Symptoms Of Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia can be confused with other, similar conditions in the body when blood sugar drops. In fact, it may even happen that the body does not notice the consumption of carbohydrate-rich food.

Find out about the most common symptoms of hypoglycemia so you can recognize them in time and treat them appropriately.

Hypoglycemia is considered to occur in the body when blood glucose, which is blood sugar , drops. Hypoglycaemia is a condition where there is less than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL) of glucose in the blood plasma. Then we are talking about the state of low sugar.

The reasons are different. However, it is extremely important to understand how our body acquires glucose and how it loses it. Our attention should be drawn to the acquisition mechanism that explains what causes the symptoms of hypoglycemia. 

Hypoglycemia and the importance of glucose in the body

Where does our glucose come from? Man acquires it from food. We do not mean only sweets and dishes full of sugar. Our body extracts glucose molecules from fruits and vegetables.

To be effective, glucose must enter the tissue cells. There, it will turn into energy fuel for the functions of every cell in the body. This process of introducing cells is regulated by insulin.

The insulin antagonist is glucagon, another hormone produced in the pancreas. The job of glucagon is to stimulate the liver to break down stored glycogen and to circulate glucose in the blood. Basically, we’d say insulin lowers blood sugar and glucagon increases it.

In this hormonal game, among other factors, the symptoms of hypoglycemia can appear. It can take a mild or severe form, depending on the amount of glucose still in our blood.

Hypoglycaemia – symptoms in a mild form of hypoglycaemia

Many times, when symptoms of mild hypoglycemia do appear, they are almost imperceptible. We are talking then about asymptomatic hypoglycemia. Remember that there is a drop in blood sugar that is not strong enough to affect our body strongly.

Among the symptoms that accompany a mild form of hypoglycemia, we can distinguish:

• Sweating a lot.
• Headache.
• Dizziness.
• Movement coordination disorders.
• Changes in vision.
• Somnolence.
• Sometimes, more than sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating is expressed, as if the mind is dull.
• Seizures.

Symptoms of severe hypoglycaemia

In the extreme case where the hypoglycemia is particularly severe and the blood sugar level has dropped drastically, we can list the following symptoms:

• Seizures: Usually in the form of strenuous muscle movements such as involuntary jerks.
• Fainting with unconsciousness: which can last for a long time and with problems regaining consciousness.
• Inability to eat – sometimes as a symptom of isolated hypoglycaemia and sometimes as part of a seizure or fainting.

The causes of hypoglycemia

There are five causes that can lead to hypoglycaemia and its symptoms. These are generally preventable causes, with the exception of insulinosis, which is rare after all.

Here are the 5 main causes that lead to hypoglycaemia:

• Diabetes mellitus : paradoxically, although it is a pathology that increases blood sugar, it is also the most common cause of hypoglycemia. This is due to the measures used to treat diabetes. At the beginning of treatment, until an appropriate dose is found or because your diabetes routine is changed, blood glucose levels may drop rapidly. Hypoglycaemia is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes treatment.
• Alcohol: In alcoholics, symptoms of hypoglycaemia are not uncommon. The primary mechanism is that the liver releases glucose by slowing down. This is often combined with long periods of fasting in the alcoholic who is not eating enough or in a timely manner.
• Prolonged fasting and inadequate diet: If we spend long periods of time fasting without eating, no matter how well glucagon works in the beginning, there will come a time when it goes to insufficient levels. Diseases such as anorexia, such as anorexia nervosa, cause prolonged fasting. Glucose does not enter the body without eating. 

• Drugs: In addition to the drugs used to treat diabetes, there are other drugs that have a risk of hypoglycemia among their side effects. We can replace quinine – once used to treat malaria – or gatifloxacin – a known antibiotic.
• Insulinoma, or insulin tumor:  is a tumor in the pancreas that results from an overgrowth of insulin-producing cells. This tumor produces insulin, so the main symptom of this tumor is the hypoglycemia described in this article.

Hypoglycaemia in pregnancy

Hypoglycemia during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. The specialist’s vigilance and control in this regard will be extremely important.

We must then pay special attention to the woman’s glucose levels in the body.  Women experience symptoms of low blood sugar. If this problem is not mitigated, the fetus is exposed to various types of defects, such as microcephaly. 

Hypoglycemia – how to treat, what to do?

As we have seen, the symptoms of hypoglycaemia can take a mild or more severe form. Based on the presented classification, we should select the appropriate therapy and treatment in the fight against symptoms.

Among these necessary and effective preparations, we can find, for example, a glass of water with two tablespoons of sugar, or a very sweet drink, both still and in the form of soda.

On the other hand, in the case of severe hypoglycaemia, the patient is very often unconscious or troubled with nagging convulsions. In such a situation, it will not be possible to provide a meal or a drink.

In these situations, specialists use hormone glucagon, injected into the body. So remember that this form of hypoglycemia requires the help of another person to administer carbohydrates, glucagon or take other measures to neutralize the hypoglycemia.