What Is Diabetic Hypoglycemia..?

What Is Diabetic Hypoglycemia..?

“Hypoglycemia is a fairly common condition, especially in the diabetic population, which entails a dramatic decrease in your blood sugar levels. It can make you to feel dizzy, confused, disoriented and become lightheaded.” Kepha Nyanumba-Nutritionist Afya Pap.

When you think about diabetes and blood glucose control, the first thing that comes to mind is probably avoiding high blood glucose levels. After all, the hallmark of diabetes is high blood glucose. But controlling blood glucose is more than just managing the “highs”; it also involves preventing and managing the “lows”. Hypoglycemia means low blood glucose or blood sugar. Glucose is a type of sugar found in the blood. Eating a meal causes blood glucose levels to rise. In response to this, the pancreas produces insulin which causes body cells to absorb the glucose, and a gradual drop in the blood sugar level results. In a person with hypoglycemia, there is too much insulin relative to glucose. This causes a sudden drop in the blood sugar level.

Diabetic hypoglycemia is a fairly common condition in the diabetic population and can come on quickly and make you feel shaky and hungry, start sweating or get a headache. It can be a side effect of insulin or other types of diabetes medicines that help your body make more insulin, and can also occur as a result of skipping your meals. In order to properly pinpoint the cause of hypoglycemia, you should evaluate whether you’ve done drastic lifestyle changes that may be interfering with your blood sugar.

Dangers of Hypoglycemia

For normal functioning of the body, glucose is the primary source of energy, making it one of the most important substances in the body. Severe attacks of hypoglycemia, especially in undiagnosed or unregulated diabetics, may cause seizures, blackouts, fainting spells and even death. Some of the symptoms of high blood sugar and low blood sugar are the same and it’s important to check your blood sugar first, if possible, before treating what you may think is hyperglycemia.

Hypoglycemia may be treated through various means, depending on the symptoms, the severity and the regularity of hypoglycemic episodes. The food you eat can play an important role in the prevention of hypoglycemia. Some of the dietary recommendations to observe include:

• Eating foods high in complex carbohydrates and fiber such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
• Eating the right amount of carbohydrates during each meal. This helps to keep your blood glucose and insulin levels in balance. It’s important that you don’t skip your meals.
•  Avoiding concentrated sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses. These are found in cookies,  soft drinks, ice cream etc
• Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Reducing alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption renders the liver incapable of releasing glucose to counter hypoglycemia.

NOTE: Always consult your doctor to adjust your medications if you find that you’re eating less due to an illness or other factors.

Exercise and Hypoglycemia

Physical activity is an excellent tool for people with diabetes, but it must be done with a little planning and extra care. People taking insulin or oral diabetes pills that cause the pancreas to make more insulin are at risk for hypoglycemia if insulin dose or carbohydrate intake is not adjusted with exercise. The best way to figure out how your body reacts to a new exercise plan is to test your blood glucose before and after you engage in physical activity. Record all of the results, and make sure you seek advice if you have any problems trying to balance diabetes and physical activity.