INFORMATION ON HYPOGLYCEMIA
Hypoglycemia is a medical term referring to a pathologic state produced by a lower than normal amount of sugar in the blood. Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, occurs when your blood glucose level drops too low to provide enough energy for your body's activities. In adults or children older than 10 years, hypoglycemia is uncommon except as a side effect of diabetes treatment, but it can result from other medications or diseases, hormone or enzyme deficiencies, or tumors.Hypoglycemia can produce a variety of symptoms and effects but the principal problems arise from an inadequate supply of glucose as fuel to the brain, resulting in impairment of function. Derangements of function can range from vaguely feeling bad to coma, and permanent brain damage or death. Hypoglycemia can arise from many causes and can occur at any age. The most common forms of moderate and severe hypoglycemia occur as a complication of treatment of diabetes mellitus with insulin or oral medications
SYNONYMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
Synonyms and other related keywords:
1. Glucopenia
2. Low serum glucose
3. Hyperinsulinism
4. Glycogen storage disease
5. Excessive glucose utilization
6. Glucose underproduction
7. Ketotic hypoglycemia
CAUSES OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
It can occur in some people under certain conditions such as early pregnancy, prolonged fasting, and long periods of strenuous exercise.
Drinking alcohol can cause blood sugar to drop in some sensitive individuals, and hypoglycemia has been well documented in chronic alcoholics and binge drinkers.
Some of these causes are represented by single case reports.
1. Prematurity
2. Intrauterine growth retardation
3. Smaller of twins
4. Severe infant respiratory distress syndrome
5. Maternal toxemia
6. Perinatal asphyxia
7. Critical illness
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include:
1 Hunger, nervousness and shakiness
2 Perspiration,dizziness or light-headedness
3 Sleepiness, confusion, difficulty speaking
4 Feeling anxious or weak
5 Poor sleep, Anxiety and/or depression
6 Feeling faint, Overweight
7 Hyperventilation or shortness of breath
DIAGNOSIS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
Hypoglycemia is difficult to diagnose, and the range of symptoms you may have will often send your doctor off on other trails. Medical diagnosis is a very complex art/science and it is often difficult to separate causes from effects, symptoms from diseases.
Blood glucose levels are measured while the person is experiencing those symptoms and found to be 45 mg/dL or less in a woman or 55 mg/dL or less in a man
Blood glucose can be easily measured by blood testing in a doctor's office. Home test kits are also available for rapid glucose measurement.
TREATMENT OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
Urgent initial treatment to raise your blood sugar level
Treatment of the underlying condition that's causing your hypoglycemia, to prevent it from recurring
It may be possible for you to take glucose tablets or eat food or candy to raise your blood sugar level.
If your symptoms are more severe, impairing your ability to take sugar by mouth, you may need intravenous glucose or an injection of glucagon.
Treatment may also include taking glucagon, a protein hormone secreted by the pancreas to stimulate the liver to produce glucose. If the hypoglycemia is a result of an insulin-producing tumor in the pancreas, the tumor is usually removed surgically. Chronic hypoglycemia in persons without diabetes may benefit from eating frequent, small meals.
