Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Low Blood Sugar
Kyla, 18, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada asks...
I have just recently found out I have low blood sugar. (3.1) But I haven't got a call back from my doctor. I would just like some advice on what this could mean and what I should do.
Stacy Says...
It sounds like the doctor did what's called a Hemoglobin A1C. This takes an average of your blood sugar in the past 3 months. And yes, 3.1 is on the low side. This means you have hypoglycemia. Basically, it's the opposite of diabetes. Your blood sugars tend to run on the low side instead of on the high side. But no, this doesn't mean you get to eat all the chocolate you want.
The best thing to do would be to eat several small meals a day, or have nutritional snacks. The idea is to keep your blood sugar at a steady level instead of highs and lows. Try snacks like cottage cheese and fruit, cheese and crackers, peanut butter crackers, eggs and toast--protein and some carbs will give you the most steady blood sugar. Stay away from high sugar foods like candy, sugary cereals and soft drinks--you'll get a sugar high but then it might crash pretty fast. Also, many OB-GYNs have a nutritionist so she would be great resource as far as the proper snacks.
I have just recently found out I have low blood sugar. (3.1) But I haven't got a call back from my doctor. I would just like some advice on what this could mean and what I should do.
Stacy Says...
It sounds like the doctor did what's called a Hemoglobin A1C. This takes an average of your blood sugar in the past 3 months. And yes, 3.1 is on the low side. This means you have hypoglycemia. Basically, it's the opposite of diabetes. Your blood sugars tend to run on the low side instead of on the high side. But no, this doesn't mean you get to eat all the chocolate you want.
The best thing to do would be to eat several small meals a day, or have nutritional snacks. The idea is to keep your blood sugar at a steady level instead of highs and lows. Try snacks like cottage cheese and fruit, cheese and crackers, peanut butter crackers, eggs and toast--protein and some carbs will give you the most steady blood sugar. Stay away from high sugar foods like candy, sugary cereals and soft drinks--you'll get a sugar high but then it might crash pretty fast. Also, many OB-GYNs have a nutritionist so she would be great resource as far as the proper snacks.
