What does low sugar mean? Low blood sugar: symptoms in women and causes of hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar in people with type 1 and 2 diabetes, as well as in healthy people - find out everything you need. Read about the prevention, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this problem. Low glucose levels are called hypoglycemia. After reading the article, you will learn how to bring it back to normal (stop hypoglycemia), avoiding serious consequences. Particular attention is paid to the prevention and treatment of low sugar in children and pregnant women. Also, diabetic patients with a long duration of the disease, whose symptoms of hypoglycemia are muted, will find valuable information for themselves.

There are two types of hypoglycemia - mild and severe. Mild is when the patient was able to take glucose in tablets or liquid form by mouth to bring the sugar back to normal. Severe hypoglycemia implies that it could not be managed without assistance.

Sometimes it happens that a diabetic did not lose consciousness, but due to impaired coordination of movements, he needed outside help to take healing carbohydrates. Such episodes of low blood sugar should be considered severe, even if there was no loss of consciousness and an ambulance was not called. They signal that your diabetes management system needs to be seriously reviewed and improved. Read more below.

What blood sugar is considered low?

Blood glucose levels are considered low when they are less than 2.8 mmol/L and the patient has the signs of hypoglycemia listed below. If it drops to 2.2 mmol/l, it is low and requires treatment (taking glucose tablets) regardless of the presence of symptoms. It is necessary to raise it to at least 3.5 mmol/l so that an adult or child does not experience disturbances of consciousness.

Normal sugar for adults is 4.0-5.5 mmol/l. For children under adolescence, the norm is approximately 0.6 mmol/l lower. If the glucometer reading is 2.9-3.9 mmol/l, no emergency measures need to be taken. Unless you've had a significant overdose of insulin or diabetes pills and you expect your blood sugar to drop further.

People who fast for longer than 3-5 days in a row have blood glucose levels of about 2.5-2.9 mmol/L. At the same time, they feel good if they do not allow the body to dehydrate and avoid nervous and physical overload. On the other hand, patients with severe advanced diabetes may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia already when their sugar drops from 13-16 to 7-8 mmol/l. So the threshold level of low sugar is individual for each person.

Many diabetics who are treated with insulin believe that attacks of hypoglycemia cannot be avoided. In fact, this is not true. You can maintain stable normal sugar levels even with severe autoimmune disease. And even more so with relatively mild type 2 diabetes. There is no need to artificially increase your blood glucose levels to protect yourself from dangerous hypoglycemia. Watch a video discussing this issue with the father of a child with type 1 diabetes.

What are the causes of hypoglycemia in healthy people?

Hypoglycemia can sometimes occur in people who do not have diabetes, do not inject insulin, or take blood sugar-lowering pills. Most often it is caused by an inappropriate diet containing a lot of starch, glucose and fructose. In response to carbohydrate stimulation, the pancreas may produce too much insulin. Eating carbohydrates increases blood sugar. However, an excessive dose of insulin quickly lowers it to normal, and then lower, which is why a person experiences unpleasant symptoms.

Basically, you need to eat carbohydrates to raise your blood sugar. However, paradoxically, it helps healthy people against hypoglycemia. Because it stabilizes glucose levels at normal levels. In addition to intolerance to dietary carbohydrates, healthy people occasionally have other causes of hypoglycemia. For example, glucagon production may be impaired. This is a hormone that causes the liver to release glucose from its reserves into the blood. Unfortunately, such a rare pathology does not have a simple and effective treatment.

Why is blood pressure high but blood sugar low?

Blood pressure and blood sugar levels are not related in any way. Problems with blood pressure and glucose levels need to be considered and treated separately.

What should a diabetic eat before bed to avoid nocturnal hypoglycemia?

The cause of low sugar at night may be an insulin injection given before bed. Let us remind you that you need to inject extended-release insulin in the evening to maintain normal glucose levels in the morning on an empty stomach. Read the article “” for more details. In some patients, morning sugar remains consistently normal. They do not need to inject long-acting insulin at night at all.

Diabetics who want to wake up in the morning with normal sugar levels need to have dinner no later than 18-19 hours. Some patients eat dinner late before bed, trying to avoid nocturnal hypoglycemia. However, due to late meals, their sugar remains elevated in the morning and over time they develop chronic complications of diabetes.

Eating at night to avoid hypoglycemia while sleeping is a bad idea. To keep your blood glucose meter readings happy in the morning, eat dinner early. Before going to bed, you need to inject a carefully selected dose of extended-release insulin. Read more. This dose should not be too high so that the diabetic does not suffer from low sugar at night.

