Be Aware of Low Blood Glucose Level and Seek Advice to Improve the Condition
Low blood glucose level is a condition when the level of glucose in your blood drops below a certain point. It is also called as hypoglycemia. It may be caused when you eat too little or exercise more than usual or even if you have taken some diabetes medicine. Typically the low values considered as hypoglycemia are fasting glucose levels of 40mg/dL or 2.2mmol/L in women and below 50mg/dL or 2.8mmol/L in men. As high levels of blood glucose prove harmful for the body so do low blood glucose levels too lead to complications. There are several symptoms that need to be treated right away.
Causes of low blood glucose levels
Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas and helps the cells to absorb glucose from the blood. This glucose is the energy that they require to carry out various activities. Insulin helps keep the glucose levels in control. However, too much insulin in the blood causes hypoglycemic episodes. Similarly even if you skip meals and snacks or even if you do not eat enough meal your glucose levels may go low. Among the non diabetics it may be caused due to reactive hypoglycemia which is the overproduction of insulin by the body. It is a very common cause in overweight people. Low glucose levels may be caused due to a disease of the adrenal glands, weakening of pituitary glands, reduction in liver function; alcohol ingestion and sometime even cancer may be a cause.
Even diabetics may experience hypoglycemia. Low blood glucose levels may often be the result of medicines being taken to manage diabetes. These medicines usually work by taking the sugar out of the blood and providing it to the body’s cells that may make levels in the blood go down. Sometimes, there could be other reasons that may lead to lowering of blood glucose. If you take a hot shower or bath after having an insulin injection, it causes blood flow to increase through the blood vessels in the skin which can lead to quicker absorption of insulin than usual. Another possibility is if you inject the insulin shot into a muscle instead of a fatty layer under the skin. Likewise if you inject in a part of the body that is mostly used in a particular action or sport it may increase the chance of getting hypoglycemia.
Signs and symptoms of low blood glucose level
There can be different symptoms in different people when their blood glucose levels fall. Symptoms seen often may include a feeling of hunger or hunger pains, shaky feeling, and feeling sweaty or cold. Some may experience headaches, irritability, and crankiness. You may also feel drowsy, weak or unsteady and dizzy when walking. Blurring of vision, double vision, confusion, seizures and even losing consciousness may be among the symptoms of low blood glucose level. For diabetics very high glucose levels as well as very low levels of glucose are equally harmful. It is necessary to remember how your body reacts when the levels are low and understand that the levels have gone too low the next time it happens so that you can take steps to counter it.
Diagnosis and control
If you are experiencing the symptoms of low blood glucose levels contact your doctor and if possible get a home blood glucose apparatus or have test done to confirm the status. If the tests show your glucose level below 2.5mmol/L you have hypoglycemia. Test may also be conducted to find out if you have any tumor in the pancreas. If any other causes are detected specific treatment may be taken. When you experience symptoms of hypoglycemia, during exercises or sport try eating complex carbohydrates before you begin exercising or consume carbohydrates like glucose which you may get from sports drinks.
If you are feeling the symptoms of low blood glucose levels contact your doctor and have tests done immediately to prevent future problems.
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Source by Ann Nelson