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What is hypoglycemia unawareness?
How can CGM help?


Low blood sugar (also known as hypoglycemia) is when your blood sugar levels fall low enough, usually less than 70 mg/dL, that you need to take action to bring them back to your target range. Each person's reaction to hypoglycemia is different.


Common hypoglycemia symptoms


HYPOGLYCEMIA SYMPTOMS
HYPOGLYCEMIA SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of lows include1:


  • Feeling shaky
  • Being nervous or anxious
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
  • Hunger
  • Nausea
  • Color draining from the skin
  • Feeling weak or having no energy
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue, or cheeks
  • Headaches
  • Coordination problems, clumsiness
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Seizures
Hypoglycemia unawareness

Hypoglycemia unawareness


As unpleasant as they may be, these symptoms are useful as they help let you know that action is needed to correct a low blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia unawareness

But many people can have blood sugar readings below 70 mg/dL and feel no symptoms. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness.

People with hypoglycemia unawareness are not able to tell when their blood sugar goes too low and may need help from someone else to treat it – this is also known as a severe low.

They are also less likely to wake up from an overnight low.

Hypoglycemia unawareness

Know before you go low


If you or someone you know has hypoglycemia unawareness, it is important to check blood sugar frequently or wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This is important for critical tasks such as driving.

A CGM can sound an alarm when blood sugar levels are low or start to fall quickly. This can be a big help for people with hypoglycemia unawareness.

1 Hypoglycemia (Low Blood sugar). The American Diabetes Association Page. https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/medication-management/blood-glucose-testing-and-control/hypoglycemia. Accessed 1SEP2020
2 The system is intended to complement, not replace, information obtained from standard blood glucose monitoring devices. All therapy adjustments should be based on measurements obtained from standard blood glucose monitoring devices. All therapy adjustments should be based on measurements obtained using a home blood glucose meter and not on values provided by the system.
3 Guardian™ Connect system SSED, page 19, Table 5. 90.5% Glucose Correct Detection Rate without Predictive Alerts at both 15 and 30 minutes when worn on the abdomen.
4 Guardian™ Connect system SSED, page 19, Table 5. 98.5% Glucose Correct Detection Rate based on Predictive Alerts at 30 minutes when worn on the abdomen.
* Alerts must be set to receive predictive alerts.