Unfortunately, the effect of moderate doses of extended-release insulin often does not last until the morning. Patients who have this problem have to wake up in the middle of the night with an alarm, take an additional injection, and then go back to sleep. A simpler, but more expensive solution is to switch to , which lasts longer than Lantus, Levemir and Protafan.

Symptoms

In response to a significant decrease in sugar, the hormone glucagon begins to work. It causes the liver to release glucose into the blood. If glucagon is insufficiently effective, adrenaline, growth hormone and cortisol are also activated. Almost all typical signs of hypoglycemia are the result of adrenaline.

Symptoms of low sugar let a person understand that the situation is alarming and an urgent need to take carbohydrates. Palpitations, trembling, pale skin, sweating, severe hunger, nausea, anxiety, aggressiveness, and dilated pupils may occur. Symptoms of brain problems due to hypoglycemia: weakness, incoordination, dizziness, headache, fear, impaired speech, vision problems, numbness, tingling or crawling sensations, confusion, convulsions.

Signs of low blood sugar are almost the same in women and men, children and adults. However, in patients who are not properly treated for diabetes for a long time, the symptoms are muted due to. The first visible sign of low sugar in them may be a sudden loss of consciousness. In such cases, the risk of an adverse outcome increases.

Alcoholic hypoglycemia is especially dangerous because its symptoms are similar to being very drunk. It cannot be recognized without measuring sugar with a glucometer. People around him do not realize that a diabetic who has passed out while drinking needs urgent medical attention. Hypoglycemia caused by heavy physical activity is often delayed and has a protracted course. Her attacks may be repeated and require additional glucose tablets each time.

How to distinguish hypoglycemia from hyperglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar, and hyperglycemia is high blood glucose levels. Both conditions can cause similar symptoms and unusual behavior. They require opposing treatments. In case of hyperglycemia, you need to inject short-acting or ultra-fast insulin to lower blood sugar. In case of hypoglycemia, take glucose tablets to, on the contrary, raise it. If you mix it up, you can aggravate the problem to the point of having to call an ambulance.

In an unusual situation, you should always check your sugar with a glucometer before taking any action.

It is usually impossible to distinguish hypoglycemia from hyperglycemia by external signs. Never try this. If a diabetic shows irritability and even aggressiveness, you need to persuade him to measure his sugar with a glucometer, and then act according to the circumstances. This is the only correct strategy for interacting with both adults and children who have impaired glucose metabolism.

If a diabetic uncontrollably craves sweets, this does not mean that his blood sugar is low. High sugar levels can also cause uncontrollable sugar cravings.

What medications mask the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

The medications that most often mask the symptoms of hypoglycemia are beta blockers. These are tablets that are prescribed for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and heart failure. The most popular of them are bisoprolol (Concor and analogs), nebivolol (Nebilet), carvedilol, metoprolol, atenolol and propranolol.

Obviously, beta blockers are not the only medications that reduce the symptoms of low blood sugar. Strong sedatives and sleeping pills probably work the same way. Discuss all medications you take with your doctor.

Why does a diabetic experience symptoms of hypoglycemia with normal sugar levels?

There are many patients with severe advanced diabetes whose sugar levels are 13-16 mmol/l and higher. Sometimes they come to their senses and begin diligent treatment. Such patients may experience symptoms of hypoglycemia when their sugar drops to 7-8 mmol/l, or even lower. The fact is that their body is accustomed to chronically elevated levels of glucose in the blood. He needs some time to adjust.

Such diabetics usually do not reach the point of loss of consciousness, but their health may worsen for a while. Moreover, if serious vision complications have already developed, hemorrhages in the eyes may increase and even blindness may occur. Such patients should not suddenly switch to, but need to gradually change their diet, regimen of taking pills and insulin injections.

People whose sugar has been above 13 mmol/l for a long time need to slowly reduce it to 8-9 mmol/l. Allow your body to adjust, and then lower your glucose levels to the target range of 4.0-5.5 mmol/L over 4-6 weeks. Diabetics who have been diagnosed with retinopathy (vision complications) need to take a blood test for insulin-like growth factor (IGF). If the result is elevated, be especially careful. Switch to a new regime smoothly, rather than abruptly, so as not to worsen your eye problems.

Diagnostics

The symptoms of low blood sugar are similar to those of many other diseases. The similarities between alcoholic hypoglycemia and ordinary severe intoxication are described above. Both low and high blood sugar can cause extreme hunger. Hypoglycemia must be distinguished from panic attacks and epilepsy. It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis using an external examination of the patient. Be sure to measure your blood sugar using a glucometer. Moreover, you need an accurate imported instrument.

