-A Low Blood Sugar Condition.
Low blood glucose, also called low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, occurs when the level of glucose in your blood drops below what is healthy for you. Hypoglycemia is common for people with diabetes, especially Type 1 Diabetes.
For many people with diabetes, this means a blood glucose reading lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (as per American Diabetes Association).However, for you the number might be different, so check with your doctor or health care team to find out what blood glucose level is low for you.
WHAT IS BLOOD SUGAR?
-Understanding Blood Sugar levels
Glucose (sugar) mainly comes from carbohydrates in the food and drinks you consume. It’s your body’s main source of energy. Your blood carries glucose to all of your body’s cells to use for energy. Glucose is very important because it’s the primary source of energy for your brain.
If you don’t have diabetes, several bodily processes naturally help keep your blood glucose in a healthy range. Insulin, a hormone your pancreas makes, is the most significant contributor to maintaining healthy blood sugar. Glucagon is another important hormone in this process.
People who have diabetes must use medication, like oral diabetes medications or synthetic insulin, and/or lifestyle changes to help keep their blood sugar levels in range.
Low blood sugar or HYPOGLYCEMIA often happens due to excess insulin — whether your body naturally makes too much or you inject too much synthetic insulin. Other hormonal and metabolic issues can also lead to low blood sugar.
If your blood sugar drops below the healthy range, it causes certain symptoms like shakiness and a faster heartbeat and can be life-threatening if it goes too low. This is because your brain needs a continuous supply of glucose to function properly. Without enough glucose, your brain can’t function.
HOW COMMON IS LOW BLOOD SUGAR OR HYPOGLYCEMIA?
-It is common among Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Low blood glucose is common among people with type 1 diabetes and among people with type 2 diabetes who take insulin or some other diabetes medicines. In a large global study of people with diabetes who take insulin, 4 in 5 people with type 1 diabetes and nearly half of those with type 2 diabetes reported a low blood sugar event at least once over a 4-week period.
Severely low blood glucose, defined as when your blood glucose level drops so low you can’t treat it yourself, is less common. Among Indian adults with diabetes who take insulin or some diabetes medicines that help the pancreas release insulin into the blood, 2 in 100 may develop severely low blood glucose each year.
WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA?
-Diabetes, Lack of Carbohydrates, Skipping Meals, Exercise, Medication Mishaps, Drinking Alcohol, Weight loss, Tight Blood sugar control, Kidney disease etc are the leading causes for Hypoglycemia.
If you have diabetes and take insulin or oral medications that stimulate insulin secretion, there are a number of factors that can cause hypoglycemia, including the following.
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Lack of Carbohydrates
Carbs are the body's main source of glucose, so if you don't eat enough of them, your blood sugar may dip. This is especially possible if you reduce the number of carbs you're taking in but fail to adjust your medication accordingly.
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Delaying or Skipping Meals
If you take insulin or oral medications for diabetes, eating a meal later than you planned or skipping it altogether can result in hypoglycemia. Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not you should also skip your medication if you skip a meal.
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Exercise
Exercise is an essential component of a sound diabetes management strategy. It's great for helping to reduce your blood sugar levels, lose weight, burn calories, and have more energy.
If you have diabetes, however, and you exercise without eating, exercise more than you normally do, or you delay your meal, you may become hypoglycemic.
Make sure you take a snack along with you for before or after your workout, as well as a fast-acting source of carbohydrates like raisins, juice, or jellybeans, in case your blood sugar gets too low.
Medication Mishaps
Taking too much insulin or oral diabetes medication can cause hypoglycemia. Always take the dose specifically prescribed for you.
Not sticking to your medication schedule can also have a significant effect on blood sugar level. And if you don't give your healthcare provider an accurate sense of how you take your medication, they may prescribe higher doses to try and "manage" your high blood sugar.
If this happens and you then decide to take your medicine, you run the risk of hypoglycemia.
Drinking Alcohol
If you're taking insulin or an oral diabetes medication, drinking alcohol can cause hypoglycemia.
This doesn't mean that you can't enjoy alcoholic beverages, but you need to consume them safely and be careful about checking your blood sugar levels while you do.
Weight Loss
Losing weight can make you more sensitive to insulin, resulting in needing less or no medication. If you continue to take the same medication dose after losing weight you may experience hypoglycemia due to increased sensitivity.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about potentially reducing your dose if you're losing weight.
Tight Blood Sugar Control
It's important to realize that the tighter your glucose control, the higher your risk of hypoglycemia, especially early in treatment.
If you're on tight glucose control, you need to be given the proper tools, knowledge, and support to avoid severe hypoglycemic episodes while continuing to maintain glucose levels in the target range.
Once in awhile, hypoglycemia is normal, but if it keeps happening, you should talk to your healthcare provider about steps to stop your blood sugar from dropping to emergency levels.
Kidney Disease
One complication of diabetes is kidney disease, which can result in your kidneys taking longer to clear insulin from your system. This can potentially result in hypoglycemia.
