Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) occurs when insulin or certain oral diabetes medications lower blood glucose below 70 mg/dL. Due to risks associated with hypoglycemia, it is important to quickly raise blood glucose back into the target range, which for most people, is above 70 mg/dL. Eating and drinking rapid-acting carbohydrates are quick ways to raise your blood glucose. There are carbohydrate-containing products marketed to raise blood glucose that are portable, inexpensive, and quickly consumed and processed.
Glucagon injections and glucagon nasal powder are treatments for severe hypoglycemia—when blood glucose lowers to a dangerous, potentially life-threatening level in which you can’t eat or drink fast-acting carbohydrates to raise blood glucose to safe levels. These treatments work quickly and should be given according to manufacturer’s instructions. An individual does not need to be a health care professional to safely administer glucagon. People in close contact with a person with diabetes, like family, friends, and even coworkers, should be instructed on where glucagon is kept and when and how to use it.
