Glucose is main source of energy for the body's various metabolic processes. This sugar comes from the carbohydrate-rich foods we eat like rice, milk, fruit, bread and sweets. The levels of glucose in the bloodstream vary depending on the foods in your diet, your body's energy requirements, and the actions of several hormones including insulin. Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can result in severe health consequence symptoms including seizures.
Causes of Low Blood Sugar
One of the most common causes of hypoglycemia is taking medicines to treat diabetes. This condition results from the body's inability to produce or properly utilize insulin, the hormone that stimulates absorption of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. Medicines for diabetes increase the uptake of glucose, decreasing the sugar available in the blood. If a diabetic takes his medicines without eating a proper diet, hypoglycemia can result. Other causes of low blood sugar include fasting, and certain tumors that secrete excess insulin and other hormones that can lower blood glucose levels.
Symptoms
The symptoms of low blood sugar reflect the importance of normal glucose levels to the brain. As the blood supply of glucose decreases, you may feel dizziness, weakness, fatigue and headache. According to the Merck Manual, severe hypoglycemia causes confusion, slurred speech, seizures and loss of consciousness. Long standing severe hypoglycemia can lead to coma and permanent brain damage as well as prolonged seizures.
Types of Seizures
The usual seizures caused by hypoglycemia are generalized tonic-clonic seizures, also known as grand-mal seizures. These seizures manifest themselves as whole body shaking with muscles contracting and loosening in a rapid, disorganized way. Grand-mal seizures can cause difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and loss of bowel and bladder control. Persistent low sugar levels can lead to status epilepticus, a prolonged seizure state that can cause permanent brain damage.
Treatment and Prevention
Diabetics must be aware of their changing nutritional needs by frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels. An appropriately balanced diet, especially when taking glucose lowering medicines, is important to prevent episodes of hypoglycemia. Antiepileptic drugs given intravenously can control seizures. If the sugar level is low, sugar in any form, such as candy, glucose tablets or a sweet drink, can raise it. If hypoglycemia is severe, doctors may give sugar intravenously to prevent brain damage. An injection of glucagon can also rapidly increase blood glucose levels.
