15-15 Rule

• May 15, 2023

The key to managing an episode of severe low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is to be prepared.

If symptoms are present or blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dL, follow the 15-15 Rule suggested by the American Diabetes Association

Symptoms May Include:

• If your blood sugar falls below 70mg/dL, then eat something with sugar in it, such as juice, hard candy, or fast-acting glucose (sugar) which provides a pre-measured dose of 15 grams of carbohydrate.
• Test your blood sugar again after 15 minutes.
• If it still below 70 mg/dL, eat another serving and continue these steps until your blood sugar is at least 70 mg/dL. Contact your healthcare provider, especially if your blood sugar falls below 54 mg/dL.

Your doctor and healthcare team will help decide your own blood sugar goals. The ranges for healthy blood sugar levels for most non-pregnant adults with diabetes are:

Between 80-130 mg/dL, before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL, 2 hours after a meal.

If your blood sugar is higher than normal, then you need to think about what you ate, if you took your medicine at the right time and took the right amount, or if there was some change in your exercise.

Quick Tip:

If hypoglycemia or low blood glucose is occurring more frequently, contact your healthcare team and set up an appointment to review your treatment plan together.

Source: MKT0545 & MKT0564

Source available at: https://www.trividiahealth.com/meet-lance/ & https://www.trividiahealth.com/lll/