Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesHypoglycemic EpisodeMaintaining Glucose LevelsLower Your RiskPreventionNon-Diabetic HypoglycemiaWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Hypoglycemic Episode
Maintaining Glucose Levels
Lower Your Risk
Prevention
Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Ahypoglycemic episodeoccurs when your blood glucose (sugar) levels are too low, dropping below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a potentially dangerous medical condition.
Hypoglycemia usually happens to people with diabetes when taking medication, missing a meal, or exercise causes blood sugar to drop, without it being rebalanced. In rare cases, it may occur in those who do not have diabetes, a condition callednon-diabetic hypoglycemia.
This article discusses hypoglycemic episode symptoms and how to treat them, including differences in how consuming sugar resolves non-diabetic and classic hypoglycemia.It also details when to seek medical care for hypoglycemia.
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What Are Hypoglycemic Episode Symptoms?
If you have diabetes, frequent bouts of hypoglycemia can be dangerous, potentially increasing your risk of illness or death. This is especially true in those with heart disease.
Recognizing low blood sugar is important because it can help you take immediate steps toward preventing a medical emergency.
The first symptoms of low blood sugar include:
If hypoglycemia is not treated, the plummeting blood sugar levels may lead to severe symptoms requiring immediate medical attention. These symptoms include:
Glucose is the main source of energy for your body and brain. It comes from what we eat and drink. Having a balanced, low-sugar diet is important to maintaining your overall health, especially for those with diabetes.
Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Nausea?
Balancing Blood Glucose Levels
Insulin, a hormone produced in thepancreas, helps keep blood glucose at normal levels so your body can work properly. Insulin’s job is to help glucose enter your cells where it’s used for energy.
When you exercise, your muscles take up sugar from the blood into the muscle tissue without the need for insulin. The body also learns to use blood glucose more efficiently when you exercise.
What Causes a Hypoglycemic Episode?
Low blood sugar typically occurs in response to an imbalance ofinsulinand glucose. Insulin makes available the glucose you need for energy, with insulin releases from the pancreas normally matching your sugar and carbohydrate intake.
Disruptions in this process can lead to hypoglycemia. Things like skipping a meal or overdoing your exercise can cause your blood sugar levels to plummet. When they do, you might not feel well. Therefore, monitoring your symptoms is key to avoiding life-threatening complications.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia also can be due to the release ofepinephrine, which can happen when your blood sugar is low.
Sometimes, when you consume too many carbohydrates, there is too much insulin released and this can lead to hypoglycemia. People with diabetes may experience low blood sugar after taking insulin or medications to help the body produce insulin.
How Long Does a Hypoglycemic Episode Last?
The duration of hypoglycemic episodes varies depending on the cause of the event.
People with diabetes remain at risk for episodes of hypoglycemia throughout life because they need medications that lower blood sugar. The one exception is individuals with type 2 diabetes who manage their condition with lifestyle changes or blood sugar normalizing medications—such asmetformin—alone. This group tends to have higher blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).
When to Check Your Blood SugarThe most important times to check your blood sugar are first thing in the morning and at night, although it is advised that you check multiple times a day if you are frequently hypoglycemic.
When to Check Your Blood Sugar
The most important times to check your blood sugar are first thing in the morning and at night, although it is advised that you check multiple times a day if you are frequently hypoglycemic.
Some of the most concerning hypoglycemic episodes are the ones that occur without your knowledge. When hypoglycemia occurs while sleeping, blood sugar levels remain low and without treatment.
Thinking, memory, and learning are closely linked to glucose levels, and repetitive episodes (with seizures, for example) can lead to impaired brain function.
What to Know About Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Tips to Maintain Glucose Levels to Avoid an Attack
A normal blood sugar level for an adult is between 70 and 130 mg/dL before a meal and less than 100 mg/dL when fasting. After a meal, a normal blood sugar level rises to below 180 mg/dL. To avoid hypoglycemia, blood sugar must be above 70 mg/dL, but not above 180 mg/dL at any point as this may lead to hyperglycemia.
What to Always Have on Hand
People with diabetes should always have ready access to emergency supplies for treating unexpected episodes of hypoglycemia. These may include:
Knowing the triggers that precipitate your hypoglycemic attacks may be key to preventing an attack, but regulating your blood sugars throughout the day can help mitigate chronic deterioration of your health.
