Let’s talk hypos. How do they impact your life?
Hypoglycaemia (also known as hypos or lows) is a condition that occurs when your blood glucose level (BGL) has dropped too low, below 4mmol/L. Hypos are a part of life for many people living with diabetes who use insulin.
In Australia, about 400,000 people use insulin to help manage their diabetes.
According to research a person with type 1 diabetes averages 138 hypos per year. Of course, you may have more, or maybe less than this – everyone’s experience is different.
Living with diabetes can be challenging. Call our Helpline on 1800 177 055 if you need help or want to talk.
Time adds up
It can people an average of about 15 minutes to recover from a hypo. However, it may take some people more or less time than this.
Costs add up
Jelly beans, juice, glucose tabs or a soft drink – which fast-acting carbohydrate do you turn to when you have a hypo?
If you drink a juice box every hypo, in one year you will have spent about $207!
See for yourself with #HyposAddUp
Have you ever wondered how many hypos you’ve had? Our new #HyposAddUp calculator can add them up for you!
Share the infographic on social media to raise awareness of hypos. It’s also a great conversation starter next time you want to talk about hypos with your healthcare professional.
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Disclaimer The content of the #HyposAddUp calculator is intended for information and awareness raising purposes only. It is not to be viewed as a health appraisal or advice from Diabetes Australia.
Join the conversation – #HyposAddUp
Tell us about your experiences with hypos. Do hypos interrupt your daily life? We’d love to hear your story on our social media pages.
For the chance to win one of five $100 gift vouchers, tell us how your hypos add up. Use the hashtag #hyposaddup and post on your socials. Terms and conditions apply.
Previous campaigns
I may have been mid-hypo during this photo - you know that blank stare you get, and that "yeah, I'm fine" smile you give when someone asks if you're ok... 😅
I'm fortunate enough to be hypo aware at this point in time - my usual symptoms of a low are usually shaking fingers and the feeling of passing out 😟
However, I wouldn't have a clue with high sugars, as my body feels the same at 20mmol as it does at 6mmol. At first, I thought this was relatively common until I joined the DOC and realised that a lot of y'all sometimes feel terrible with high BGLs!
Any who...a hammock happened to be within close distance for my shakey legs to walk to. I popped some jelly beans and while I was staring blankly at my sister, she happened to snap this shot😅 #kodakmoment
Before this moment, I was walking along the beach thinking about Dr Frederick Banting and Charles Best on their breakthrough in treating diabetes. This week marked the 100th anniversary of this medical triumph. To think I wouldn't have made it past 19 gave me goosebumps. We are incredibly fortunate 💙
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#hypoglycemia #hyposhappen #type1diabetes #insulindependent #diabetic #diabetes #typeonestrong #t1dlookslikeme #type1life #t1dlife #beyondtype1daily #diabetesawareness
I was actually kicked out of a popular and quite huge venue on my sisters 21st birthday because they assumed I was drunk and I had ‘glassy eyes’ so I must have taken some other substance and be drunk and I was ‘kicked out’ .. I was literally walked out infront of HUNDREDS of people like I was a criminal but little did they know we were all rushing to the bar to get me a soft drink because I was having a hypo. How embarrassing and unfair treatment. That all came out AFTER they had removed me from the premises and I tried explaining, they didn’t believe me so then I had to put up a fight and argue my point about my health and my diabetes. I was getting all different cards that would have something health/diabetes related like my NDSS card and I went onto my emails to find an email from my endocrinologist to ‘prove’ I wasn’t drunk and this was just an unfortunate time to have a hypo. That’s so unfair and was handled very unprofessionally but I guess that’s a lack of awareness and a huge lack of understanding. If I was misbehaving then absolutely but having done nothing wrong but simply look a bit out of it but not actually asking just assuming & then going to the extreme, then that’s not okay and it needs to change. I’m not sure how because when someone thinks your drunk then they are also going to think you are making up excuses but having type 1 diabetes and having a low blood sugar while I’m out at a pub or restaurant does NOT mean I am drunk and it sucks to feel otherwise. Sometimes I wish I could turn around and just ‘I wish I was but NO’ 🤣
Maybe someone needs to make an ID card that has something like
‘I’m not drunk, just ask - I may just be having a low blood sugar’ or something like that?! Little steps in the right direction is better then none! #hyposhappen and there’s nothing I can do about it but please just ask and be ready to help if they need you!
Do you have a hypo story where someone’s thought you were drunk?
