Hypoglycemia is a condition involving a low blood sugar level. It usually affects adults and children over 10 years of age. Symptoms include feeling tired, fatigued, anxious, hungry, light-headed, sometimes with excessive perspiration and/or dizziness.

Most cases of hypoglycemia happen with diabetics. A reaction might not be serious and eating carbohydrate rich food or drinking sugar can usually take care of it. However, these potential symptoms should not be ignored, because if it is ignored, it may cause a person to lose consciousness.

Hypoglycemia also affects people who are not diabetic. It can occur when someone is fasting or has gone without food for a while, and may even be associated or confused with another illness or possibly certain medications. And some hypoglycemia happens within about 4 hours of eating a meal and may actually be caused from processed foods or refined sugars.

What to do to keep from getting hypoglycemia. Ironically, avoiding sugar seems to help the most. Oftentimes, this is easier said than actually done. Just stop eating any simple sugars. Try it and you may find a significant change in your energy levels. Also try eating small meals frequently, with 4-5 small meals throughout the day and be sure to have some fiber also. Regular exercise can help, with your workouts being 3-4 times a week for around 45 minutes at a time.

If you suffer from hypoglycemia, there are some precautions that you should think about doing. You could wear a bracelet with the condition on it in case of emergencies, and your local pharmacy should have them for sale. Notify your friends and co-workers about your symptoms so they can watch out for you and remind you to eat when you appear to become irritable or fatigued. Keep snacks on hand and remember to eat regularly to keep your blood sugar levels consistent. Be sure to limit alcohol consumption. And always check your glucose levels before using heavy machinery, driving or doing anything strenuous.

Copyright 2005.



Thanks to Jessica Deets for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Best Blood Glucose Monitor

“Hypoglycemia” in medical terms means low blood sugar (glucose). Very often when people say they have hypoglycemia, they are describing a series of symptoms (feeling hungry, anxious or nervous, chronic fatigue, bad quality sleep, depression, feeling faint and being weighted down by being overweight for example) that occur when the body overreacts to the rise in blood sugar resulting in a rapid or excessive fall in the blood sugar level. This is sometimes called “reactive hypoglycemia”.

Natural Hypoglycemia Treatment

Clinic data shows that people with hypoglycemia usually improve when they take up a hypoglycemia treatment(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html) program and remove refined sugars and alcohol from their diet, eat foods high in fiber (such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts), and eat smaller but more frequent meals. Doctors might also recommend a high protein, low carbohydrate diet as natural hypoglycemia treatment. This approach is particularly effective among people who do not improve sufficiently with the natural hypoglycemia treatment of a high-fiber, high-complex-carbohydrate diet.

No more coffee

Reducing stress is highly prioritized by doctors as a means of natural treatment of hypoglycemia(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html). Natural hormones might be prescribed, which could provide one of the easiest solutions to resting the stress gland and easing the symptom of hypoglycemia. Any dose of caffeine might cause an increase in the symptoms of hypoglycemia. For this reason, natural hypoglycemia treatment requires that caffeinated beverages (such as tea, coffee and some kinds of soda drinks) be avoided.

If the natural hypoglycemia treatment of frequent, small, high-protein, low-carbohydrate meals is applied but the hypoglycemia patient sees little improvement, hospitalization for intravenous glucose injections is often required. In cases of pituitary or adrenal insufficiency, hormone replacement may be prescribed. For hypoglycemia(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/Hypoglycemia.html) due to an insulin-producing tumor, hypoglycemia treatment such as radical surgical removal of the tumor is usually recommended.



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Latest Diabetes Research

Glucose is the body’s fuel. Our brains require it to function properly and our muscles require it to move. It is the food for all of our cells. Therefore, it is important to maintain normal blood glucose levels for our bodies to function properly.

A normal blood sugar level is between 60-100 mg/dl. Your level raises some after a meal and it is lower in the morning when you first awaken. But your blood sugar level should never go below 60 mg/dl if you are not a diabetic. If you have a problem with your blood sugar dropping, commonly called hypoglycemia, you should see your doctor.

Hypoglycemia can be caused by many different things. Most cases of hypoglycemia will occur in people who have diabetes. If a diabetic has a decreased appetite or skips a meal and does not adjust their insulin or oral diabetic medicine to compensate, they will have a drop in blood sugar. But there are other conditions that can cause hypoglycemia also. Let’s look at a few of them.

