A silent and deceptive modern-day killer, diabetes is also one of the most widespread chronic diseases, which claims millions of victims every year. However, the most dangerous facet of diabetes, which is responsible for a majority of diabetes-related deaths, is the skewed awareness that has spread amongst much of the global populace, which often results in them regarding and even treating this disease with a stilted perspective. And hence, educating yourself about the basics of diabetes and what you can do to protect yourself from its onslaught, may often be the fine dividing line between deeming yourself a victim, and proclaiming yourself a victor over this disease.



Given the popular definition of diabetes, most individuals are lead to believe that keeping their blood glucose as low as possible is all that is needed to keep the disease for maturing into its more severe stage. However, the lesser known fact behind this fallacy is that extremely low blood-glucose levels can be every bit as dangerous as very high blood-glucose, bringing forth a host of symptoms like weakness, nausea and even coma. This condition, where the body is literally starved of glucose is termed as hypoglycemia one of the most pertinent and dangerous of the many aspects of diabetes. And thus, it is not arbitrarily low blood-glucose that determines a healthy and complication-free condition, but maintaining the level of sugar in your blood within the prescribed range that steers you away from delving into the disease-infested waters that shroud diabetics all over the world.

Insulin, a hormone secreted by the beta cells of your pancreas, plays a very significant role in helping you control your blood glucose. This hormone reacts to any rise in the glucose levels in your blood, especially after meals, and notifies the cells of your body so that they can break down this glucose into energy to replenish themselves. This process brings down the levels of glucose in your blood, thus preventing it from causing any further damage to your body. The liver is also employed at this stage, storing energy in the form of glycogen for your muscles and organs to utilize at a later stage.

In the event that the glucose levels drop dangerously low, the pancreas works to correct this anomaly by secreting another hormone called glucagon. This hormone activates the liver, prompting it to convert the glycogen back to glucose which is then released into your blood. This action of glucagon helps to even out the imbalance in your blood glucose, thus bringing it back within the appropriate range. Insulin-dependant victims of diabetes are also prone to severe bouts of hypoglycemia, given the deficit of glucagon in their bodies. And so, while the threat of over-sweet blood, or hyperglycemia, is a lot more severe in these cases, so is the risk of developing hypoglycemic symptoms.

Unlike insulin, your body does not require a constant supply of glucagon as a part of your diabetes management program. Glucagon is administered only when the glucose levels in your body dip unexpectedly, to restore the balance in as short a time span of 5 minutes. Glucagon Emergency kits are available in most pharmacies and contain a syringe filled with an inert solution and crystallized glucose. This solution is injected into the vial of glucose crystals to allow them to dissolve, after which the amalgamation is drawn back into the syringe.

Glucagon is administered in a manner similar to that of insulin. The glucose solution can either be injected under your skin, or into your muscle tissue. Glucagon has been known to cause vomiting in certain individuals and hence, always ensure that you either turn, or are turned over, to your side to avoid choking on your own vomit. Often times, you may find that your body does not respond to the glucagon after the first dose is administered. This reason for this may be because your body has already progressed into an advanced stage of hypoglycemia, in which case, you would need to follow up with additional doses of glucagon.

Glucagon, though an invaluable resource in determining the effectiveness of your diabetes management program, cannot be used as a replacement for healthy and planned eating habits, or a regular exercise regime. Neither is the stabilizing effect produced by glucagon, as capable as necessary, unless you follow it up with a snack or a meal which is rich in carbohydrates. You would also need to keep a close eye on your glucose levels for a while after the bout of hypoglycemia to keep them from dipping down again. The viability of your diabetes management all depends on how well you educate yourself about this disease, so that you have the upper hand in terms of determining the leader and the follower of the game. Take charge of your diabetes today, and your responsible stance could be your ticket to a long, happy and healthy life!