Chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness on one side, a fit or heavy bleeding needs help now, not an appointment.

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Heat, cold and sugar

Low blood sugar

Also called low sugar, hypoglycemia, sugar low, hypo, shaking sweating diabetes

What you are dealing with

In someone on diabetes medicine, sudden shaking, sweating, hunger, confusion or irritability usually means the sugar has dropped. It corrects within minutes if treated.

Do this, in this order

  1. If they are awake and can swallow safely, give fifteen grams of fast sugar at once. Three teaspoons of sugar or glucose in water, half a cup of fruit juice, or three or four glucose tablets.
  2. Sit them down and wait fifteen minutes.
  3. Recheck the sugar if a meter is available, or check whether they feel better. If not, give the same amount again.
  4. Once they improve, give a proper snack or meal with some carbohydrate, such as roti, bread, rice or biscuits, so it does not fall again.
  5. If they are drowsy, confused or unconscious, give nothing by mouth. Turn them on their side and call 112 or 108.
  6. Afterwards, note what happened, what they had eaten and which medicine they took, and tell their doctor. The dose may need changing.

Never do this

  • Never pour sugar water into the mouth of someone who is not fully awake. It can go into the lungs.
  • Do not use a diet or sugar free drink to treat a low sugar. It has no sugar in it.
  • Do not skip the follow up snack. Fast sugar wears off quickly.
  • Do not let them drive until the sugar is back to normal and has stayed there for at least forty five minutes.

Call an ambulance if

  • They are drowsy, confused, having a fit, or cannot swallow
  • The sugar does not come up after two rounds of fast sugar
  • It keeps happening, or it happens at night
  • They are on insulin or a sulfonylurea and the episode was severe
Call 112 nowCall 108 ambulance

After the emergency

Get it looked at properly

First aid buys time, it does not finish the job. Most of these situations need a doctor to check what happened, prevent infection, and decide whether anything more is needed.

Consult a doctorCheck a symptom instead

Get care for this

Doctors and care for low blood sugar

Verified Teleprac doctors you can see online or in a clinic, lab tests with home sample collection, and genuine medicines delivered to your door.

See all first aid topics

Important. This page is general first aid education and cannot replace a hands on first aid course or professional emergency care. Techniques taught by the Indian Red Cross, St John Ambulance and similar bodies are worth a single day of your life. In an emergency, call 112 or 108 first and follow what the operator tells you, because they can see your location and know what is on the way.

Call 112 Ambulance 108

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Emergency numbers in India

Save these in your phone now, not when you need them. Tap any number to call it.

112Any emergencyOne number for police, fire and ambulance across India108AmbulanceFree emergency ambulance in most states and union territories102Pregnancy and newbornAmbulance for mothers and babies in most states14416Mental health supportTele MANAS, free counselling every hour of the day, many languages1800 116 117Poisoning or overdoseNational Poisons Information Centre, AIIMS New Delhi1098Child in distressChildline India, free and confidential

Where to read more

Public health sources written for patients rather than for doctors, and kept up to date.

Ministry of Health and Family WelfareOfficial Indian health programmes, advisories and public guidanceWorld Health Organization health topicsGlobal fact sheets written for the public, on hundreds of topicsNHS health A to ZPlain language pages on symptoms, conditions, tests and treatmentsMedlinePlusPatient information from the United States National Library of MedicineTele MANASIndia's national mental health support service, free and available all day

Important: Everything in Teleprac patient resources is general health education. It does not give you a diagnosis and it cannot replace examination by a qualified doctor, because it does not know your age, your reports, your pregnancy or the other medicines you take. Please do not start, stop or change any medicine on your own. Teleprac Healthcare is not liable for decisions made on the basis of this information. In an emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest hospital immediately.