Orange you glad to see me 🍊trying to breathe through my anxiety and diabetic irritation haha...got to practice
Let’s talk hypos. If you live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and use insulin you’ve probably had one, but if you don’t use insulin to manage your diabetes you might be asking what is a ‘hypo’?
Hypoglycaemia, sometimes called a hypo or low, occurs when glucose levels drop too low, below 4mmol/L.
Symptoms of hypoglycaemia vary from person to person. Early signs and symptoms may include:
-Shaking, trembling or weakness
-Sweating
-Paleness
-Hunger
-Light headedness
-Headache
-Dizziness
-Pins and needles around mouth
-Mood change
Hypos can usually be treated with fast acting carbohydrates (jelly beans, soft drink or glucose tablets).
In some cases, if glucose levels continue to drop, it can be dangerous, and you may need someone to help you.
Share and help us spread the word. #hyposhappen
diabetes_australia wanted to know how hypos make diabetics feel...
Mine make me feel desperate for food, to feel better, to be over with it. They can happen so fast and they just happen no matter how well I maintain my diabetes. So #hyposhappen
This week diabetes_australia launched this year’s Lowdown campaign #HyposHappen. Spreading the word on all things diabetes and hypos. This is Augie, mid hypo, by our pool, limp and lethargic. Our new puppy was fretting worried about what was happening, a feeling we are familiar with. I remember vividly her first hypo, we had returned from Adelaide to our regional home, it happened so fast. I put her into the bath before bed walked away for a few minutes to get her pjs ready, by the time I returned she was limp and hanging over the bath. I screamed out to my husband who helped drag her out. We treated and sat, and waited. The recovery took a while and we were petrified. We have adjusted to the symptoms and treatments over time but they are still just as scary. #hyposhappen #type1diabetes #t1dlookslikeme #t1dawareness
Living life quite literally in the fast lane is professional racing driver @jack_perkins_. He talks to us about his #hypos #thelowdown2019 #diabetes #jackperkins #hyposhappen
Having a hypo in public can generate unwanted opinions and judgments.
This week we are talking hypos. Stay tuned.
#hyposhappen
Hypos happen. They can be upsetting, embarrassing and cause fear, anxiety and depression so let’s talk hypos and kick away the stigma.
This year for The Lowdown 2020 we are talking hypos and mental health and we want you to be involved.
Join the conversation and share how hypos impact on your mental health. Do you have a story about having a hypo in public that you would like to share?
Share a video or photo and give us the lowdown on your ‘hypos’. Hold up a sign using one word explaining how ‘hypos’ make you feel.
By speaking out we can help end the stigma around hypos.
Remember to use the hashtag #hyposhappen 💙
Steph has lived with type 1 diabetes for nine years.
Like most people she has her share of hypo stories. She shared one about a hypo at work, something many people can relate to.
Read her full story below:
“One of my most stressful moments was having a hypo in the middle of an important client workshop – feeling funny and having to go and test. I was 2.5! Then I awkwardly had to explain to everyone why I was smashing jellybeans and couldn't continue presenting for half an hour till I felt better. It's always hard to feel a hypo properly when I'm experiencing adrenaline with my work. And it's embarrassing having to stop work and treat a hypo in front of colleagues and clients.”
Thank you for being so open and sharing your story with us and the community, Steph!
Do you have a similar story, you would like to share? Comment below.
#HyposHappen
Everybody has a story.
We want to hear yours.
This week we launched The Lowdown 2020 #HyposHappen to raise awareness of hypos and hopefully kick away the stigma.
How can you get involved and share your story? Share a video or photo and give us the lowdown on your ‘hypos’. Hold up a sign using one word explaining how ‘hypos’ make you feel.
By participating, you will go into the draw to win a $250 Visa Debit card voucher.
By speaking out we can help end the stigma around hypos.
Remember to use the hashtag #hyposhappen
Thank you for sharing how hypos make you feel, Rach and being part of this year’s hypo awareness campaign!
We are sure many people will be able to relate to many of those feelings.
Do you have a story to share?
Post a picture or video of yourself and tell us how hypos make you feel. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #HyposHappen!
Surfing has always been part of Brit's life. So has type 1 diabetes.
As an avid surfer, Brit has her fair share of hypo stories.
This is one she shared with us -
"I was out surfing one day which means no insulin pump, no glucometer, no lollies – just me and my instincts. I usually eat about 50g of carbs before surfing, except on this day because my blood sugar was already in the ’20s… I paddled out and within 30 minutes I could feel my blood sugar plummeting.
