For the majority of diabetics, managing blood sugar means making sure that it doesn't increase beyond safe levels. High blood sugar can contribute to heart disease, nerve damage, blindness and even loss of limbs. But for some diabetics, ensuring that their blood glucose levels don't dip too low can be just as serious. The goal is to manage their blood glucose levels through a combination of diet, exercise and medications.
Normal Blood Sugar Ranges
Glucose circulates in the blood after carbohydrates are digested in the small intestine. As the body's primary fuel source, blood sugar is managed by the body through a number of complex mechanisms, all designed to maintain average blood sugar levels between 70 to 110 mg/dl. High carbohydrate meals and diabetes can cause blood glucose levels to temporarily spike. Fasting, exercise and a number of other factors can cause blood glucose to drop.
Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar
Active muscles consume glucose in the blood because it is readily available and normally in ample supply. However, after extended bouts of moderate to high intensity exercise, diabetics may experience dramatic drops in their glucose levels below 70 mg/dl. When this happens, they may experience fatigue, anxiety, weakness and begin to shake or sweat profusely. If the blood sugar levels continue to drop below 40 mg/dl, they may experience slurred speech, muscle twitching or personality changes like anger, crying, confusion and inability to concentrate. If glucose levels fall below 20 mg/dl, seizures, loss of consciousness, stroke or even death can result.
Changes in Medications That Cause Low Blood Sugar
Drops in blood sugar levels can also be blamed on adverse reactions to medications, either the dosage or the choice of medication. Some of the more common oral medications include sulfonylureas like glipizide, glyburide or glimepiride. Non-sulfonylurea medications like metformin, rosiglitazone and piogliatazone can also cause rapid drops in blood glucose levels, especially when there are complications with the timing of exercise and diet. Type I diabetics who depend on injectable insulin experience many of the same types of symptoms as those taking oral hypoglycemic drugs. All of these drops in blood glucose can usually be rectified by eating some form of fast-acting sugar like hard candy or fruit juice.