Prevention and treatment of chronic complications:

Hypoglycemia: treatment

The low blood sugar care algorithm described below is intended for patients who use or. It is assumed that you have switched to strict and are injecting low doses of insulin that correspond to it. And they have already stopped taking medications that can cause hypoglycemia. Under these conditions, a strong overdose of insulin cannot, in principle, occur. To relieve hypoglycemia, there is no need to take carbohydrates in the amount of 1.5-2 bread units, as doctors usually recommend.

Consequences

Hypoglycemia can cause loss of consciousness, death, or permanent brain damage. In practice, this happens rarely, no more than 3-4% of cases. The hardest thing to overcome is the consequences of deliberately overdosing on insulin or type 2 diabetes pills with the intention of committing suicide. Also, alcoholic hypoglycemia often has an unfavorable outcome. The reasons for this are described above. One must be wary of causing a traffic accident due to low blood glucose levels. While driving, diabetics should measure their sugar with a glucometer at least once an hour, or even every 30 minutes.

Patients who have experienced at least one episode of severe hypoglycemia sometimes develop an overwhelming fear of insulin. Patients are ready to put up with elevated blood sugar levels and the development of chronic complications, just to reduce the risk of loss of consciousness to zero. This way of thinking causes them significant harm. You need to study or follow the recommendations. Please note that the methods completely exclude intake, which can excessively lower blood sugar.

How to treat diabetes with insulin without the risk of hypoglycemia?

Thanks to the transition to insulin dosages are reduced by 2-8 times. The risk that your sugar will drop below normal is reduced by the same amount. However, diabetics whose glucose metabolism is seriously impaired should not completely abandon insulin. Don't be afraid of this tool, learn to use it wisely. Good diabetes self-management skills reduce the risk of severe hypoglycemia to almost zero. Read more articles:

Diabetic patients who are treated using standard methods inevitably develop diabetes over time. Diabetic neuropathy is a disorder of the nervous system. Its most famous manifestation is loss of sensation in the legs.

However, neuropathy can cause dozens of other problems. In particular, with a long history of improperly treated diabetes, people cease to feel the symptoms of mild and moderate hypoglycemia. Due to loss of sensitivity, they miss opportunities to take glucose in time to avoid disturbances of consciousness. These diabetics have an increased likelihood of adverse outcomes from hypoglycemia. However, neuropathy is a reversible complication. All its manifestations gradually disappear after blood sugar drops to normal and remains stably normal. .

What effect does low sugar during pregnancy have on the fetus?

In the first half of pregnancy, women's sensitivity to insulin increases significantly. Because of this, patients with type 1 diabetes who inject themselves with insulin have an increased risk of hypoglycemia. The good news is that episodes of low blood sugar in the mother usually resolve without harm to the fetus. Because it has a protective glucose buffer, which makes it possible to endure without irreparable consequences. However, carefully calculate insulin dosages during pregnancy and do not take unnecessary risks. Study the articles “” and “”. Act as they say.

Low blood sugar leads to disruption of an important parameter for life - the constancy of the internal environment of the body. In the medical literature, this condition is referred to as hypoglycemia, which literally translates from Latin as “low blood glucose.”

Most people understand why high blood sugar is harmful. The reason for this is the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus - many people know someone with this disease. But few people know that hypoglycemia can be significantly more life-threatening.

Why does the body need glucose?

Glucose is one of the most important nutrients. Thanks to this monosaccharide, cellular respiration occurs in most cells of the body, during which the cell, like a nuclear reactor, provides itself with energy.

The most sensitive organ to a decrease in sugar is the brain, because neurons require a lot of energy substrate (ATP) for their work and are practically unable to synthesize it from other nutrients. This is due to the fact that large molecules cannot pass through a special security mechanism of the brain - the blood-brain barrier - and enter the neuron.

Other cells in the body are less sensitive to hypoglycemia. In addition, they do not suffer too much if they produce energy from other sources. But in the absence of glucose, even they can only “breathe” with other nutrients for a relatively short time, since alternative sources produce much less energy.

What is hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is considered a condition when blood sugar drops below 3.0 mmol/l, and a sharp decrease can cause a hypoglycemic coma even with a blood sugar level of 2.5 mmol. The fact that a decrease of even 1 unit can be more life-threatening than an increase in sugar by 20-30 units is the real danger of this condition.

Therefore, the hypoglycemic state must be quickly corrected. But to what extent? The normal glucose level is 3.3-5.5 mmol/l, and its concentration in the blood plasma must be brought to these limits.

Low blood sugar: causes of the condition

The causes of low blood sugar can be divided into two large groups: iatrogenic and true.

