We’ve been talking all things diabetes over the course of November especially as this year’s World Diabetes Day is focused on wellbeing! In this blog post, we’re going to be talking about Hypo anxiety, something that many people with diabetes share.

But… what is Hypo Anxiety?

A Hypo is known as Hypoglycaemia which is when our blood glucose levels (blood sugars) are too low (usually below 4mmol/l) which can happen very quickly and needs to be treated fast. It’s important to know our signs of a Hypo so we can prevent and treat it.

A Hypo can happen for several reasons including:

• Missing or delaying a meal or snack
• Not having enough carbs in our last meal
• Drinking alcohol
• Being physically unwell
• Feeling anxious and stressed
• Significant weather changes (we’re looking at you heatwaves!)

A Hypo can be very frightening when it happens but can be a normal part of our diabetes but when it’s frequent and intense we can feel anxious, out of control and worried about when the next one might happen. It’s not usually the Hypo itself that causes anxiety… it’s the effects of one. They can be very uncomfortable and scary, and we can also feel quite embarrassed.

So… how can I manage Hypo Anxiety?

The first thing is to understand why you feel worried about a Hypo – is it the symptoms of a Hypo e.g. feeling shaky or is it the effects of having one e.g. slurred speech or feeling that you won’t be able to manage it effectively? Take some time to write down and explore why you feel worried as this can help you to manage your anxiety and worry.

The next thing is to keep a diary to monitor how often you’re experiencing Hypos – are they happening more frequently in the morning or afternoon? What are you doing at the time of experiencing a Hypo? Are there any themes or patterns you’re noticing? It might be helpful to share this with your healthcare team.

Then, we need to think about how you manage a Hypo e.g. your plan for managing a Hypo might be different if you’re at home rather than in the office. Planning to carry your spare juice/snacks to ensure that you can bring your glucose levels up when you’re out and about. Some people may use a Dexcom which continuously monitors your glucose levels.

Lastly, we know it’s not easy managing Hypos but noticing small signs that something isn’t right might help us to predict, plan and prepare for when we’re out and about. You may find relaxation techniques such as mindful breathing could be helpful.

We talk more about relaxation and coping skills in our “Stress and Diabetes” blog which you may also find helpful.