Blood sugar ( glucose) is the major sugar found in the human blood cell. It is the body’s primary source of energy and comes from the food we eat.
Our bodies break down most of the food we eat into smaller particles of glucose and release them into our bloodstream. This makes the food go up and prompts the pancreas to release insulin, which is a hormone that aids the glucose get into the cells and used as energy.
Low Blood Sugar
This is caused when the blood often goes below 70mg/dL. It is also termed as Hypoglycemia. Low blood sugar is mainly found in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
That being said, anyone can easily get low blood sugar without having diabetes. It comes as an effect of a lack of certain hormones (hormone deficiencies) and liver and kidney diseases.
Some “over-the-counter” medications can also cause low blood sugar (glucose).
Types of low blood sugar
There are two types of low blood sugar, which are
1. The Nighttime Hypoglycemia:
This happens mainly during the night while asleep. It can be caused as a result of too much intake of insulin, drinking alcohol late at night, being too active close to your bedtime, and being too busy during the day.
To prevent this from happening, you need to eat right after taking in too much alcohol before going to bed. You can also have snacks or eat something heavy before bed. Make sure to also have an excessive intake of water and a well-balanced diet at night.
2. Severe Hypoglycemia:
This type of low sugar happens when the blood sugar is as low as 54mg/dL. Because blood sugar is low, it may cause the affected person to faint. As blood sugar gets worse, one may experience more symptoms like weakness, severe headache, severe seizure, blareness in sight, and displaying strange activities.
Causes of Low Blood Sugar
These are a few causes of Low blood pressure that you might look out for:
- Severe
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Hot and humid weather
- Menstruating
- Quantities of fat, fiber, and protein in your meal
- Puberty growth
- Liver diseases
- Intake of medications such as insulin, glinides, and sepsis
- Kidney failure
- Time and amount of exercise
Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar
Many people react to low blood sugar differently from others. Some may be severe, while others may respond lightly.
- Severe shivering
- oversleeping
- Dizziness and weakness
- Sweating
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Tachycardia(fast heartbeat)
- Irritability
- Extreme hunger
- Looking pale
- Feeling nauseous
- Severe headache
How To Treat Low Blood Sugar
It is very important to know your sugar level in order to seek medical attention as soon as possible before it gets worse. You can also avoid low blood sugar in the following ways:
- Drink or eat 10–25 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates
- A person with low blood sugar between 55-69 mg/dL can treat it with the 15–15 rule: have 15 grams of carbs. Check it after 15 minutes. Repeat if they’re still below your target range.
- Injecting glucagon is the best way to treat severely low blood sugar.
- Intake of accolades may also be advisable.
- Make sure to check your sugar level from time to time.
- Eat more fruits.
It is advisable to visit the hospital for treatment if you try all these and they yield no response.
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