Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSelf-Checks/At-Home TestingLabs and TestsDifferential DiagnosesSummaryA Word From VerywellFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Hypoglycemia GuideHow Hypoglycemia Is Treated
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Self-Checks/At-Home Testing
Labs and Tests
Differential Diagnoses
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Hypoglycemia Guide
Hypoglycemia can be diagnosed when a person’s blood sugar falls lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Blood sugar that falls lower than 54 mg/dL is considered severely low and may make you faint, so you will need medical attention right away.Untreated hypoglycemia can be dangerous. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are experiencing hypoglycemia, your treatment plan may need to be adjusted. If you havesymptoms of hypoglycemiaand have never been diagnosed with diabetes, your healthcare provider will need to findthe cause.This article covers how hypoglycemia is diagnosed and how you can check for hypoglycemia at home if you have diabetes. It also explains what tests healthcare providers order for people who have never received a diabetes diagnosis.Verywell / Laura PorterSelf-Checks/At-Home TestingIf you’re a person with diabetes, especially when you’re newly diagnosed and beginning treatment, you will likely encounterepisodes of hypoglycemiaon occasion.In fact, it’s not uncommon for people with diabetes to experience hypoglycemia once or twice per week. This may even happen when they are managing their blood sugar closely.Check your blood sugar with ablood glucose meterif you begin to experience any of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia:ShakinessIrritabilityNauseaConfusionTachycardia(rapid heart rate)Polyphagia(intense hunger)If your blood sugar reading is 70 mg/dL or below, you will need totreat it right awaywith fast-acting carbohydrates such as three to fourglucose tablets, half a banana, or a granola bar.Hypoglycemia DietLabs and TestsIf you do not have diabetes, schedule a visit with your healthcare provider if you keep having symptoms of hypoglycemia. Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam, medical history, and ask you questions about your symptoms.Blood TestsYour healthcare provider will need to see if your blood glucose level is low when you’re having symptoms.If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia after you eat, your healthcare provider may have you come back after a meal to check your blood glucose.You may also need to have yourblood drawnand sent to the lab to analyze your insulin levels and/or other substances in your blood.Glucose enters cells with help from insulin and glucose transporters.If you do have hypoglycemia, the cause can be as simple as a medication you’re taking that can lead to low blood sugar. Medications that can cause hypoglycemia include:The antibiotic Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim)Beta blockersMonoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)Haldol (haloperidol)Hypoglycemia can sometimes occur after analcohol binge, too. If it’s not due to medications or alcohol, your healthcare provider may do additional testing to find out what the underlying cause is. Other possible causes include a hormonal deficiency or an illness likekidney diseaseorhepatitis.Differential DiagnosesIf you don’t have diabetes and you have symptoms of hypoglycemia yet your blood sugar levels are normal, there’s something else going on. In fact, there’s a long list of conditions that your symptoms could be attributed to.The most common non-diabetes causes include:Liver, kidney, or cardiac diseaseMalnutritionHormonal deficienciesMedication side effectsA metabolic disorder likehyperthyroidismA complication of bariatric surgeryHypoglycemia in a non-diabetic person can occur as a result of an infection like pneumonia, or the body’s extreme immune response to infection (sepsis).That said, having diabetes also increases your risk of developing infections and being hospitalized for them.If you have diabetes and are experiencing severe hypoglycemia, your healthcare provider may still evaluate you for infection or another underlying cause that needs to be treated.Your healthcare provider may do additional testing to look for the cause of your symptoms depending on what they are and your family and medical history.Hypoglycemia UnawarenessIf you have diabetes and your blood glucose levels are too low, but you notice few or no symptoms, it is probably due to hypoglycemia unawareness.When you have repeated episodes of hypoglycemia, you can stop showing symptoms. In this case, hypoglycemia commonly happens at night when you’re unaware that your glucose levels have dropped.If you are diagnosed with diabetes, beginning a treatment plan soon after your diagnosis can be beneficial, depending on your needs and preferences. Your healthcare provider will work with you to form a plan, which may include:Startingcontinuous glucose monitoringContinuous subcutaneous insulin infusionAnd/or automated insulin deliveryA continuous glucose monitor can be helpful in detecting hypoglycemia, especially at night, because it alerts you when your levels get too high or too low.Your healthcare provider will work with you to get your levels under control so this stops happening. Even two to three weeks of avoiding hypoglycemia can restore your body’s awareness.SummaryHypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is common in people with diabetes. If you have previously been diagnosed with diabetes and keep having hypoglycemia