Cancer can be a cause of low blood sugar. Chemotherapy will decrease the appetite or lead to nausea and vomiting. Food does not taste the same to people who have had chemotherapy. Skipping meals or eating very little will cause a drop in blood sugar levels.

Excessive alcohol consumption can stop your body from producing glucose which causes your body to use up all of its stored glycogen. This will only occur if you are drinking very heavily and have had nothing to eat.

Liver disease can cause low blood sugar because the liver is a key organ in glucose production. The kidney is also an important organ in glucose production and conditions such as kidney failure will cause hypoglycemia.

A beta cell tumor of the pancreas, called insulinoma, can cause hypoglycemia by causing an overproduction of insulin. Insulin is what controls the amount of glucose in your blood and too much insulin will cause a drop in blood glucose.

Endocrine deficiencies will cause hypoglycemia. The endocrine system is a network of glands that produce hormones that regulate processes throughout the body. These glands are the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, ovaries and testicles. Certain disorders of the adrenal glands or the pituitary gland can interfere with glucose production and cause hypoglycemia.

It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. These symptoms may include:

* Confusion or abnormal behavior

* Visual disturbances, such as double vision or blurred vision

* Occasionally seizures

* Loss of consciousness

* Heart palpitations

* Shaking

* Anxiety

* Sweating

* Hunger

If you think someone is having a hypoglycemic episode, it is important to call for help and try to raise their blood sugar as fast as possible. Brain and organ damage can result if their level drops too low for any amount of time. If they are still awake and able to drink, have them drink a glass of juice. It will help if you can add some sugar packets to it. If they are unconscious or bordering on becoming unconscious, get some sugar and place it under their tongue. This area is highly vascular and the sugar will absorb into the bloodstream fast.

Low blood sugar is not for diabetics only. It can happen to almost anyone at anytime without warning.



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Symptoms Of Type II Diabetes

Blood sugar is the measurement of glucose in the blood. Normal blood sugar is essential to living a vigorous and happy existence. It is also good to note that most body tissues depend on blood sugar for their energy, especially the nerves and the brain. A normal blood sugar level is somewhere between 70mg and 150mg. An abnormal blood sugar level is a number that falls above or below the aforementioned numbers.

The fact is that blood sugar levels do fluctuate in the body; always with the aim of balance. You will find the levels at their highest just after you have eaten and lower when you are hungry.

When they are at lower levels, you will often find that you may be dizzy, irritable, or have a headache. While these bouts of low blood sugar levels are experienced by everyone, the problem is more prevalent in people with diabetes who use insulin. The use of too much insulin can send more glucose in the bloodstream than is needed. As a result the blood sugar levels plummet and this is known as hypoglycemia. If this is left unchecked it can lead to coma or even death.

On the opposite end of hypoglycemic is hyperglycemia or high blood glucose. This is a condition that develops when there is too much sugar in the blood. Again this is dangerous for people with diabetes. If a diabetic has hyperglycemia frequently or for long periods of time there can be damage to nerves, blood vessels and other body organs.

Other conditions that can occur as result of blood sugar levels being too high or too low are hyperinsulinism, functional hypoadrenia, and malabsorption. And because the nervous system is reliant upon sufficient sugar levels, many “nerve” conditions such as the inability to think, poor memory, depression, anxiety, moodiness, and even suicidal thoughts can develop.

As far as symptoms of imbalances blood sugar levels, they included:

Fatigue Headaches Allergies Shakiness Numbness in arms and legs Visual disturbances Shortness in breath Dizziness/ light headed Sensitive to bright lights Rheumatoid-type of pain Backaches Loss of libido Emotional Sensitivity

It is important to take the time to understand how blood sugar levels are balanced in the body. By doing so you are able to note any symptoms and take action before the issue gets worse.

One of the best sources for taking care of blood sugar level imbalance is a proper diet. This diet should be high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and it is a wise choice to eat a good amount of the foods in raw form. You should also get exercise by taking a walk, playing with your kids, dancing or any other activity that you enjoy. In addition take the time to relax and release the stress of the day. Meditate, pray, read a good book, garden, journal, or do something that relaxes the mind.

Remember you do not have to be diabetic to have issues with an imbalance in your blood sugar levels. So pay attention to what your body is saying.



Thanks to Diana Walker for contributing this article to our Diabetes blog:

Management Of Diabetes Mellitus