October 23, 2008
LIVESTRONG.COM
Hypoglycemia, low blood sugar, can be a serious pathologic state leading to fatigue, coma, or death. Learn more about hypoglycemia in this health video.
Dr. Susan McGladdery is a medical graduate from Oxford University in the UK and has a Master's Degree in Medical Sciences from Cambridge University. She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians since 1991 and a member of the American Academy of Urgent Care since 2006. She trained as a Family Physician in the UK in Oxford and then in London. In a medical career that spans over 20 years, she has worked as a doctor in 5 countries on 3 continents and cared for patients from a multitude of different nationalities and backgrounds. Dr. McGladdery joined FirstMed Centers in mid 2002 and became Regional Medical Director in 2003.
DR. SUSAN MCGLADDERY: Hello, my name is Dr. Susan McGladdery. I'm the Medical Director from FirstMed Centers in Budapest, Hungary. I'd like to talk to you about hypoglycemia. This occurs when a person's blood sugar level becomes abnormally low. It's a potentially serious condition. Your body, especially the brain and the nervous system needs a certain level of sugar or glucose in order to function, not too much and not too little. If your blood glucose level is not right, your body will react by showing certain symptoms. People with diabetes may experience hypoglycemia if they don't eat enough or if they take too much of their insulin. So, what are the symptoms of hypoglycemia? Some of the symptoms are caused by the extra adrenaline, that's our bodies release to prevent the blood sugar falling too low. These high blood levels of adrenaline can make the skin become pale and sweaty, and a person may also notice symptoms such as shakiness, anxiety, and feeling of the heart beating rapidly. Other symptoms of hypoglycemia are caused when not enough glucose gets to the brain. Symptoms include headache, extreme feelings of hunger, blurry or double vision, fatigue, and weakness. In the worst case, confusion, seizures, and even loss of consciousness or coma can occur. So, who gets hypoglycemia? Well, anyone on medication to blood sugar for diabetes can get hypoglycemia. Likewise, poisoning or overdose of some substances including alcohol and certain drugs can also cause hypoglycemia. People with certain types of cancer or severe chronic illnesses may also get hypoglycemia. There are also some very rare genetic forms of hypoglycemia. For most of us who periodically get that hypoglycemic feeling, in fact, the blood sugar level is usually normal. Most likely, we are just more sensitive to the changes in the blood sugar level even though the blood sugar doesn't actually drop below the normal level. If you're otherwise healthy and you notice that you have occasional hypo-like feelings, try a diet that's lower in simple sugars, reduce your stress level, and cut down on the intake of caffeinated drinks, and increase the amounts of complex carbohydrates that you eat. In other words, follow a healthy diet. If this doesn't work, then you should go and talk to your doctor.
Member Comments