Iatrogenic

Most often they are caused by inadequate doses of glucose-lowering drugs in the treatment of diabetes mellitus of the first and second types. Such situations are caused not only by incorrect calculation of drug dosages, but also by the fact that the “correct” doses can become erroneous under the influence of a number of external and internal factors. Examples of such situations are as follows.

• Errors in calculating the dose of insulin. Insulin is a very strong hormone produced in the human body by the pancreas. Its deficiency due to the destruction of beta cells of the pancreas leads to the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, patients are replaced with a synthetic analogue of the deficient hormone, which is administered by injection. But when choosing a dose, patients often make mistakes, and too high a dose can lead to a drop in blood glucose levels below normal.
• Eating disorders. If you have diabetes, it is important to eat a timely and balanced diet. It happens that a patient forgets to eat after taking insulin. Insulin, by its action, drives glucose into the depot, and new glucose has not arrived due to lack of food intake. In this case, symptoms of low blood sugar appear literally within a few minutes.
• Increased physical activity. Even with an adequate dose of insulin, hypoglycemia can occur due to too much physical activity because the body has used more glucose than expected.
• Kidney or liver failure. These conditions also require a reduction in the dose of insulin, because they change the metabolism of substances, including glucose and insulin itself.
• Acute illnesses and stress. Another mechanism of an inadequate response to glucose-lowering drugs is a change in the sensitivity of cellular receptors to it due to illness or stress. Acute viral diseases, intestinal infections, pneumonia or severe stress increase the body's need for energy, as a result of which the normal dose of insulin becomes too high, causing hypoglycemia. Therefore, it is worth adjusting the dose with each episode of acute illness.
• Sugar-lowering tablets. Persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus take tableted hypoglycemic drugs. Too much concentration of such substances can also lead to hypoglycemia.

True

They occur against the background of illness or poor lifestyle of a person who has not previously suffered from diabetes. Examples of such situations are listed below.

• Tumor (insulinoma). Tumor of the pancreas that produces insulin. It is often benign in nature. Occurs relatively rarely, most often in middle age. By its nature, it comes from the beta cells of the pancreas, therefore it is an adenoma - a glandular tumor. In this case, the pancreas produces uncontrollably large amounts of insulin, causing chronic hypoglycemia. This oncology lends itself well to surgical surgery, which allows you to get rid of the tumor once and for all. But it is worth noting that after removal of large volumes of the tumor, subsequent lifelong insulin therapy is necessary, because the remaining cells are not enough to synthesize an adequate amount of the hormone.
• Poor nutrition. Insufficient food intake during fasting leads to low blood sugar. It is worth noting that this condition does not develop very quickly - within five to six months of reduced nutrition or three weeks after completely refusing to eat. This long-term compensation is due to the fact that the liver has a large depot of the glucose precursor - glycogen, which in stressful situations is converted into the glucose needed by the body. Hypoglycemia can occur even with sufficient, but unbalanced nutrition, when the diet is too low in carbohydrates.
• Excessive loads. During hard work, the body consumes several times more glucose than usual, which can lead to low blood sugar. Mental stress should also be included in this group. Oddly enough, continuous reading, calculations or creating projects can lead to hypoglycemia.
• Gestation period. Low blood sugar in women can be caused by pregnancy.
• Large doses of alcohol. Drinking alcoholic beverages increases glucose concentration only briefly, after which it sharply decreases. Therefore, people suffering from chronic alcoholism experience symptoms of hypoglycemia.

Clinical manifestations

Hypoglycemia and hypoglycemic coma are different stages of the same condition. In this case, hypoglycemia irreversibly leads to coma if the glucose level is not adjusted in time.

The initial signs of hypoglycemia are:

• dizziness;
• darkening of the eyes;
• weakness;
• nausea;
• noise in ears;
• inadequate perception of distance/time;
• unmotivated aggression and irritability;
• increased sweating.

Late symptoms of low glycemia include:

• slight tremor (shaking) of the limbs;
• convulsions;
• shallow breathing;
• confusion;
• loss of consciousness;
• coma.

The symptoms described above will not necessarily occur sequentially, complementing each other. With a sharp decrease in glucose levels, everything happens at lightning speed - it can take only a few minutes from a satisfactory state to the onset of coma. This is a serious condition in which a person does not respond to external stimuli. But in comparison with other comas, it is more favorable and amenable to adequate treatment.

Children are more sensitive to sugar fluctuations. In them, the symptoms of hypoglycemia are more pronounced and develop much faster than in adults. Hypoglycemia can even occur in an infant born to a diabetic mother. This is due to the fact that in the mother’s body the fetus is in conditions of chronic hyperglycemia. The child's pancreas begins to produce too high concentrations of insulin in order to compensate for it. Immediately after birth, the effect of maternal blood disappears, but your own insulin remains. During this period, high concentrations of the glucose-lowering hormone can lead the child to hypoglycemia and even coma. Therefore, in the postpartum period, such children require close attention from doctors.

