Hypoglycemia
Diabetic and non-diabetic hypoglycemia is a rare occurring state, however; it is considered a life-threatening one as well. It is a condition where our body is having low levels of sugar mainly glucose in the blood. Usually, all cells and organs in our body need sugar as its main source of energy. The most affected organ is the brain because the brain uses only glucose as its fuel to function properly.
Low blood sugar can occur to patients who have diabetes. Although diabetes is a condition of high blood sugar levels, however; in some cases, diabetic patients may consume overdose treatments that result in diabetic hypoglycemia. Also, it can occur to anybody. So it affects both diabetic and non-diabetic people.
Unawareness of Hypoglycemia
Unawareness of the presence of low levels of sugar in the blood is because either the levels are not low enough to start symptoms and signs, or the levels are low enough to start symptoms but the body is unaware of it and is not responding to these levels. In the second case. Unfortunately, it is a dangerous situation that might lead to death if not well managed.
Now, let’s discuss more the mechanism that leads to hypoglycemia in our bodies.
What Happens Inside Our Body?
Our body is in a symphonic balance. It keeps everything under control in order to be as healthy as possible. One of these pathways is insulin, glucagon, liver, muscles and blood sugar, they are all involved in balancing our blood sugar levels. Insulin is the hormone responsible for lowering the blood sugar levels after meals while Glucagon is responsible for increasing blood glucose levels during fasting or when blood sugar levels are low. For the liver and muscles, they are responsible for storing extra glucose.
When blood levels of sugar are low, the body tries to respond to elevate it. However, if the levels are too low or the body is not responding properly, here comes the problems or complications.
Low levels below 70 mg/dl are an indicator of other disorders or diseases that require immediate treatment or management.
Hypoglycemia symptoms
The hypoglycemia symptoms are related to the levels of glucose in the blood. As the levels decrease as the symptoms appear and become more and more severe and difficult to control.
They include:
- Your face, lips, hands and may also your feet become pale. This is because of the low blood supply to the skin.
- Tremors
- You may feel cold.
- Fatigue
- You feel hungry.
- You feel as if there is a needle pricking in your limbs or around your mouth.
- Anxiety and worry.
- Your heart rate is high and sometimes it is low.
- Excessive sweating or in other words sweating at rest.
- Cold sweating.
- Irritability
- Deep breathing and a high rate of breathing.
- Difficulty to speak.
And as the levels drop more and more; the brain damages gradually and symptoms become worse such as:
- Headache
- Confusion
- Seizures
- tremors due to low energy supply to the muscles.
- Disturbance in behavior.
- Difficulty concentrating and perform mental and physical activities.
- Blurred vision.
- Nightmares
- Nervousness
- Fainting
- Weak muscles.
- Mood changes.
What are the causes of hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia causes
For diabetic patients, the causes of low blood sugar are mainly due to treatment and daily routine, they include:
- High insulin dose. When you take a dose that is higher than the doctor gave you or the doctor himself gave you the wrong dose.
- Taking insulin without eating or taking insulin and not eating the right amount and type of food.
- High dose of oral drugs for diabetes treatment. They are used mainly for type 2 patients. Research in diabetes research and clinical practice journal in August 2015 shows that some oral drugs misuse causes a disturbance in blood sugar levels
- Skipping a meal during the day.
- unbalanced diet.
- Excessive exercise.
Non-diabetic hypoglycemia causes
- Any disease, habit or action that affects the liver such as liver inflammation, drinking alcohol, etc…
- Kidney diseases.
- Starvation
- Low levels of hormones that oppose the action of insulin. Normally, they increase blood sugar levels such as growth hormone.
- Some medications decrease glucose levels such as anti-malarial drugs.
- Tumor in the pancreas that stimulates the excessive release of insulin.
- Tumor in the brain. The brain has the pituitary gland which is the master gland that regulates different glands in the body including the pancreas.
- During cancer treatment. Some doctors use the idea of decreasing glucose supply to the cancer cells. Cancer cells use multiple amounts of glucose more than normal cell usage. A study in Medical Hypotheses Journal in June 2019
- A meal that is rich in fats and carbohydrates. This meal stimulates the release of too much insulin from the pancreas into the blood.
- Deficiency of glucagon. Some diseases can affect the cells responsible for the release of Glucagon.
Awareness of hypoglycemia
If you have any condition or disease that affect the levels of sugar in the blood, you should take care and be aware of your glucose blood levels. If you don’t have any disease or condition, then try to be aware of any symptom that indicates low sugar levels. In the case of no symptom, it is safe to monitor your self periodically.
Studies show that different periods of newborn delivery can affect their blood sugar such as the study in Pediatrics and Neonatology Journal in August 2018 that shows that if early delivery of newborns makes them at higher risk of developing low levels of blood sugar.
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