Fact Checked
Hypoglycemia is a health issue that is characterized by an abnormal reduced level of blood sugar which is the main source of energy by the body. Hypoglycemia is linked with the management of diabetes, but there are conditions that cause low blood sugar in people without diabetes.
If you will enroll in a first aid course, you will learn how to determine if an individual is hypoglycemic and the appropriate steps to take to prevent the condition from worsening.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia
The body needs a steady supply of sugar for it to function properly. Once the glucose level is low, it affects the brain with the following symptoms.
- Visual disturbances such as double vision and blurred vision
- Loss of unconsciousness
- There is confusion and abnormal behavior such as the inability to complete tasks
- Seizures
- Other signs and symptoms include shakiness, sweating, hunger, heart palpitations, anxiety and tingling sensations felt around the mouth.
Causes of hypoglycemia
- Some medications or combinations of medication that diabetics use causes the increase in insulin that helps the body store and use glucose, and sometimes the increase in insulin causes low blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
- Some medications for diabetes like metformin or glimepiride and used in combination with other medications can also cause low blood sugar levels.
- Not following proper eating plan such as skipping meals or snacks and eating inadequate portions can cause lowering of the blood sugar levels.
- Doing strenuous physical activities can also reduce blood sugar levels and drinking alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, if consumed in an empty stomach.
- Surgeries that remove some portions of the stomach can also cause hypoglycemia because enzymes and hormones that aids in the digestion are drastically reduced.
- A pancreatic tumor can cause production of excessive insulin that can lead to fasting hypoglycemia and some autoimmune disorders can cause lowering of the sugar level.
An untreated hypoglycemia can result in loss of consciousness, seizures, and death especially people suffering from diabetes.
Treatment and home remedies
- Eating something that is sweet that contains simple sugars. Simple sugars can break down into glucose and can be absorbed in the bloodstream like hard candies and fruit juice.
- Take smaller meals frequently since the blood sugar level drop between meals, thus it is important to eat more often in order to prevent in the decrease in the blood sugar level.
- Eat more complex carbohydrate or starches during every meal. Complex carbohydrates can be broken down into glucose and will be the basis of each meal.
- People suffering from severe hypoglycemia should be injected with glucagon directly into the vein since it quickly raises the level of blood sugar in the body.
- For a severe hypoglycemia, provide the person with intravenous dextrose if he/she is having a seizure or in a state of coma.