August 09, 2021 The lowdown on severe hypoglycemia, and why sharing your rescue plan is so important

Sponsored content provided by Eli Lilly Canada

The risk of severe hypoglycemia, or severe low blood sugar, is something that everyone with diabetes who takes insulin needs to be aware of. The condition can be caused by a number of factors, including not eating enough, physical activity, or using diabetes medications incorrectly. Understanding the signs and symptoms of a severe hypoglycemic event and having a rescue plan in place are the best ways to prepare for an unexpected low. Ensuring that you have a rescue plan in place for emergency situations can save precious time, and can help your friends and family to help you when you need it.

The What’s Your Rescue Plan campaign provides a variety of resources to help everyone better understand the signs and symptoms of severe hypoglycemia, as well as strategies to help manage it. Severe hypoglycemia can happen very quickly, leaving the person’s network of family and friends with little time to react.A simple conversation can make a world of difference to prepare the people around you in case of an unexpected low. Help your network by giving them the right information and tools, so that there is no question about what to do in an emergency, when every second counts. Downloading the rescue plan template and having a conversation with your physician to finalize the plan is step one. The second and most important step begins with sharing the rescue plan within your network, so that they have the right information if you go low.  

“As an artist and musician, my life is fast-paced, and sometimes my schedule can be inconsistent. That means I always need to be prepared, because even though I try my best to manage low blood sugar, it happens.  It is important to have a plan in place for severe hypo episodes that is accessible and easy to communicate to other people. My best approach is to ensure the people who are in my bubble know what to do, so they can follow the plan before the situation escalates,” says Ticky Ty, who is a DJ from Toronto.

Really, we share so much on social media—who isn’t an open book? So why not be as authentic as possible? If you have diabetes, make sure that your crew feels prepared and confident to help when needed, so you don’t let lows rule you.

There are options to prevent and manage unwanted drops in blood sugar. Make sure that you and your network are prepared with the right information, that you have a plan, and that you pass it on to make sure the people close to you know what to do. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist about a rescue medication for severe hypoglycemia to have on hand in an emergency. Visit What’s Your Rescue Plan, and start a potentially life-saving conversation.