What Is Hypoglycemia? How Do You Know If You Have Hypoglycemia?


Methodology

Hypoglycemia is a condition that is caused by low blood sugar levels. Individuals recognized with this condition will have a blood glucose reading of less than 70 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).

Early diagnosis is essential to treat Hypoglycemia as once the condition gets worsened, it will become hard to treat and also its outcomes will become more severe over time. 

What Is Hypoglycemia? 

Hypoglycemia occurs when a person’s blood sugar range is lower than the standard level. The sugar in our body, which is often referred to as glucose, forms from the food we eat. The glucose thus formed is stored in our body as it is the major source of energy required by the body cells.

Therefore, a standard range of glucose must be maintained at any cost. However, the unhygienic eating habit, alcohol consumption, and access to diabetes medication, often leads to Hypoglycemia. 

Symptoms Of Hypoglycemia

During the early stages of Hypoglycemia, the symptoms may not be visible, making it hard to diagnose. However, common signs and symptoms of Hypoglycemia include fast heartbeat and palpitation, trembling, sweating, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue.

Diagnosis Of Hypoglycemia

On close observation, you will understand that none of these symptoms look any skeptical, and therefore, they are often neglected. 

Nevertheless, when Hypoglycemic effects get exceeded, you will start noticing severe symptoms like loss of consciousness, seizure, and come. These are the worst sides of Hypoglycemia, however, they are not reported very often as most Hypoglycemia patients get diagnosed in the early stages. 

Diagnosis Of Hypoglycemia

Every medical condition has its unique method of diagnosis and so does Hypoglycemia. However, the first step that has to be taken is similar in every case- consulting an experienced physician. This is advised because a self-diagnosis is not always accurate. 

Once you consult a doctor, you must make sure to disclose your entire medical history before them. You should also be flexible for medical evaluations that help identify the level of blood glucose in your body, such as blood glucose testing, Glucose Tolerance Test, and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). 

What Are Glucose Tolerance Tests And Continuous Glucose Monitoring? 

The Glucose Tolerance Test is carried out to check how efficient your body is in transferring sugar from the blood to other tissues and cells. Usually, this type of test is used to identify if a person is diabetic or not. 

Now, a CGM is used to measure your interstitial blood sugar range, which is the amount of glucose present in the liquid present between the cells. 

Although these are the diagnosis methods for Hypoglycemia, it is also mandatory to manage the condition once identified. 

Managing Hypoglycemia

Managing Hypoglycemia is not as complicated as its symptoms or its diagnosis. They are basically lifestyle habits that you can easily incorporate like ensuring regular meals, doing daily physical activities, alcohol moderation, and so on.

Medications and treatments are only required when you start noticing severe symptoms. When they are noticed, you can either for insulin therapy or can depend on oral glucose-lowering agents to maintain the blood glucose level in your body. 

Even if you are following all the recommended treatments and other measures, it is still necessary to communicate with your physician to make sure you are well-educated about your condition. 

How To Prevent Hypoglycemia? 

Complete prevention may not be possible however, it is still feasible to a certain extent. If you are a diabetic, then you may pay more attention to the insulin doses and if you are not, then you may simply adopt a healthy lifestyle. 

Conclusion

Hypoglycemia is not a rare medical condition anymore. It is the effect of your unhealthy lifestyle that is reflected in your body in the form of such ailments.

Although the symptoms are mostly negligible, it gets worse over time, making you feel exhausted. Therefore, an early diagnosis is recommended. 

Dr. Jun Ren is a dedicated and experienced registered dietitian and nutritionist who is committed to helping people achieve their health goals through personalized nutrition plans. With a passion for promoting healthy eating habits and preventing chronic diseases, Dr. Ren has been able to assist numerous clients in improving their overall quality of life.

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