Using a statistical method, it has been proven that chronically low blood sugar levels in men are associated with aggressive behavior and unreasonable episodes of rage. Against the background of hypoglycemia, people have a confused consciousness and may behave inappropriately towards others. A persistently reduced glucose concentration can change a person’s character and behavior so much that it makes him unrecognizable to his friends and family.

Establishing diagnosis

The following methods allow you to make a correct diagnosis and find out the causes of hypoglycemia.

• Anamnesis collection. This method allows you to identify the provocateurs of hypoglycemia. For diabetics, it is worth repeating blood tests and adjusting the dose of glucose-lowering medications. Having found out from the patient and his relatives, after which the episode occurred, it is possible to identify causes such as malnutrition, excessive exercise. In the absence of visible causes, it is worth thinking about the organic nature of what is happening (tumor) and conducting additional research.
• Laboratory diagnostics. A blood sugar test will accurately determine your glucose level at the time of the test. Each diabetic has his own individual glucometer, with which he can monitor the course of glycemia daily and conduct a blood test for glucose levels in a matter of minutes. This device is convenient and easy to use. The most accurate indicators of glycemia can only be determined in a laboratory when analyzing blood plasma.
• Study of G-peptides. This method is excellent for accurately diagnosing hypoglycemia and is widely used in modern medicine. The study allows us to distinguish the iatrogenic nature of hypoglycemia from the true one. G-peptide is a by-product of insulin synthesis. With the development of a tumor against the background of increased synthesis of the hormone, the synthesis of this peptide will also increase, which can be determined using laboratory analysis. Whereas, if the dose of insulin administered is too high, the body’s own hormone ceases to be produced, therefore, the concentration of G-peptide also decreases.
• Visualization methods. Magnetic resonance imaging or spiral computed tomography will help determine or refute the presence of a tumor and localize it for subsequent surgical intervention. Additionally, a biopsy of the tumor can be performed, followed by cytological and histological studies.

How to help a patient

Regardless of the root cause of hypoglycemia, first aid to the patient should be aimed at increasing blood sugar. Modern textbooks on emergency medicine claim that you should not even try to determine whether a coma is caused by hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia - you should immediately increase your sugar. This is due to the fact that hypoglycemia is more life-threatening and requires immediate correction, unlike hyperglycemia.

At home and on the street

In home or street conditions, even inexperienced people can save the life of a person in a hypoglycemic state. To do this, if the person is still conscious, you should give him something sweet:

• chocolate;
• dried fruits;
• banana;
• candy.

If the person is still conscious, you need to find out if he has any contraindications to the products - in the form of an allergy to honey or candy. Indeed, in this state, a hypersensitive body can react to an allergen with anaphylactic shock.

At home, you can quickly heat a glass of water to a warm temperature and dissolve three tablespoons of sugar in it. This sugar syrup should be given to the patient to drink through a straw - the solution quickly enters the small intestine, and from there into the blood. Folk remedies such as rosehip infusion and bran are not suitable for an episode of hypoglycemia, since they contain little glucose. It is better to give the patient sugar.

All of the above options should be carried out only after an ambulance has been called. In 20-25% of cases, home methods are ineffective. Paramedics have in their arsenal glucose solutions for intravenous use, as well as injectable glucagon. This is a potent hormone that is an insulin antagonist and acts quickly, which is why it is used by emergency specialists.

In the hospital

Hypoglycemic coma is treated in an intensive care unit, since in the terminal stages breathing and heartbeat may stop, which requires resuscitation measures. To improve low blood sugar, doctors inject solutions of glucose and glucagon intravenously and completely stop insulin.

Surgical treatment for insulinoma is carried out using closed or open methods. The laparoscopic (closed) method has good results, a shorter postoperative period and fewer complications. But its use is limited. Therefore, doctors often use the open surgical method. Insulinoma is rarely malignant, so chemotherapy is carried out only in selected cases.

Prevention

Prevention of hypoglycemia episodes in diabetics is aimed at choosing an appropriate dose of a glucose-lowering drug. However, every person taking such drugs should understand that changes in food, exercise, or a viral illness can cause hypoglycemia. In these cases, you should immediately contact your doctor for advice. Diabetics must adhere to a strict menu and recommended lifestyle so that they do not have to change the dose of the drug. You should have a glucometer and injectable glucagon with you at all times.

