What are the risks due to hypo unawareness???

[debbiiee]

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[mo1905]

The main risk is not recognising very low numbers and the possibility of diabetic coma. That's a danger to yourself. Another worse danger is if you drive a car or operate machinery or similar. If you fail to recognise hypo then you are a danger to others. There is some evidence that continual low numbers can have an affect on the brain also.

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[Flowerpot]

I haven't had any hypo awareness for at least 10 years now and the risks are considerable. As mo says there is the possibility of coma or worse. I started going unconscious without any warning, you lose any early warning signs that your blood glucose is dangerously low and feel normal until you go so low that you start fitting and pass out. It is very frightening to cope with as you don't know when or where it might happen, putting you at risk of physical injury. I am constantly checking to see if I am at a safe level.

I'm very fortunate to use a continuous glucose monitor that sends an alarm to my pump to warn me when my levels are falling too low and this can also automatically suspend insulin delivery to my pump if my levels continue to fall. This is a life saver especially at night when my most frequent hypos occur.

 

[noblehead]

Good replies, if your losing your hypo awareness symptoms then speak with your diabetes team about it, the usual advice is to run bg levels higher for several weeks until the symptoms return.