Low Blood Sugar Symptoms

Low blood sugar, which is also commonly referred to as hypoglycemia, is a condition that can sometimes be dangerous.

Generally, this condition occurs in those who have diabetes and who also take medications that are designed to increase the body’s insulin levels.

Low blood sugar symptoms can occur whenever an individual either takes too much of their medication, eats less than they normally do, skips meals entirely, or exercises more than they usually do.

Glucose is another term that is used to describe blood sugar. This is something that comes from food and is one of the human body’s most important energy sources.

The main source of glucose is carbohydrates, which includes foods such as potatoes, bread, fruit, and more. Once you eat, glucose enters your bloodstream and travels to cells throughout your body.

Insulin, which is a hormone that is made in your pancreas, assists your cells with using glucose for energy. In the event that you eat more glucose than you actually need, it will either be stored in your muscles and liver or changed to fat in order to be used for energy later on.

If you don’t have enough glucose in your body, you won’t be able to perform normal tasks.

Those who don’t take medications to help increase their insulin levels generally have enough glucose to increase their blood sugar levels and, if needed, the liver will be able to produce more glucose.

On the other hand, for those who do take medications, reducing their blood sugar on a short-term basis can lead to a lot of issues.

If your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, then your blood sugar is officially considered to be low. When you have this kind of issue treated immediately, you can prevent all sorts of issues from developing, such as the following:

• Blurred vision
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sudden changes in mood/nervousness
• Unexplained fatigue
• Skin turning pale
• Headaches
• Hunger
• Shaking
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Unable to sleep
• Tingling skin
• Difficulty concentrating/thinking
• Loss of consciousness/coma/seizure

What Else Can Cause Low Blood Sugar?

You can also experience low blood sugar without actually having diabetes. Other issues that can cause this include the following:

• Medications such as quinine
• Medical conditions including kidney disorders and hepatitis
• Tumors that produce extra insulin
• Endocrine disorders like adrenal gland deficiencies

Those who have hypoglycemic unawareness are generally unaware that their blood sugar is dropping.

If this is a condition that you are dealing with, this can drop without you even knowing about it, and if you fail to get it treated, many things can happen, such as fainting, seizures, and a coma.

Furthermore, if you have very low blood sugar, this is considered to be a medical emergency.

If you or someone you know is a diabetic and are experiencing either mild to moderate symptoms, eat or drink 15 grams of digestible carbohydrates, which can come from the following:

1. Half of a cup of regular soda or juice
2. 1 tablespoon of honey
3. 4 or 5 regular saltine crackers
4. 3 or 4 pieces of glucose tablets or your favorite hard candy
5. 1 tablespoon of regular sugar

More severe reactions, such as unconsciousness, require the administering of a medication called glucagon, as well as contacting an ambulance right away.

Never give them anything by mouth, as this could cause them to choke. If you are at risk for low blood sugar, you should consider talking to your health provider about blood sugar supplements.

If left untreated, the symptoms of low blood sugar will generally get worse. Even if you aren’t diabetic, you should contact your doctor if you often experience low blood sugar levels and/or symptoms.