I start shaking, my heart rate increased higher than normal, I felt more anxious than ever!
I quickly paddled in, but I could feel my body becoming weaker and weaker. To top it off, I was walking up towards my car and I dropped my surfboard right in the middle of a busy road – talk about clumsy! Thank god an old man came running over to help me get to my car.. Then I finally I sculled a warm bottle of juice leftover from breakfast and sat on the grass until I could function properly again."
Thanks for sharing your experience and being so open with us, @typeonebritt 💙 #HyposHappen
We received this message from Leah, Scarlett’s Mum.
“When I’m hypo I feel weak and shaky. I find it hard to control my breathing and can’t talkmuch. #hyposhappen “
Thank you for sharing your story, Scarlett and being brave and open with the community.
Georgie from @bodyposibetes has a wonderful message for the community regarding hypos 💙
"Hypos happen. Hypos cannot be prevented. Hypos suck. There is nothing more annoying than a doctor asking me “Do you have hypos?” Of course I have hypos, do you breathe?
They’re inconvenient. They always seem to happen when I’m in the middle of something, or just drifting off to sleep.
They make me look drunk and shaky, and they’re embarrassing! I’ve hypoed on stage, in meetings, on dates, in front of my students, and in interviews. I’ve dropped objects, said countless weird things, and had a hypo argument with a bouncer who wouldn’t let me back in because he thought I was drunk. Having to ask “Could I have a few minutes?” can make me feel so vulnerable and small.
They’re tiring. Dealing with multiple hypos overnight is not a recipe for a productive or fulfilling day. Often I walk through a day after a hypo filled night like a zombie, going through the motions until I can go back home and nap.
They’re scary. I don’t feel my hypos until they get very low, and when they go below 1.5 I feel like I’m about to die. My head spins, my body feels numb, and I can’t control my shaking or sweating. I hate it.
#HyposHappen , so please don’t beat yourself up about them! You are your own pancreas every single day, so there are always going to be sneaky hypos. Join in Diabetes Australia ‘s campaign this week and share your hypo story. They’re normal, they’re not an indication of “bad control”, and they’re not your fault. They happen. 💙"
The Lowdown might be done and dusted for another year but @drews.daily.dose sent us a great video about the reality of living with hypos and we just had to share it.
Hypos happen Drew, thanks for talking about them. #HyposHappen
NATIONAL DIABETES WEEK 2021
Injecting in public
Buying needles
Swapping sharps containers
Finger prick tests in public
Appearing drunk, aggressive, uncoordinated, slow and spaced out
Diabetes has an image problem.
Please don’t judge us.
#nationaldiabetesweek #stigma #blame #shame #judgement #t1dlookslikeme #hyposhappen #thisisourlife #support #awareness #connection #ndw2021
Let's face it, #HyposHappen.
This Wednesday we will be hosting an online event to mark this year's Lowdown campaign.
We'll be talking to people from across Australia, who are living with diabetes about the reality of hypos. We will also be discussing some important issues, including the emotional and mental aspects of hypos and how family and friends can provide support to someone experiencing a hypo.
Do you have your own hypo story to share?
Share a video or photo and give us the lowdown on your ‘hypos’. Hold up a sign using one word explaining how ‘hypos’ make you feel.
By participating, you will go into the draw to win a $250 Visa Debit card voucher.
By speaking out we can help end the stigma around hypos.
See you all on Wednesday!
We are loving seeing the community come together to share their hypo stories!
This one is from Sharell:
“Having Diabetes Type 1 for 11 years has been a roller-coaster ride for me. I have highs and lows sugar levels everyday. When I have a low hypo, I am very tired, hungry, it makes me feel exhausted and very low energy. The very next day I get consequences from it. There has not been a day where I would get normal readings because I don’t remember. My memory comes and goes with having to remember what my sugar levels are going through the day.”
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Sharell!
Do you have a hypo story you would like to share?
Post a picture of yourself holding up a sign that describes how a hypo makes you feel and use the hashtag #hyposhappen!
Have you ever been mistaken for being drunk when you are just having a hypo?
We know this has happened to lots of people with diabetes.
If this has happened to you, what was your experience?
Share and help us raise awareness around hypos. We want to kick away the stigma.
You can also share your story about having a hypo with the #HyposHappen hashtag. You’ll help us spread the word and will go into the draw to win a $250 Visa gift card.
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