Hypoglycemia due to an unbalanced diet or excessive exercise requires lifestyle adjustments. After reducing exercise and eating a balanced diet, the symptoms of hypoglycemia disappear and do not require any drug correction. Hypoglycemia in chronic alcoholics is corrected by giving up alcohol and starting a healthy lifestyle.

People with a predisposition to hypoglycemia should avoid stress and exertion and eat a nutritious and balanced diet. The diet must contain all the necessary substances: proteins, fats, carbons, vitamins and microelements. Meals should be repeated (four to six times a day), in small portions.

When exercising, you need to adequately assess your body’s capabilities and take sufficient breaks between exercises. Also during mental work - 15 minutes of rest every hour can relieve overload and balance the work and rest regime.

Low blood sugar levels should not be underestimated. It is dangerous not only to health, but also to life. Even if a single episode occurs, you should consult a doctor.

Print 688 Foods that increase blood sugar: how to create a diet for a diabetic

Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar. It occurs in healthy people who undertake various diets to lose weight, as well as in people suffering from an incorrectly selected dose of glucose-lowering drugs.

Here is an example of a menu for two days:

The first day

Persons prone to hypoglycemia and those on any diet, it is especially important:

Monitor the intensity of physical activity. During exercise, energy is actively spent, metabolic rate increases and carbohydrates are intensively consumed. A lack of sugar does not reveal itself immediately, but after an hour the first signs appear.

Do not perform heavy physical activity, but before training (forty minutes before) eat a dish with complex carbohydrates - fruit, rye bread with peanut or chickpea paste. After classes you also need to replenish your supply. glucose .

Make the right diet. Even if the dietary regimen you choose does not include glucose (or a small amount), you must include it. This will not significantly affect the weight loss process, but health problems will be excluded. Regular lack of sugar can lead to diabetes.

Quit smoking as it interferes with normal regulation metabolism .

Low blood sugar is just as dangerous as high blood sugar. In both cases, the body requires drug correction of the condition. Let's look at the problem in more detail.

The dangers of low blood sugar

Modern people are more afraid of rising blood sugar. This is understandable, because this is a direct path to diabetes and all the consequences arising from this diagnosis. But don't underestimate low sugar levels. This pathology can provoke complex diseases and conditions, including diabetes.

A lack of sugar in the blood is called hypoglycemia, and this diagnosis can develop into diabetes mellitus. With a lack of glucose, the human brain “suffers.” When sugar levels are critically low, a person may fall into a coma.

Hypoglycemia is a disease that causes damage to health slowly. The fact is that prolonged exacerbation of the disease can provoke diabetic coma and even cerebral edema. Constant glucose deficiency provokes personal destruction and a decrease in the abilities of human intelligence. Paroxysmal hypoglycemia can cause a stroke, heart attack or exacerbation of coronary artery disease.

Low blood sugar is not the only problem; as a rule, attacks indicate other, more serious health problems. In this case, a thorough examination is necessary in order to make the correct diagnosis.

Symptoms of low sugar

The pancreas is responsible for normal blood sugar levels, producing insulin and glucagon, which normalize glucose. Blood sugar levels in men and women can change due to age-related changes, lifestyle and bad habits. There is a myth that men have higher sugar levels than women. This is not true: the indicator depends on how a person eats, whether he has bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol, whether he experiences stress and excessive exercise, etc.

Symptoms of low blood sugar in men and women:

• headache;
• cardiopalmus;
• rapid fatigue;
• slow reaction;
• decreased intellectual abilities;
• increased nervousness, irritability, aggression;
• convulsions.

The glucose level does not depend on gender characteristics. But women are more prone to such disorders, especially during periods of hormonal imbalance:

• pregnancy;
• menopause;
• endocrine disorders;
• ovarian dysfunction, etc.

Signs of glycemia in a woman may indicate a hormonal imbalance that requires immediate correction.

At an average level of low blood sugar, the following signs are observed:

• Severe irritation
• Frequent muscle cramps,
• Constant desire to sleep
• Tearfulness,
• Coordination problems
• Impaired consciousness
• A person ceases to navigate in space.

When sugar levels are low, the brain suffers, which affects all body functions. When the amount of glucose is greatly reduced, a person experiences a decrease in body temperature, problems with blood circulation in the brain, and muscle contraction occurs involuntarily. In severe cases, you may fall into a coma.

Causes of low blood glucose levels

Signs of low blood sugar always indicate the causes of pathology that require immediate elimination.

Often, signs of low blood sugar in women are observed during eating disorders, following strict diets and long-term refusal of necessary foods from the usual diet. People who know their diagnosis constantly carry sweets in their pockets to correct the condition without medication.

In both women and men, blood sugar can decrease during intense physical activity. Due to the fact that energy is consumed, it is necessary for the functioning of the body. That is why everyone, and especially active people, require carbohydrates as the main source of energy.

