Ask the Diabetes Educator Archive

1/3/05

Q:
I have had a history of my blood sugar level dropping. I seldom test it, but every time I have, it has been low. I don't know if it has been high before or not. In the past five days, it has altered almost every time I eat. Am I at risk for diabetes? If so which type? Also I was wondering if hypoglycemia can change to diabetes?

A:
Hypoglycemia can become diabetes if left unchecked. The first thing to do is to review your eating habits and try to stay away from simple, unrefined carbohydrates. Small, frequent feedings, including proteins and higher fiber carbs should be the focus. Foods like nuts, beans, veggies, low-fat cheese/yogurt (organic is best to avoid hormones and antibiotics), fish and lean meats/poultry are the kinds of foods to focus on. Fruit, although a "healthy" food, can raise blood sugar quickly, so should not be eaten too frequently. You can ask for an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test to see your blood sugar response over a 2 hour period.