symptoms, your healthcare provider may need to adjust your treatment plan or evaluate you for another underlying cause.If you have never been given a diabetes diagnosis and are having symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should still be evaluated. There is a chance your provider will find that you have diabetes, but other conditions like hyperthyroidism or even a medication you are taking could also be the cause.A Word From VerywellBlood sugar varies throughout the day due to a number of reasons, from what and when you eat to your physical activities and even stress.But if you feel that you are on a hypoglycemia rollercoaster or that you are frequently having hypoglycemia symptoms, then something needs to be done. Being newly diagnosed with diabetes can be frightening, but the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can begin managing your glucose and get back to the things you enjoy.Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, but it is rare. In these instances, you may have low blood sugar for several reasons:Pre-diabetesStomach surgery complicationsA rare enzyme deficiencyMedication side effectExcess alcohol consumptionLiver, heart, or kidney diseaseHormone imbalanceTumors that produce insulin or similar hormonesYour primary care healthcare provider can check your blood sugar levels and may refer you to a specialist. Anendocrinologistusually diagnoses and treats hypoglycemia and other hormone-related diseases, including diabetes.Yes. You can check to see if your diabetes medication raises your risk of hypoglycemia or to see if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to low blood sugar. You can purchase an over-the-counter testing kit, which requires you to do a finger prick to obtain a blood droplet. This is placed on a test strip, which offers a digital reading of your blood sugar level.How Hypoglycemia Is Treated
Hypoglycemia can be diagnosed when a person’s blood sugar falls lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Blood sugar that falls lower than 54 mg/dL is considered severely low and may make you faint, so you will need medical attention right away.
Untreated hypoglycemia can be dangerous. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are experiencing hypoglycemia, your treatment plan may need to be adjusted. If you havesymptoms of hypoglycemiaand have never been diagnosed with diabetes, your healthcare provider will need to findthe cause.
This article covers how hypoglycemia is diagnosed and how you can check for hypoglycemia at home if you have diabetes. It also explains what tests healthcare providers order for people who have never received a diabetes diagnosis.
Verywell / Laura Porter
If you’re a person with diabetes, especially when you’re newly diagnosed and beginning treatment, you will likely encounterepisodes of hypoglycemiaon occasion.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for people with diabetes to experience hypoglycemia once or twice per week. This may even happen when they are managing their blood sugar closely.
Check your blood sugar with ablood glucose meterif you begin to experience any of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia:
If your blood sugar reading is 70 mg/dL or below, you will need totreat it right awaywith fast-acting carbohydrates such as three to fourglucose tablets, half a banana, or a granola bar.
Hypoglycemia Diet
If you do not have diabetes, schedule a visit with your healthcare provider if you keep having symptoms of hypoglycemia. Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam, medical history, and ask you questions about your symptoms.
Blood Tests
Your healthcare provider will need to see if your blood glucose level is low when you’re having symptoms.
If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia after you eat, your healthcare provider may have you come back after a meal to check your blood glucose.
You may also need to have yourblood drawnand sent to the lab to analyze your insulin levels and/or other substances in your blood.
Glucose enters cells with help from insulin and glucose transporters.
If you do have hypoglycemia, the cause can be as simple as a medication you’re taking that can lead to low blood sugar. Medications that can cause hypoglycemia include:
Hypoglycemia can sometimes occur after analcohol binge, too. If it’s not due to medications or alcohol, your healthcare provider may do additional testing to find out what the underlying cause is. Other possible causes include a hormonal deficiency or an illness likekidney diseaseorhepatitis.
If you don’t have diabetes and you have symptoms of hypoglycemia yet your blood sugar levels are normal, there’s something else going on. In fact, there’s a long list of conditions that your symptoms could be attributed to.
The most common non-diabetes causes include:
Hypoglycemia in a non-diabetic person can occur as a result of an infection like pneumonia, or the body’s extreme immune response to infection (sepsis).
That said, having diabetes also increases your risk of developing infections and being hospitalized for them.If you have diabetes and are experiencing severe hypoglycemia, your healthcare provider may still evaluate you for infection or another underlying cause that needs to be treated.
Your healthcare provider may do additional testing to look for the cause of your symptoms depending on what they are and your family and medical history.
Hypoglycemia Unawareness
If you have diabetes and your blood glucose levels are too low, but you notice few or no symptoms, it is probably due to hypoglycemia unawareness.