Low-carbohydrate diets with frequent meals provoke symptoms of low blood sugar due to the ego of a sharp deficiency. During frequent meals, the body is in constant tone. To do this, he needs energy, the source of which is carbohydrates. But, if a carbohydrate-free diet is initially provided, the body experiences a lack of energy. Blood sugar levels drop sharply and are unable to return to normal levels.

Diagnosis of low blood sugar

Diagnosis of the disease begins when symptoms of low blood sugar are observed. If a person experiences discomfort and at least one of the symptoms listed in this article, this means that it is time to go to the doctor.

• the appearance of lethargy and weakness even after normal sleep;
• tremor;
• chills, fever;
• increased sweating;
• weakness and muscle pain, numbness of the limbs;
• nausea;
• desire to eat something sweet.

The main diagnostic test for determining sugar is a blood test. It is best to submit material for analysis in the morning on an empty stomach. If your sugar level is low, you should re-test, but before doing so, eat something sweet in small quantities or drink sweet tea. If in this case the sugar level does not change significantly, it is necessary to begin treatment.

Treating Low Blood Glucose

If your fears are confirmed, you need to take action.

There are drugs to increase blood sugar, but only a doctor can prescribe them, determining an individual dose for the patient. But medications are just part of the complex. It is very important to follow a diet and diet during hypoglycemia. The diet must also be prescribed by a doctor; independent attempts at treatment can provoke an even greater decrease in blood sugar.

• seafood;
• fermented milk products, especially fermented baked milk and kefir;
• fresh vegetables;
• dried fruits;
• cereals as a source of carbohydrates.

By maintaining a balance in your diet, you can easily bring your glucose levels back to normal, forgetting about the disease. But, if you have already become a hostage to hypoglycemia, make it a rule to keep your sugar levels under control.

When the disease worsens, try to reduce physical activity. Give your body rest and time to recuperate.

If you have repeatedly experienced signs of hypoglycemia, it would be advisable to purchase a glucometer. This way, you don’t have to wait for hours for the analysis result and waste valuable time.

Preventing low glucose levels

At first glance, what we will write may seem banal to you. But believe me, not only the treatment of hypoglycemia, but also the health of the entire body depends on this. Low sugar does not like strikes and hunger strikes. When starting your next diet, measure seven times. It is better to make it a rule to eat a balanced diet. For good performance and sufficient energy, eat carbohydrates for breakfast. This will not affect the figure in any way.

The second rule should be fermented milk products. They stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and are an amazing source of glucose. Don't forget about fresh vegetables and fruits. If you know that another attack of low blood sugar may occur in the midst of a working day, carry dried fruits or a chocolate bar in your bag.

Try not to get tired. We understand that this is difficult to achieve, but still. Try to finish your work on time. Take time for physical and mental rest.

Avoid conflicts; stress will not benefit a patient with hypoglycemia.

Try to say goodbye to old, bad habits.

The article describes the symptoms and treatment of high and low blood sugar.

how it makes him more active and resilient, increases his strength. However, it is necessary to monitor glucose levels, as fluctuations can lead to undesirable, and sometimes very serious, consequences.

Normal blood glucose level

For the human body, glucose is considered sugar dissolved in the blood, with the help of which proper carbohydrate metabolism is determined. Glucose enters the blood from the liver and intestines. In order for human cells to absorb glucose, the hormone insulin is required. It is produced by the pancreas. If there is little insulin in the blood, type 1 diabetes occurs, if insulin has a weak effect, then type 2 diabetes (90% of cases).

Blood glucose levels should be kept within normal limits. If a person’s glucose level is disturbed in the direction of increasing (hyperglycemia) or decreasing (hypoglycemia), this leads to the development of serious complications. For example, when there is high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), diabetic neuropathy occurs - nerve damage. Pain in the legs, a burning sensation, “pins and needles”, and numbness appear. In severe cases, trophic ulcers and gangrene of the limb may occur.

Increased blood sugar

In a person on an empty stomach, the minimum amount of sugar in the blood is determined. After eating, food is digested and nutrients enter the bloodstream. Therefore, after eating, the amount of sugar in the blood increases. This increase in sugar is small and does not last long. This occurs provided that the functions of the pancreas are not impaired, carbohydrate metabolism is correct and additional insulin is released, which lowers blood sugar.

If there is not enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or it has little effect (type 2 diabetes), then blood sugar rises for a long time after eating. This affects the kidneys, nervous system, vision, and can cause a heart attack or stroke.
The reasons for high blood sugar can be not only diabetes, but also:

• nervous stress
• infectious diseases
• dysfunction of the adrenal glands, pituitary gland
• long-term use of medications, etc.

