Last Updated on December 30, 2024 by Analgesia team
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a condition in which the level of glucose in the blood drops too low.
What Is A Hypo?
Hypoglycemia, also called Hypo occurs when your body has too much insulin, too little glucose, or both. This can happen when you don’t eat enough food, don’t eat on time, or take too much insulin. Hypoglycemia is most common in people with diabetes, especially those who take insulin. However, it can also occur in people without diabetes, for example, due to malnutrition, binge drinking, or certain conditions.
When this happens, it needs to be treated urgently before it gets worse. And the good news is that you can treat it yourself.
Hypoglycemia Symptoms
Symptoms can vary from person to person, and some people may not experience symptoms even when their blood sugar is low. This is called hypoglycemic unawareness.
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can cause a range of symptoms, including:
- Common symptoms: Shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, hunger, dizziness, anxiety, irritability, or confusion
- More severe symptoms: Unclear thinking, seizures, coma, fainting, or nightmares. If you do not treat your hypo at this stage, you may become unconscious.
- Other symptoms: Headache, nausea, tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue, or cheek, fatigue, or trouble sleeping
A low blood sugar level, or hypo, can also happen while you’re sleeping. This may cause you to wake up during the night or cause headaches, tiredness or damp sheets (from sweat) in the morning.
Who Can Get Hypo
Anyone can experience hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, but it’s most common in people with diabetes.
- People with diabetes: Hypoglycemia is most common in people with diabetes who take insulin or other diabetes medications, or who miss meals or exercise too much.
- People without diabetes: Hypoglycemia can occur in people without diabetes due to several possible causes, including:
- Certain medications, such as some heart medicines and antibiotics
- Conditions like liver disease, kidney disease, or hormone deficiencies
- Weight loss surgery
- Malnutrition
- Binge drinking
- Addison’s disease
- An insulinoma, a rare tumor in the pancreas that produces too much insulin
- Sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection
- Newborns: Babies born to parents with diabetes, who are small for gestational age, or who are preterm are more likely to experience hypoglycemia.
What Causes Hypoglycemia
What can bring your blood sugar so low are described on the image below:
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can occur due to a number of reasons, including:
- Diabetes: People with diabetes, especially those taking insulin or other diabetes medications, are more likely to experience hypoglycemia. This can be caused by taking too much insulin or diabetes medication, skipping meals, or increasing physical activity without adjusting medications.
- Medications: Some medications can cause hypoglycemia, especially in children or people with kidney failure. Examples include quinine (for malaria), salicylates (for rheumatic disease), and propranolol (for high blood pressure).
- Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol, especially before bed, can cause hypoglycemia.
- Diet: Not eating enough carbohydrates, or not eating enough food overall, can cause hypoglycemia.
- Physical activity: Increasing physical activity without eating more or adjusting medications can cause hypoglycemia.
- Other illnesses: Severe illnesses that affect the liver, kidneys, or thyroid gland can cause hypoglycemia.
- Other conditions: Addison’s disease, primary adrenal failure, cerebral malaria, anterior pituitary failure, and glycogen storage disease can all cause hypoglycemia
How Do You Treat Hypo
To treat hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, you can follow the 15-15 rule:
- Eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrates. This could be:
- 4 glucose tablets
- 1/2 cup of fruit juice or regular soda
- 5 or 6 hard candies
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
- Wait 15 minutes
- Check your blood sugar again
- If your blood sugar is still below 70 mg/dL, repeat the process
- Once your blood sugar is back to normal, eat a balanced meal or snack with protein and carbohydrates
If you lose consciousness due to hypoglycemia, someone can give you an injection of glucagon to raise your blood sugar and restore consciousness. However, you should call emergency services if:
- A glucagon injection kit isn’t available
- No one is trained to give the injection
- The injection is ineffective after 10 minutes
To prevent severe hypoglycemia, you can:
- Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace
- Carry a medical ID
- Keep snacks like glucose tabs, fruit snacks, or juice boxes with you
- Educate people you spend time with about hypoglycemia and how to help
- Keep emergency glucagon on hand and teach loved ones how to use it
How To Avoid Hypoglycemia
To avoid hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, you can:
- Monitor your blood sugar: Check your blood sugar regularly to identify trends and adjust before it drops too low. You can use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to help.
- Eat regularly: Avoid skipping meals or snacks and be consistent about when you eat. If you take insulin or oral diabetes medication, eat the same amount and at the same times each day.
- Adjust your medication: If you increase your physical activity, you may need to adjust your medication or eat extra snacks.
- Plan ahead when exercising: Avoid eating a large meal before exercising and check your blood sugar levels.
- Eat with alcohol: If you choose to drink alcohol, eat a meal or snack with it. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach can cause hypoglycemia.
- Have a source of fast-acting sugar: Carry glucose tablets, a juice box, or a snack like a small apple, banana, or orange with you.
- Share your blood sugar data: If you continue to have low blood sugar episodes, share your blood sugar, medicine routine, physical activity, and food patterns with your doctor.
- Identify yourself: Carry diabetes identification, such as a medical identification necklace or bracelet and wallet card.
If you get low blood sugar, do not drive for at least 45 minutes after your blood sugar is back to normal.
Hypoglycemia and Driving
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can increase the risk of having an accident while driving.
- What to do: If you experience warning symptoms of hypoglycemia while driving, you must
- What to expect from the DVLA: The DVLA will expect you to be able to explain what a hypoglycemic event is and how to treat it. You must tell the DVLA if you:
- Have more than one severe hypo while awake in 12 months
- Experience an episode of severe hypoglycaemia whilst driving
You can take precautions to reduce your risk of hypoglycemia while driving, such as:
- Testing your blood glucose 30 minutes before you drive
- Carrying your meter with you when you are driving
- Checking your blood glucose every 2 hours when driving
- Taking your blood glucose if you have an accident