Hypoglycemia is a low level of blood sugar. A person may tremble, feel nervous or jittery, break out in a cold sweat, have a headache, or feel sick to the stomach.
If blood sugar, also called glucose, continues to fall, a person may experience mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, restlessness, anger, or confusion. And they may have symptoms such as weakness, blurred vision, dizziness, fatigue, and poor coordination.
Hypoglycemia may also result from taking certain medicines or drinking alcohol. It can also be caused by certain health problems, such as not processing carbohydrates properly or having an enzyme deficiency. Sometimes the cause is unknown.
Treatment for a sudden (acute) episode of hypoglycemia involves eating or drinking some form of sugar to restore blood sugar to a normal level. Episodes of hypoglycemia caused by a health condition are treated the same way. But to prevent future episodes of hypoglycemia, treatment or cure of the long-term condition is needed.
Symptoms can be different depending on how low your blood sugar level drops. For example:
If you've had low blood sugar during the night, you may wake up tired or with a headache. And you may have nightmares. Or you may sweat so much during the night that your pajamas or sheets are damp when you wake up.
You can treat a sudden episode of low blood sugar by eating or drinking something with sugar in it. Some examples of "quick-sugar foods" are fruit juice, regular (not diet) soda, and hard candy. You may also take glucose tablets. This is usually all that's needed to get your blood sugar level back up in the short term.
If your low blood sugar is caused by a health condition, you may need treatment for that condition. There also may be steps you can take to avoid low blood sugar. For example, talk to your doctor about whether changes in your diet, medicines, or exercise habits might help.
If you have a health problem that tends to cause low blood sugar, it's a good idea to teach your family, friends, and coworkers about what symptoms to watch for and what to do. You may also want to wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace.
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your health and any medicines you take. You will need blood tests to check your blood sugar levels. Some tests might include not eating (fasting) and watching for symptoms. Other tests might involve eating a meal that could cause symptoms of low blood sugar several hours later. The results of these types of tests can help diagnose the cause.
You may also need tests to look for or rule out health problems that could be affecting your blood sugar levels.
To quickly raise your blood sugar, eat or drink something with sugar in it, such as hard candy or fruit juice. Keep these "quick-sugar foods" handy. Try not to miss meals. Learn the symptoms of low blood sugar so you can act quickly. Tell friends and loved ones what to watch for.
You may have briefly felt the effects of low blood sugar when you've gotten really hungry or exercised hard without eating enough. This happens to nearly everyone from time to time. It's easy to correct and usually is nothing to worry about.
But low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can also be an ongoing problem. It occurs when the level of sugar in your blood drops too low to give your body energy.
Ongoing problems with low blood sugar can be caused by:
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