Hypoglycemia
What Is Hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar or low blood glucose. It can develop when your body has too much insulin and not enough glucose. To treat it quickly, eat some sugar. To keep it from happening too often, talk with your health care provider about adjusting your diet or your medications.
What Causes Hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia means your body doesn't have enough sugar. This can happen if you skip meals, delay them or eat too little. It can also happen if you take too much insulin or certain diabetes medications. It can happen if you take some other drugs while taking your diabetes medicine and it can even happen if you exercise more than normal.
Diabetes Medications
Sometimes the medicine you take for diabetes can help cause low blood glucose. Some of the medicines include:
- Insulin (too much of it)
- Sulfonylureas (like Glucotrol, Micronase, Glynase, or Amaryl)
- Meglitinides (like Prandin or Starlix)
- Diabinese (chlorpropamide)
- Orinase (tolbutamide)
- Tolinase (tolazamide)
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (like Glyset and Precose), thiazolidinediones (like Actos or Avandia), or biguanides (like Metformin or Glucophage) should not cause low blood sugar by themselves. But, if you take them with other diabetes medicines, they might.
Other drugs that can cause low blood sugar while taking diabetes drugs can include:
- Alcohol
- Aspirin
- Benemid or Probalan (probenecid)
- Coumadin (warfarin)
- Zyloprim (allopurinol)
Diet and Exercise
Low blood sugar can occur after you eat a meal high in simple sugars. This might be the case if you ate lots of starchy vegetables and dessert. It can also happen if you miss a scheduled snack, don't eat your whole meal, eat a meal later than planned or drink alcohol without eating any food.
Intense exercise may also trigger low blood sugar.
Medical conditions
Sometimes other medical conditions along with your diabetes can cause low blood glucose. For instance, if you experience certain kidney problems, your insulin might last longer than usual and cause a low blood sugar reaction.
Some medical conditions (such as thyroid problems, hormone deficiencies, certain tumors, or stomach surgery) can also lead to low blood glucose levels even if you don't have diabetes.
How Do You Know If You Have Hypoglycemia?
If your blood glucose level dips below 70 mg/dL you might - or might not - feel symptoms. The symptoms can vary from one person to another, and each person's symptoms can differ. In general, though, you might feel:
- Confused
- Dizzy or light-headed
- Hungry
- Nervous, shaky, or trembly
- Anxious or weak
- Irritable
- Sleepy
You might also experience:
- A headache
- Sweaty skin
- Pale skin
- Pounding heart or fast pulse
- Trouble speaking
- Poor coordination
Low blood sugar can occur whether you're awake or asleep. If you're sleeping and your blood sugar gets too low, you could:
- Have nightmares, or cry out in your sleep
- Feel cranky, tired, or confused when you wake up
- Notice that your sheets or nightclothes are damp from sweat
How Can You Treat Hypoglycemia?
If you think you have low blood glucose, check your level with a blood glucose meter. If your blood level measures 70 mg/dL or less, use a "fix-it-now" food to raise the level. Check your blood sugar level again in 15 minutes. If it's still low, eat another serving of a fix-it-now food.
Fix-It-Now Foods
- 2 or 3 glucose tablets (found at most drug stores)
- 1 tube of glucose gel (found at most drug stores)
- 4 - 6 pieces of hard candy (NOT sugar-free)
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) fruit juice
- 1 cup (8 ounces) skim milk
- 1/2 cup soft drink (NOT sugar-free or diet)
- 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar, honey, or corn syrup
How Can You Prevent Hypoglycemia?
Follow your meal plan the best you can and eat at regular times. Talk with your doctor about whether you need to adjust your exercise routine. Also, let your doctor know what other medicines you take.
If you often have low blood sugar, talk with your doctor. He or she may need to adjust your medication. Your doctor might also suggest eating more balanced meals full of whole grains or perhaps eating smaller meals more often during the day.
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Thursday
November 20, 2008
Tip of the Day
Regular exercise increases the number of insulin receptor sites on cells, making the body more sensitive to insulin.
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