Low blood sugar, also called low blood glucose or hypoglycemia, happens when the amount of sugar in the blood drops below 7 2mg/dL or 4.0 mmol/L. Low blood sugar can happen suddenly and usually is not serious if treated quickly by eating or drinking a small amount of glucose-rich food. If left untreated, low blood sugar can become dangerous, causing confusion or difficulties speaking; in severe episodes, it can lead to seizures or coma.
Food and Alcohol
Delayed or missed meals and snacks cause low blood sugar. Food provides the body with sugar, or glucose, in the form of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates give the body the energy it needs to keep functioning properly. Going too long in between meals and snacks can cause the body to run out of blood sugar and go low.
Not enough carbohydrates at a meal prevents the body from getting the sugar it needs to keep working and can cause hypoglycemia. Carbohydrate-rich foods include rice, bread, grains, pasta, cereals and fruit.
Low blood sugar can occur up to 12 hours after alcohol has been consumed. While the body is busy processing the alcohol, it is less able to maintain a healthy level of blood sugar. Alcohol also causes low blood sugar by interacting with some types of diabetes medications.
Physical Activity
Physical activity forces the body to use sugar more quickly for energy. This is generally considered to a be good thing for diabetic patients; however, being more active than normal or being active without having eaten in a long time can leave too little sugar left in the blood to maintain a normal level.
Medications
Certain types of diabetes pills work in the body by pushing the pancreas to produce more insulin. Other types slow down how quickly the body absorbs sugar from food, and some medications can prevent the body from releasing stored sugar into the bloodstream. Many people with type 2 diabetes also take insulin injections at some point in their life. Insulin directly lowers the blood sugar by allowing the sugar to enter into the body’s cells. Too much of any of these types of medications, or taking these medications without eating, can cause low blood sugar.
Weight loss allows the body to become more sensitive and receptive to insulin. Significant weight loss can affect the amount of medications required to control blood sugar and can cause lows if they are not adjusted to the correct dose.