How Long Does It Take a for Glucagon Injection to Work?Glucagon is given to treat a severe hypoglycemic episode where the person is unconscious and unable to eat or drink to treat low blood sugar. It should take about 15 minutes for a person to regain consciousness after a glucagon injection. If the person does not respond in 15 minutes, a second injection may be needed.
How Long Does It Take a for Glucagon Injection to Work?
Glucagon is given to treat a severe hypoglycemic episode where the person is unconscious and unable to eat or drink to treat low blood sugar. It should take about 15 minutes for a person to regain consciousness after a glucagon injection. If the person does not respond in 15 minutes, a second injection may be needed.
How to Lower the Risk of a Hypoglycemic Episode
In rare circumstances, a healthcare provider may prescribe a glucagon emergency kit for non-diabetic people who have a history of becoming disoriented or losing consciousness from hypoglycemia.
What Should I Eat After a Hypoglycemic Episode?Fast-acting sugar is used to treat hypoglycemia. This can be juice, non-diet soda, sugar, fresh or dried fruits, candy, or glucose tabs.Once your blood sugar is stable, you can try a little protein.
What Should I Eat After a Hypoglycemic Episode?
Fast-acting sugar is used to treat hypoglycemia. This can be juice, non-diet soda, sugar, fresh or dried fruits, candy, or glucose tabs.Once your blood sugar is stable, you can try a little protein.
How to Prevent a Hypoglycemic Episode
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, there are ways to prevent hypoglycemia:
An increasing body of evidence suggests that hypoglycemia is harmful to people with diabetes both immediately and over time, as it may have negative impacts on the heart and blood vessels. There’s research to suggest that hypoglycemia-related vascular dysfunction can occur in people who don’t have diabetes, too.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia may be vague or mimic other conditions, so you may be unaware of its harmful effects until it’s too late, underscoring the importance of regulating glucose levels even if you are not feeling terribly sick.
Can Low Blood Sugar Cause High Blood Pressure?
What Is Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia?
Non-diabetic hypoglycemia occurs when episodes of low blood sugar affect someone who is not experiencing or diagnosed with diabetes. Some possible causes include:
Other causes of non-diabetic hypoglycemia include:
If you are diabetic and you are feeling symptoms of fatigue, weakness, confusion, or a rapid heartbeat, you may be having a hypoglycemic attack and you should seek immediate medical attention.
Even if you do not have diabetes, hypoglycemia can be life-threatening, especially if it is not resolved quickly after eating or drinking a food or beverage with sugar.
There are two kinds of non-diabetic hypoglycemia:
If you are experiencing hypoglycemic symptoms while fasting, consider checking in with your healthcare provider as this may be indicative of a more serious condition. Tests may need to be done to uncover the underlying cause.
Share Information With Family and FriendsSevere hypoglycemia can render you unconscious or too weak to seek help, so it is important to share information about your condition with a trusted friend or family member who can help in the event of an emergency.
Share Information With Family and Friends
Severe hypoglycemia can render you unconscious or too weak to seek help, so it is important to share information about your condition with a trusted friend or family member who can help in the event of an emergency.
Summary
Hypoglycemia occurs when low blood sugar levels lead to symptoms that include sweating, a rapid heart rate, and mental confusion. It can have an insidious impact on your health, so monitoring your blood sugar even when you are not feeling symptoms is the key to preserving your health.
In many cases, low blood sugar can be managed with attention to the timing of your meals and exercise, especially if you take medication for diabetes.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a hypoglycemic attack, seek immediate medical attention. Untreated hypoglycemia can lead to coma and death.
11 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.American Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).Evans Kreider K, Pereira K, Padilla BI.Practical approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Ther. 2017;8(6):1427-1435. doi:10.1007/s13300-017-0325-9Sampath Kumar A, Maiya AG, Shastry BA, Vaishali K, Ravishankar N, Hazari A,et al.Exercise and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2019 Mar;62(2):98-103. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.001.Molveau J, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Myette-Côté É, Messier V, Suppère C, J Potter K,et al.Prevalence of nocturnal hypoglycemia in free-living conditions in adults with type 1 diabetes: What is the impact of daily physical activity?Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 27;13:953879. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.953879.Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia: What Is It?Kalra S, Mukherjee JJ, Venkataraman S, et al.Hypoglycemia: the neglected complication.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(5):819-834. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117219U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Glucagon injection.Evert AB.Treatment of Mild Hypoglycemia.Diabetes Spectr. 2014;27(1):58-62. doi:10.2337/diaspect.27.1.58Tanaka K, Okada Y, Torimoto K, Nishio K, Narisawa M, Tanaka Y.Hypoglycemia induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 16;12(1):2598. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06450-x.International Hypoglycaemia Study Group.Minimizing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Care. 2015;38(8):1583–1591. doi:10.2337/dc15-0279Bansal N, Weinstock RS.Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia.
