A low blood sugar level Detected in our body is also called hypoglycemia or a “hypo”, the term is used for the indication level of sugar (glucose) in your blood drops too low.
It mainly affects those people who suffer from diabetes, especially if they take insulin.
A low blood sugar level is very dangerous if it’s not treated at the time or quickly, but you can usually treat it easily yourself in your natural ingredients easily available at home.
Symptoms of Low blood sugar
Low blood sugar can affect everyone in different ways. Your symptoms may change over time, but you will know how you feel.
Early signs of low blood sugar include:
- Sweat
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Hunger
- Tingling lips
- Feeling shaky or shivering
- Fast or rapid heartbeat (palpitations)
- You easily get angry, cry, worry, or feel bad.
- Pale Skin
If low blood sugar is left untreated, other symptoms may occur, such as:
- Weakness
- Blurred vision
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Abnormal behavior, slurred speech, or awkward behavior (such as binge drinking)
- Tired
- Seizures
- Collapsed or fainted
Hypoglycemia can also occur during sleep. It can cause waking at night or morning headaches, fatigue, or wet sheets (due to sweat).
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Causes of Low Blood Sugar
The main causes of low blood sugar in people with diabetes are:
Exposure to drugs – especially too much insulin, drugs called sulfonylureas (such as glibenclamide and gliclazide), glinides (such as repaglinide and nateglinide), or certain antibiotics for treating hepatitis C antiviral drugs.
- Skipping or delaying meals
- Not enough carbohydrate foods from your last meal, such as bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes, and fruits.
- Exercise, especially intense or unplanned exercise
- Drinking too Much Alcohol
- Sometimes there is no clear cause of hypoglycemia.
- Very rarely, this can happen even in people without diabetes.
Complications of low blood sugar
Slightly lower blood sugar levels are quite common in people with diabetes. However, very low blood sugar levels can be life-threatening. If left untreated long enough, it can cause seizures and damage to the nervous system. Immediate treatment is important.
Learning to recognize symptoms and treat them quickly is important. It is important for people at risk of hypoglycemia to have a set of glucagon, a medicine that increases blood sugar levels. See your doctor for details.
You can also talk with friends, family, exercise partners, and coworkers about how to take care of yourself if your blood sugar is too low.
It is important to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia, learn how to use the glucagon kit, and understand the importance of calling emergency services if you pass out.
It is recommended to wear a medical identification bracelet. If you need first aid, first aid specialists can help you take proper care of yourself.
Treat hypoglycemia as soon as possible. If you have low blood sugar, do not drive as this can increase your risk of an accident.
Effects of low blood sugar in the body
If a person does not cope with hypoglycemia and the consequences become more serious, the condition can lead to multiple short-term and long-term consequences.
Short-term effect
In severe hypoglycemia, short-term complications may include:
- Bleeding in the Brain (cerebral hemorrhage)
- Heart attack
- Cognitive dysfunction in humans
Long-term effects
Low blood sugar is rarely directly associated with significant long-term effects, but it can increase susceptibility to other conditions, such as heart disease.
For example, earlier studies showed that participants with hypoglycemia due to type 2 diabetes had an increased risk of developing heart disease and vascular problems.
Low blood sugar can also increase your risk of other diseases, including:
In severe cases, nerve cells can die due to a lack of glucose. When the nerves that control internal organs are damaged, autonomic neuropathy can develop in the body.
People with this condition may lose the ability to detect low blood sugar and not experience any symptoms. They may not be aware that they have low blood sugar and discourage early intervention. This increases the risk of developing severe hypoglycemia.
Effects on various body parts
Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar affects several body parts and systems in different ways.
Digestive system
Extremely high or low blood sugar levels can cause a condition called gastroparesis. Low sugar level interferes with the vagus nerve signals that normally stimulate gastric emptying.
Gastroparesis causes problems with the digestive system, as it can cause food to spend too much time in the stomach before entering the small intestine. Short-term symptoms of this condition include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Endocrine system and circulatory system
Severely low blood sugar can also affect the endocrine system and circulatory system, damaging the nerves that carry important information.
The endocrine system is primarily influenced by the neuroendocrine network, which controls the body’s response to low sugar level .
The circulatory system reacts to hypoglycemia by decreasing the amount of circulating insulin.
Central nervous system
The central nervous system (CNS) is including the brain and spinal cord of ours body. Blood sugar is your main source of energy, so your blood sugar must be above a certain level.
Because of this, the central nervous system quickly reacts to the sharp drop in sugar level, activating various counter-regulatory measures until the sugar level recovers.
Treatment of Low Blood sugar
Therefore, it is very important to keep checking your sugar on time and to take your medication amount accordingly. If the person has hypoglycemic episodes or has frequent low sugar level. So in such a case, it is absolutely necessary to investigate the causes.
Hypoglycemia can be due to causes other than medications. The main reason among them is alcohol consumption, lack of hormones in the body, or some diseases related to the liver. Therefore, consult your doctor to check the causes of hypoglycemia. If someone has these symptoms, it is very important to know that the symptoms are only due to hypoglycemia, which means that it is due to low blood sugar. At that time, you can check the patient’s sugar level at that time with a glucometer.
If a person’s sugar level drops, they should be given sugar and can be given yellow water or glucose and even then, if they do not improve, they should be taken to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
How to treat low blood sugar yourself
Follow these steps if your blood sugar is below 4 mmol / L or if you have symptoms of hypoglycemia.
- Eat a soft drink or snack such as soda (not dietary) or fruit juice, a handful of sweets, 3 to 6 glucose tablets, and 1 or 2 tubes of glucose gels.
- Measure your blood sugar after 10-15 minutes. If you feel better and better, go to step 3. If there is little or no change, treat them again with a sweet drink or snack and measure again after 10-15 minutes.
- You may need to take your main meal (containing sustained-release carbs) at the right time. Or, eat a snack containing slow-releasing carbs, such as a piece of bread or toast, a few cookies, or a glass of milk.
If you are feeling better with a slight drop in blood pressure, you usually do not need medical attention.
However, if you continue to experience hypoglycemia or if your symptoms stop when your blood sugar is low, please report this to your diabetes team.
How to treat an unconscious or very sleepy person
Follow this Steps:
- Bring the patient to the recovery position and do not put anything in the mouth. This way you will not suffocate.
- If a glucagon injection is not available, or you are unsure how to use it, or if you were drinking alcohol before your blood pressure dropped, call 999 for an ambulance.
- Although glucagon injections are available and you know how to use them, give them immediately.
- If you get up within 10 minutes of the injection and feel better, go to step 5. If there is no improvement within 10 minutes, call 999 for an ambulance.
- Give them a snack if they are fully awake and can eat and drink safely.
- You may need to see your doctor if you get sick (vomiting) or if your blood sugar drops again.
- Tell your diabetes care team if you have severely low blood pressure that is causing you to faint.
How to treat seizures someone
If you have seizures due to hypoglycemia, follow these steps:
- Stay with them so they don’t get hurt. Place them on a soft surface and move them away from hazardous areas (such as roads or hot radiators).
- If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, call 999 for the ambulance.
- Offer a sweet snack after the seizure has stopped.
- Tell your diabetes care team if you have seizures or severe low blood pressure that causes seizures.