When you have repeated episodes of hypoglycemia, you can stop showing symptoms. In this case, hypoglycemia commonly happens at night when you’re unaware that your glucose levels have dropped.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, beginning a treatment plan soon after your diagnosis can be beneficial, depending on your needs and preferences. Your healthcare provider will work with you to form a plan, which may include:
A continuous glucose monitor can be helpful in detecting hypoglycemia, especially at night, because it alerts you when your levels get too high or too low.
Your healthcare provider will work with you to get your levels under control so this stops happening. Even two to three weeks of avoiding hypoglycemia can restore your body’s awareness.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is common in people with diabetes. If you have previously been diagnosed with diabetes and keep having hypoglycemia symptoms, your healthcare provider may need to adjust your treatment plan or evaluate you for another underlying cause.
If you have never been given a diabetes diagnosis and are having symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should still be evaluated. There is a chance your provider will find that you have diabetes, but other conditions like hyperthyroidism or even a medication you are taking could also be the cause.
Blood sugar varies throughout the day due to a number of reasons, from what and when you eat to your physical activities and even stress.But if you feel that you are on a hypoglycemia rollercoaster or that you are frequently having hypoglycemia symptoms, then something needs to be done. Being newly diagnosed with diabetes can be frightening, but the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can begin managing your glucose and get back to the things you enjoy.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, but it is rare. In these instances, you may have low blood sugar for several reasons:Pre-diabetesStomach surgery complicationsA rare enzyme deficiencyMedication side effectExcess alcohol consumptionLiver, heart, or kidney diseaseHormone imbalanceTumors that produce insulin or similar hormonesYour primary care healthcare provider can check your blood sugar levels and may refer you to a specialist. Anendocrinologistusually diagnoses and treats hypoglycemia and other hormone-related diseases, including diabetes.Yes. You can check to see if your diabetes medication raises your risk of hypoglycemia or to see if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to low blood sugar. You can purchase an over-the-counter testing kit, which requires you to do a finger prick to obtain a blood droplet. This is placed on a test strip, which offers a digital reading of your blood sugar level.
Yes, but it is rare. In these instances, you may have low blood sugar for several reasons:Pre-diabetesStomach surgery complicationsA rare enzyme deficiencyMedication side effectExcess alcohol consumptionLiver, heart, or kidney diseaseHormone imbalanceTumors that produce insulin or similar hormones
Yes, but it is rare. In these instances, you may have low blood sugar for several reasons:
Your primary care healthcare provider can check your blood sugar levels and may refer you to a specialist. Anendocrinologistusually diagnoses and treats hypoglycemia and other hormone-related diseases, including diabetes.
Yes. You can check to see if your diabetes medication raises your risk of hypoglycemia or to see if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to low blood sugar. You can purchase an over-the-counter testing kit, which requires you to do a finger prick to obtain a blood droplet. This is placed on a test strip, which offers a digital reading of your blood sugar level.
How Hypoglycemia Is Treated
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.6. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S83-S96. doi:10.2337/dc22-S006Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, et al.Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: a practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.Genet Med. 2014;16(11):e1. doi:10.1038/gim.2014.128Kok VC, Lee PH.Management of hypoglycemia in nondiabetic palliative care patients: a prognosis-based approach.Palliat Care. 2016;10:1-5. doi:10.4137/PCRT.S38956Furukawa M, Kinoshita K, Yamaguchi J, Hori S, Sakurai A.Sepsis patients with complication of hypoglycemia and hypoalbuminemia are an early and easy identification of high mortality risk.Intern Emerg Med. 2019;14(1):539-548. doi:10.1007/s11739-019-02034-2Costantini E, Carlin M, Porta M, Brizzi MF.Type 2 diabetes mellitus and sepsis: State of the art, certainties and missing evidence.Acta Diabetol. 2021;58(9):1139-1151. doi:10.1007/s00592-021-01728-4Martín-Timón I, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness and implications in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(7):912-926. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.912American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.7. Diabetes technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S97-S112. doi:10.2337/dc22-S007University of California, San Francisco.Blood sugar & stress.Eckert-Norton M, Kirk S.Non-diabetic hypoglycemia.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98(10):39A-40A. doi:10.1210/jc.2013-v98i10.39AAmerican Association of Clinical Endocrinology.Get the lowdown: What is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)?.Additional ReadingService FJ, Cryer PE, Vella A.Hypoglycemia in adults: Clinical manifestations, definition, and causes.