Signs and symptoms of high blood sugar

The main sign of increased blood sugar is thirst, and severe thirst, which is accompanied by dry mouth. When sugar levels are high, the nerves are affected, and doctors call this condition neuropathy. Pain in the legs, weakness, burning sensation, “pins and needles”, numbness appear. In severe cases, trophic ulcers and gangrene of the extremities may occur.

Low blood sugar

Most people experience an increase in blood glucose. However, a common serious disease is low blood sugar - below 4 mmol/l. In diabetes, a sharp drop in blood sugar is dangerous, which can cause serious consequences. Low blood sugar is more common in obese people who are obese and have an unhealthy diet. For such people, it is necessary to establish a proper lifestyle and proper nutrition.

Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar

The main symptoms of low sugar are:

• headache
• constant fatigue
• anxiety
• hunger
• increased heart rate (tachycardia)
• blurred vision
• sweating

With a sharp drop in sugar, a person may lose consciousness or experience such inappropriate behavior as is typical for alcohol or drug intoxication. If insulin is used, low blood sugar may occur at night (nocturnal hypoglycemia), which is accompanied by sleep disturbances and severe sweating. If blood sugar drops to 30 mg/dL, coma, seizures, and death may occur.

How to determine the exact level of glucose in the blood?

You can donate blood to check your blood sugar levels in the hospital in the morning on an empty stomach from your finger (capillary blood).

To ensure the reliability of a blood glucose test, an oral glucose tolerance test is performed. This method consists of asking the patient to drink glucose (75 g) dissolved in water and after 2 hours blood is taken for analysis.

It is advisable to carry out these two tests one after another after 5-10 minutes: first, take blood from your finger on an empty stomach, and then drink glucose and measure your sugar level again.
Recently, an important analysis is glycated hemoglobin, which shows the % of glucose in relation to red blood cells - blood cells. Using this analysis, it is possible to determine the amount of sugar in the blood over the past 2-3 months.

A glucometer is used at home. The glucometer comes with sterile lancets and special test strips: the lancet is needed to pierce the skin on the tip of your finger and transfer a drop of blood to the test strip. We place the test strip into the device (glucometer) and determine the blood sugar level.

How to prepare for a blood sugar test?

To test blood for sugar, you need to remember the following rules:

• Firstly, if we donate blood for analysis in the morning, you do not need to eat in the evening and in the morning before taking the test; secondly, you can drink any liquid
• If we take blood for glycated hemoglobin, it does not need to be taken on an empty stomach
• When using a glucometer at home, blood can be taken for analysis three hours after eating

How to normalize blood glucose levels

First of all, you need to establish the cause of the increase or decrease in blood sugar, for which you need to consult a doctor who will approach each patient individually.
Some forms of diabetes do not require special treatment to normalize blood sugar; it is enough to establish a special diet: give up sweets (jam, sweets, baked goods), potatoes, pasta, eat more unsweetened fresh vegetables and fruits, eat fish, seafood, nuts, soy and legume products, Jerusalem artichoke.
It is necessary to include plant foods in your diet: onions, garlic, beets, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

You can also normalize blood sugar with the help of medicinal herbs, for example, blueberry leaves or berries, bean pods.
In addition to nutrition, you can use other methods to normalize blood glucose levels, for example:

• walks in the open air
• cold and hot shower
• light physical activity, exercises
• regular sleep - at least 8 hours a day

Medicines are also used to normalize blood glucose levels, including insulin.

Treatment for Low Blood Sugar

If you have low blood sugar, you should consult a doctor about a therapeutic dose of insulin. If your blood sugar drops:

• the patient must use glucose tablets

• Proper nutrition must be established: it is necessary to consume foods with low glycemic content (seafood, vegetables, dairy products, whole grain bread, etc.)

• You need to eat at certain intervals 4-5 times a day so as not to cause hypoglycemia.

Video: symptoms and treatment of low blood sugar

Treating high blood sugar

For a patient with high blood sugar:

• establish a low-carbohydrate diet: consume no more than 120 grams per day in small portions. carbohydrates, in severe cases of diabetes – 60-80 g. Eliminate all foods containing sugar from your diet and eat 4-5 times a day

• With such a low-carb diet, check your blood sugar more often
• if the patient experiences constipation with high blood pressure and cramps in the leg muscles, it is necessary to take a multivitamin complex with vitamin C and magnesium

• To treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, medications prescribed by a doctor and insulin are used

• To reduce sugar, any non-carbohydrate liquid in large quantities is useful, for example tea made from blueberry leaves or berries

Video: lowering blood sugar using folk remedies