You can often manage hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, by checking your blood sugar levels frequently and eating regularly. But sometimes, hypoglycemia can become an emergency situation.

When you don’t treat hypoglycemia right away, you may have a hard time thinking clearly. You may even lose consciousness.

If this happens, and there’s no family or friends nearby to help, you’ll need to call emergency personnel onto the scene. If you’re unconscious or not thinking clearly, it can be impossible or difficult to communicate with medical responders. At first, they may not know what’s wrong.

This is where medical ID bracelets come into play. These accessories contain all the necessary information for emergency responders to quickly and accurately assess your health and even save your life.

A medical identification bracelet is a piece of jewelry that you wear around your wrist or as a necklace at all times. The purpose is to inform other people of your most important medical information during an emergency.

The ID bracelets or necklaces are usually engraved with:

  • your medical conditions
  • prescription drugs
  • allergies
  • emergency contacts

Your medical ID is important if you become unconscious or can’t think clearly during a hypoglycemic episode. Your ID can explain your symptoms to emergency respondents, police, and medical personnel.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia can mimic other conditions, including alcohol or drug intoxication. A medical ID bracelet or necklace will help emergency responders act more quickly to get you the treatment you need.

Medical ID jewelry has many benefits, including:

  • instantly providing respondents with information about your condition
  • ensuring you get the correct medical diagnosis in emergency situations
  • allowing emergency respondents to act more quickly
  • protecting you against potential medical errors and harmful drug interactions
  • giving you peace of mind that you will be taken care of properly during an emergency hypoglycemic episode, even if you’re unable to speak for yourself
  • preventing unnecessary hospital admissions

A medical ID bracelet or necklace has limited amounts of space. You need to carefully select the most important and relevant pieces of information depending on your situation.

Here are some suggestions:

  • your name (you can choose to put your name on the back of the ID if you have privacy concerns)
  • your medical conditions, including diabetes
  • any allergies to food, insects, and medications, such as a penicillin allergy
  • any prescribed medications you take regularly, such as insulin, anticoagulants, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants, and corticosteroids
  • an emergency contact number, especially for children, people with dementia, or autism; this is usually a parent, relative, doctor, friend, or neighbor
  • any implants you may have, such as an insulin pump or a pacemaker

Emergency medical personnel are trained to look for a medical ID in all emergency situations. This is especially true when they’re trying to treat someone who is unable to speak for themselves.

According to a survey conducted by American Medical ID, over 95 percent of emergency responders look for a medical ID. They typically look for the ID on your wrist or around your neck.

If you want to include a full medical history, but can’t fit it on your ID bracelet, you have a few options.

Keep a card in your wallet

You can keep a card in your wallet that holds additional facts about your medical condition, including what bystanders can do to assist you. If you have one of these cards in your wallet, you can notify emergency personnel to look for it by writing “See Wallet Card” on your ID bracelet or necklace.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a wallet card that you can print out. It explains the symptoms of hypoglycemia and what others can do to help.

Wear a bracelet or necklace with an attached USB drive

A USB drive can store many pieces of information, including:

  • your entire medical history
  • medical contacts
  • important files, such as a living will

Examples include the EMR Medi-Chip Velcro Sports Band and the CARE Medical History Bracelet.

The ADA recommends that all people with diabetes wear a diabetes medical ID bracelet. If you’re taking diabetes medication that can lower your blood sugar and cause hypoglycemia, it’s especially important that you wear one.

Hypoglycemia can be dangerous if you don’t treat it right away. Wearing an ID bracelet can help ensure that you’re treated properly and timely during an emergency.