Hypo recognition by spouse

3 posts, 2 contributors

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Stubedo DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
3 posts

Hi,
My 70+ year old close friend's wife has recently been T1-diagnosed.
I asked him if he knew what hypo symptoms looked like in case he needs to assist his wife and he said no.
I cannot find my DAFNE course handbook to copy the information for spouses about hypo symptom recognition and management ... just wondering if anyone can send me a link to where I might find such online.
Many thanks.
Stu Very Happy

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire
1,819 posts

As a graduate you should have access to the course handbook on via the DAFNE Tools on the right hand side f the site, here is a copy/paste of the symptoms.....

Early symptoms occur as the blood glucose falls below 4 mmol/l and are due to the action of hormones released in response to the hypo. Common symptoms are:
• Hunger
• Feeling shaky
• Sweating
• Headache

If you do not recognise these early symptoms of a hypo or do not take action when you get typical symptoms, your blood glucose may continue to fall and you could feel worse. As the brain is not supplied with enough glucose you may start to:
• Feel disorientated
• Feel aggressive
• Begin to lose consciousness
• Have difficulty with speech
• Lose concentration
• Experience changes in vision

These symptoms usually occur when your blood glucose is below 2.8 mmol/l.

If possible, it is advisable to measure your blood glucose as soon as you feel the symptoms. This will help you learn more about your diabetes and your own hypos. If you feel very unwell and you think that your blood glucose is low, take your hypo treatment (rapid-acting carbohydrate) straight away. An untreated hypo may lead to loss of consciousness.

If your diabetes has not been well controlled for several weeks or months, you may experience the early symptoms of a hypo at a higher blood glucose level than you might expect (eg between 4 and 11 mmol/l). You may feel unwell at this point, but you cannot become unconscious at these levels.

Stubedo DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
3 posts

Thanks for responding - I'll have a look as you recommend.
In my mind I'm sure there was a short section of the handbook specifically for partners/spouses but I'm forgetting lots of stuff and getting muddled nowadays so could be pure imagination.
Rolling Eyes