Glucagon's Role in Blood Sugar

Glucagon is a hormone. A hormone is a messenger that tells parts of your body what to do.

Your liver keeps a store of sugar, called glucose. Think of it as a storage room. Glucagon is the message that tells the liver to open that room. Then the stored sugar moves into your blood.

A large liver holds a glass jar of sugar cubes, above a Blood sugar bar. After a meal, two cubes from the plate go into the jar. Between meals, shown by a clock, cubes leave the jar into the blood and the bar holds steady. At night, under a moon, one cube trickles out. Under stress, a warning sign sends hormone dots to the liver, three cubes leave and the bar rises high.

A low is when blood sugar drops too far. A severe low is one that needs help from someone else.

The key question is whether the person can swallow safely. If they can, fast sugar by mouth comes first.

If they cannot, glucagon is used instead. Food or drink could go the wrong way.

A helper stands next to an open emergency kit. A medicine vial, a device and a printed instruction sheet drop into the kit. The sheet comes up large and each numbered step gets a tick. Then the person lies on the floor, turned on their side. Last, a phone shows Call 911 and a cup with a red cross shows Nothing by mouth.

Your doctor decides whether glucagon is part of your plan. How it fits with your other steps is also worth asking about.

Knowing the order ahead of time helps when a low happens. Bring these questions to your next visit.

Key takeaways

• Glucagon tells the liver to release stored glucose into the blood.
• It is used for a severe low when a person cannot safely swallow.
• When swallowing is safe, fast sugar by mouth comes first.

Try it

Check the expiration date on your glucagon kit today, and write down one question for your doctor.