Hypoglycaemia vs Hyperglycaemia

When you’re diagnosed with diabetes, you suddenly encounter long, gobbledegook words like hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Most people just call them a hypo and a hyper. They sound like Harry Potter spells. But they’re not. They’re simply descriptions of blood sugar levels.

• Hypo = blood sugar too low

• Hyper = blood sugar too high

• A small memory trick: Hypo = Low. Hyper = High.

Both require almost immediate attention. One needs speed. The other needs steadiness.

Hyperglycaemia (A Hyper). This means your blood sugar is too high. If you have not eaten a meal (fasting) and the reading is above 7, then it is high. Well betide if it is in the 20’s, that’s very bad. If one has had a meal and the reading is above 11, then again, it is high. The higher the number is, the more urgent it is.

Symptoms can include:

• Feeling very thirsty

• Going to the loo more than usual

• Tiredness

• Blurred vision

A hyper usually creeps up on you. It’s rarely dramatic. It can happen after too many carbohydrates, during stress, illness, or if medication needs adjusting.

What to do if you get these symptoms:

• Check your blood glucose (gives you an idea of what to do).

• Drink plenty of water

• Gentle movement (a short walk) can help. If you feel up to it?

• Think back about what you have eaten? Work out if you have taken your medication?

If your BS (Blood Sugar, not the other one), levels stay high or you continuously feel unwell, even after drinking water and doing a little walk. Contact your Doctor, or your diabetes team.

Don’t Panic! No drama. Just adjustments.

Hypoglycaemia (A Hypo).

This means your blood sugar is too low. In that case. You check your BS reading and if its below 4, you can feel shaky, or sweaty. You can often feely dizzy, confused and/or irritable.

A hypo comes on quicker and It’s definitely more urgent. It often happens when medication (especially insulin or certain tablets) outweighs the fuel you’ve eaten, or if you’ve exercised more than expected.

If you are on insulin or certain diabetes tablets, you are at higher risk of hypos.

What to do if you get some of these symptoms:

Check your BS levels, (if possible). Take fast-acting sugar immediately. This could be speciality glucose tablets. Take around 4 or 5 of them. You could drink a sugary drink. You could just have ordinary sweets. Have 3 or 4 Jelly Babies. Nothing too complex. A large chocolate trifle is not recommended. Too over the top.

Give it 10 to 15 minutes and recheck your BS levels. and repeat if they are still below 4.

Once your above 4 and feeling human again, eat a small steady snack (toast, a biscuit, something containing carbohydrate). If someone becomes drowsy or unconscious, call the ambulance service. It’s 999 in the UK. Remember this. Hypos demand speed, but Hypers demand steadiness.

The Big Difference — In Plain English, the big difference is: A hyper feels slow and dry. A hypo feels shaky and urgent. One of them is having too much fuel swimming around the bloodstream. The other is not enough fuel in your bloodstream.

Just remember that your body is reacting to what you are putting into it. Your body is reacting to food, medication, stress, illness and activity. That means your body is responding to variables.

And diabetes, at its heart, is about managing variables.

Learn your patterns. Just remember to stay calm, if you can. Adjust to it. That’s all.