 Hypoglycemia is a state of low blood glucose that is usually caused under the influence of antidiabetic drugs or insulin. It happens because these medicines attempt to reduce the blood sugar and the person will have not had a meal that was large enough to prevent the glucose level in the blood from going below normal. The truth is that striking a perfect balance is difficult, which is why drops or spikes seem inevitable. However, you can have a fairly good idea as to how much food you should be eating by knowing the glycemic index of various foods and doing a calorie count for at least your regular meals.
The use of fast-acting insulin can increase the risk of hypoglycemia because its action may be at its maximum much before your digestive processes will have ceased. An individual’s blood sugar level can also drop if he forgets to have or delays his meal, eats very little, or exercises excessively or for a longer duration. Alcoholism is also known to lead to hypoglycemia because it affects the liver adversely. Often, periods of stress such as diseases or surgical interventions increase the energy demand of the body. If the calorie intake is lower during these periods, hypoglycemia can occur.
Since the brain requires a steady supply of glucose, a sudden drop in the blood sugar is bound to affect it very badly. That is why the patient falls unconscious. A blood sugar level between 50 and 60 mg/dl is referred to as mild hypoglycemia, whereas that between 20 and 50 mg/dl is moderate hypoglycemia. Any value that is lower than 20 mg/dl can send the patient into a state of coma or give rise to convulsions, which can prove fatal. However, the symptoms may not be in congruence with the blood glucose value. Therefore, the symptoms should be paid more attention to when managing such cases.
The manifestations of hypoglycemia vary from person to person and can include symptoms like confusion, disorientation, giddiness, weakness, tiredness, anxiety, palpitations, chilliness, headache, irritability, blurring of vision, trembling, drowsiness, and mood swings. Hypoglycemia can be treated very easily if you are sensitive enough to pick up the cues provided by your body. As soon as you realize that your blood sugar is probably dropping, you should eat or drink a sugary product that will act fast. Drinking a glass of fruit juice, chewing two or three sugar candies, or a few spoons of ice-cream should do the trick and get you up and running again.
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Tags: Alcoholism, Antidiabetic drugs, Blood sugar, Blurring of vision, Calorie count, Coma, Convulsions, Disorientation, Energy demand, Glycemic index, Headache, Hypoglycemia, Insulin, Low blood glucose, Palpitations, Stress
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