11 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.American Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).Evans Kreider K, Pereira K, Padilla BI.Practical approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Ther. 2017;8(6):1427-1435. doi:10.1007/s13300-017-0325-9Sampath Kumar A, Maiya AG, Shastry BA, Vaishali K, Ravishankar N, Hazari A,et al.Exercise and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2019 Mar;62(2):98-103. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.001.Molveau J, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Myette-Côté É, Messier V, Suppère C, J Potter K,et al.Prevalence of nocturnal hypoglycemia in free-living conditions in adults with type 1 diabetes: What is the impact of daily physical activity?Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 27;13:953879. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.953879.Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia: What Is It?Kalra S, Mukherjee JJ, Venkataraman S, et al.Hypoglycemia: the neglected complication.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(5):819-834. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117219U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Glucagon injection.Evert AB.Treatment of Mild Hypoglycemia.Diabetes Spectr. 2014;27(1):58-62. doi:10.2337/diaspect.27.1.58Tanaka K, Okada Y, Torimoto K, Nishio K, Narisawa M, Tanaka Y.Hypoglycemia induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 16;12(1):2598. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06450-x.International Hypoglycaemia Study Group.Minimizing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Care. 2015;38(8):1583–1591. doi:10.2337/dc15-0279Bansal N, Weinstock RS.Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia.
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.
American Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).Evans Kreider K, Pereira K, Padilla BI.Practical approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Ther. 2017;8(6):1427-1435. doi:10.1007/s13300-017-0325-9Sampath Kumar A, Maiya AG, Shastry BA, Vaishali K, Ravishankar N, Hazari A,et al.Exercise and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2019 Mar;62(2):98-103. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.001.Molveau J, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Myette-Côté É, Messier V, Suppère C, J Potter K,et al.Prevalence of nocturnal hypoglycemia in free-living conditions in adults with type 1 diabetes: What is the impact of daily physical activity?Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 27;13:953879. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.953879.Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia: What Is It?Kalra S, Mukherjee JJ, Venkataraman S, et al.Hypoglycemia: the neglected complication.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(5):819-834. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117219U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Glucagon injection.Evert AB.Treatment of Mild Hypoglycemia.Diabetes Spectr. 2014;27(1):58-62. doi:10.2337/diaspect.27.1.58Tanaka K, Okada Y, Torimoto K, Nishio K, Narisawa M, Tanaka Y.Hypoglycemia induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 16;12(1):2598. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06450-x.International Hypoglycaemia Study Group.Minimizing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Care. 2015;38(8):1583–1591. doi:10.2337/dc15-0279Bansal N, Weinstock RS.Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia.
American Diabetes Association.Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Evans Kreider K, Pereira K, Padilla BI.Practical approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Ther. 2017;8(6):1427-1435. doi:10.1007/s13300-017-0325-9
Sampath Kumar A, Maiya AG, Shastry BA, Vaishali K, Ravishankar N, Hazari A,et al.Exercise and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Ann Phys Rehabil Med. 2019 Mar;62(2):98-103. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2018.11.001.
Molveau J, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Myette-Côté É, Messier V, Suppère C, J Potter K,et al.Prevalence of nocturnal hypoglycemia in free-living conditions in adults with type 1 diabetes: What is the impact of daily physical activity?Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 27;13:953879. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.953879.
Harvard Health Publishing.Hypoglycemia: What Is It?
Kalra S, Mukherjee JJ, Venkataraman S, et al.Hypoglycemia: the neglected complication.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013;17(5):819-834. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.117219
U.S. National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Glucagon injection.
Evert AB.Treatment of Mild Hypoglycemia.Diabetes Spectr. 2014;27(1):58-62. doi:10.2337/diaspect.27.1.58
Tanaka K, Okada Y, Torimoto K, Nishio K, Narisawa M, Tanaka Y.Hypoglycemia induces vascular endothelial dysfunction in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 16;12(1):2598. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06450-x.
International Hypoglycaemia Study Group.Minimizing hypoglycemia in diabetes.Diabetes Care. 2015;38(8):1583–1591. doi:10.2337/dc15-0279
Bansal N, Weinstock RS.Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia.
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