Glucose supplements are used to treat low blood sugars since glucose is sugar. Low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia, can occur when the body's glucose is used up too quickly and not replaced in a dietary or supplement form. For instance, if you exercise without fueling your body with adequate glucose, a hypoglycemia condition may result. Hypoglycemia is common in people with diabetes either because they did not consume enough food, took too much insulin or increased their exercise without proper food intake. Glucose supplements are a quick way to replenish the body of sugar until proper food is consumed.
Reversing Irritability and Anxiety
When blood glucose levels initially fall below 70mg/dl, symptoms include irritability and anxiety. This is the body's way of alerting you that something is wrong. Ideally, you should recognize these clues and take a glucose tablet to reverse these symptoms. However, anxiety and nervousness can be vague, thus not correlating it to blood sugar. In a diabetic, sugar levels will continue to fall until unconsciousness. At the first sign of irritability, check your sugar level and take a glucose tablet. Symptoms will reverse within 15 minutes.
Treating Weakness and Fatigue
Glucose supplements can treat weakness and fatigue associated with low blood sugars. Weakness and fatigue occur because the body's cells do not have enough glucose. The fuel, or energy, for the body is glucose. Without glucose, you cannot survive. Specifically, glucose enters the body's cells by special molecules called glucose transporters. Once inside the cell, glucose is burned to produce and store energy. This is especially important for skeletal muscle cells because they are used for exercise and physical movement. When cells lack glucose, overall fatigue and weakness result. Taking a glucose supplement will provide cell energy to combat fatigue and weakness.
Avoiding Headaches
Low blood sugar levels are associated with headaches. However, headaches can be dismissed for other reasons such as stress. Regardless, if you are a diabetic, you should check you blood sugar. If you are not a diabetic, a headache can still be a sign of low blood sugar, especially if you do not eat a balanced diet. The body and brain need glucose to function or side effects will result, according to the American Heart Association. If you have a headache, ensure proper intake of food to include a glucose tablet. The headache may not go away as readily as nervousness or fatigue, but, the brain will receive the energy it needs.
