The risks of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and what you can do about it
Posted: Wed May 22, 2024 3:52 pm
Your blood sugar level varies throughout the day, going up or down depending on the food you eat, how much exercise you do, the medications you take and even your stress level.
Most of the time you probably won't notice these variations because they are within what is considered the normal range. A blood sugar level below 70 mg/dL is considered low and can be dangerous, especially if you have diabetes.
Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia and is especially Ponatinix 15mg – Ponatinib common among patients with diabetes who take certain types of medications. A large global study found that 4 in 5 patients with type 1 diabetes and almost half of patients with type 2 diabetes reported low blood sugar at least once in a four-week period. 1
As long as you know the symptoms of hypoglycemia, there are many things you can do to bring your blood sugar back to a healthy level. However, if left untreated, hypoglycemia can cause serious side effects that could land you in the hospital.
The connection between hypoglycemia and diabetes
Your body converts carbohydrates from foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and breads into glucose, and requires insulin to transport it to cells and tissues for energy. Normally, when your blood sugar levels get too low, your body produces more glucose or releases extra glucose that has been stored in the liver and muscles.
However, in some patients with diabetes, there are difficulties in producing this response to normalize glucose. Certain medications used to treat diabetes, such as insulin, can also prevent glucose levels from easily returning to the target range.
What are the warning signs and symptoms that indicate low blood sugar?
For patients with diabetes, hypoglycemia occurs when there is too much insulin in the body. This can happen if you eat less than usual, skip meals, exercise more than usual, or don't eat enough carbohydrates for the amount of insulin (or other diabetes medication) you take. When this happens, you may experience symptoms such as sweating, shaking, fast heartbeat, feeling nervous or anxious, dizziness, hunger, and irritability.
Some people, particularly those with type 1 diabetes, who experience constant episodes of hypoglycemia, may develop inadvertent hypoglycemia. This is when you no longer experience the typical symptoms of low blood sugar and are therefore less likely to treat it. Inadvertent hypoglycemia is dangerous and puts you at risk of developing serious symptoms such as incoordination, confusion, seizures, fainting, and even death.
Most of the time you probably won't notice these variations because they are within what is considered the normal range. A blood sugar level below 70 mg/dL is considered low and can be dangerous, especially if you have diabetes.
Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia and is especially Ponatinix 15mg – Ponatinib common among patients with diabetes who take certain types of medications. A large global study found that 4 in 5 patients with type 1 diabetes and almost half of patients with type 2 diabetes reported low blood sugar at least once in a four-week period. 1
As long as you know the symptoms of hypoglycemia, there are many things you can do to bring your blood sugar back to a healthy level. However, if left untreated, hypoglycemia can cause serious side effects that could land you in the hospital.
The connection between hypoglycemia and diabetes
Your body converts carbohydrates from foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and breads into glucose, and requires insulin to transport it to cells and tissues for energy. Normally, when your blood sugar levels get too low, your body produces more glucose or releases extra glucose that has been stored in the liver and muscles.
However, in some patients with diabetes, there are difficulties in producing this response to normalize glucose. Certain medications used to treat diabetes, such as insulin, can also prevent glucose levels from easily returning to the target range.
What are the warning signs and symptoms that indicate low blood sugar?
For patients with diabetes, hypoglycemia occurs when there is too much insulin in the body. This can happen if you eat less than usual, skip meals, exercise more than usual, or don't eat enough carbohydrates for the amount of insulin (or other diabetes medication) you take. When this happens, you may experience symptoms such as sweating, shaking, fast heartbeat, feeling nervous or anxious, dizziness, hunger, and irritability.
Some people, particularly those with type 1 diabetes, who experience constant episodes of hypoglycemia, may develop inadvertent hypoglycemia. This is when you no longer experience the typical symptoms of low blood sugar and are therefore less likely to treat it. Inadvertent hypoglycemia is dangerous and puts you at risk of developing serious symptoms such as incoordination, confusion, seizures, fainting, and even death.