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.6. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S83-S96. doi:10.2337/dc22-S006Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, et al.Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: a practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.Genet Med. 2014;16(11):e1. doi:10.1038/gim.2014.128Kok VC, Lee PH.Management of hypoglycemia in nondiabetic palliative care patients: a prognosis-based approach.Palliat Care. 2016;10:1-5. doi:10.4137/PCRT.S38956Furukawa M, Kinoshita K, Yamaguchi J, Hori S, Sakurai A.Sepsis patients with complication of hypoglycemia and hypoalbuminemia are an early and easy identification of high mortality risk.Intern Emerg Med. 2019;14(1):539-548. doi:10.1007/s11739-019-02034-2Costantini E, Carlin M, Porta M, Brizzi MF.Type 2 diabetes mellitus and sepsis: State of the art, certainties and missing evidence.Acta Diabetol. 2021;58(9):1139-1151. doi:10.1007/s00592-021-01728-4Martín-Timón I, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness and implications in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(7):912-926. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.912American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.7. Diabetes technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S97-S112. doi:10.2337/dc22-S007University of California, San Francisco.Blood sugar & stress.Eckert-Norton M, Kirk S.Non-diabetic hypoglycemia.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98(10):39A-40A. doi:10.1210/jc.2013-v98i10.39AAmerican Association of Clinical Endocrinology.Get the lowdown: What is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)?.Additional ReadingService FJ, Cryer PE, Vella A.Hypoglycemia in adults: Clinical manifestations, definition, and causes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.6. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S83-S96. doi:10.2337/dc22-S006Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, et al.Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: a practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.Genet Med. 2014;16(11):e1. doi:10.1038/gim.2014.128Kok VC, Lee PH.Management of hypoglycemia in nondiabetic palliative care patients: a prognosis-based approach.Palliat Care. 2016;10:1-5. doi:10.4137/PCRT.S38956Furukawa M, Kinoshita K, Yamaguchi J, Hori S, Sakurai A.Sepsis patients with complication of hypoglycemia and hypoalbuminemia are an early and easy identification of high mortality risk.Intern Emerg Med. 2019;14(1):539-548. doi:10.1007/s11739-019-02034-2Costantini E, Carlin M, Porta M, Brizzi MF.Type 2 diabetes mellitus and sepsis: State of the art, certainties and missing evidence.Acta Diabetol. 2021;58(9):1139-1151. doi:10.1007/s00592-021-01728-4Martín-Timón I, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness and implications in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(7):912-926. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.912American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.7. Diabetes technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S97-S112. doi:10.2337/dc22-S007University of California, San Francisco.Blood sugar & stress.Eckert-Norton M, Kirk S.Non-diabetic hypoglycemia.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98(10):39A-40A. doi:10.1210/jc.2013-v98i10.39AAmerican Association of Clinical Endocrinology.Get the lowdown: What is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.6. Glycemic targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S83-S96. doi:10.2337/dc22-S006
Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, et al.Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: a practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.Genet Med. 2014;16(11):e1. doi:10.1038/gim.2014.128
Kok VC, Lee PH.Management of hypoglycemia in nondiabetic palliative care patients: a prognosis-based approach.Palliat Care. 2016;10:1-5. doi:10.4137/PCRT.S38956
Furukawa M, Kinoshita K, Yamaguchi J, Hori S, Sakurai A.Sepsis patients with complication of hypoglycemia and hypoalbuminemia are an early and easy identification of high mortality risk.Intern Emerg Med. 2019;14(1):539-548. doi:10.1007/s11739-019-02034-2
Costantini E, Carlin M, Porta M, Brizzi MF.Type 2 diabetes mellitus and sepsis: State of the art, certainties and missing evidence.Acta Diabetol. 2021;58(9):1139-1151. doi:10.1007/s00592-021-01728-4
Martín-Timón I, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ.Mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness and implications in diabetic patients.World J Diabetes. 2015;6(7):912-926. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.912
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al.7. Diabetes technology: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022.Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S97-S112. doi:10.2337/dc22-S007
University of California, San Francisco.Blood sugar & stress.
Eckert-Norton M, Kirk S.Non-diabetic hypoglycemia.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98(10):39A-40A. doi:10.1210/jc.2013-v98i10.39A
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology.Get the lowdown: What is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)?.
Service FJ, Cryer PE, Vella A.Hypoglycemia in adults: Clinical manifestations, definition, and causes.
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