hypoglycemia
Sign in to saveHypoglycemia (American English), also spelled hypoglycaemia or hypoglycæmia (British English), sometimes called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), symptoms associated with hypoglycemia, and resolution of symptoms when blood sugar returns to normal. Hypoglycemia may result in headache, tiredness, clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, fast heart rate, sweating, shakiness, nervous
AI overview
Hypoglycemia, commonly called low blood sugar, occurs when blood glucose levels drop below normal (typically below 70 mg/dL), and can cause symptoms like headaches, tiredness, confusion, shakiness, and a fast heart rate. It matters because these symptoms can significantly affect how you feel and function, and they resolve once blood sugar returns to normal levels.
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Key facts
- Medical condition (new).symptoms
- Headache, blurred vision, shakiness, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, sweating, clamminess, fast heart rate, anxiety, hunger, nausea, pins and needles sensation, difficulty talking, confusion, unusual behavior, lightheadedness, pale skin color, seizures
- Medical condition (new).complications
- Loss of consciousness, death, cardiac arrest
- Medical condition (new).onset
- Rapid
- Medical condition (new).causes
- Medications (insulin, glinides, and sulfonylureas), sepsis, kidney failure, certain tumors, liver disease, malnutrition
- Medical condition (new).diagnosis
- Whipple's triad: Symptoms of hypoglycemia, serum blood glucose level <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), and resolution of symptoms when blood glucose returns to normal
- Medical condition (new).treatment
- Eating foods high in simple sugars
- Medical condition (new).medication
- Glucose, glucagon
- Medical condition (new).frequency
- In type 1 diabetics, mild hypoglycemia occurs twice per week on average, and severe hypoglycemia occurs once per year.
- Medical condition (new).deaths
- In type 1 diabetics, 6–10% will die of hypoglycemia.
Article
38 sectionsContents
- Definition
- Whipple's triad
- Age
- Signs and symptoms
- Causes
- Diabetic
- Medications
- Hypoglycemic unawareness
- Other causes
- Non-diabetic
- Serious illness
- Drugs
- Surreptitious insulin use
- Alcohol misuse
- Hormone deficiency
- Inborn errors of metabolism
- Insulinomas
- Non-B cell tumors
- Post-gastric bypass postprandial hypoglycemia
- Autoimmune hypoglycemia
- Neonatal hypoglycemia
- Pathophysiology
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnosis
- Treatment
- Self-treatment
- Education
- Treatment by family, friends, or co-workers
- Treatment by medical professionals
- Other treatments
- Prevention
- Diabetics
- Non-diabetics
- Epidemiology
- History
- Etymology
- References
- External links
Hypoglycemia (American English), also spelled hypoglycaemia or hypoglycæmia (British English), sometimes called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), symptoms associated with hypoglycemia, and resolution of symptoms when blood sugar returns to normal. Hypoglycemia may result in headache, tiredness, clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, fast heart rate, sweating, shakiness, nervousness, hunger, loss of consciousness, seizures, or death. Symptoms typically come on quickly. Symptoms can persist after blood-glucose levels are restored to normal.
The most common cause of hypoglycemia is medications used to treat diabetes such as insulin, sulfonylureas, and biguanides. Risk is greater in diabetics who have eaten less than usual, recently exercised, or consumed alcohol. Other causes of hypoglycemia include severe illness, sepsis, kidney failure, liver disease, hormone deficiency, tumors such as insulinomas or non-B cell tumors, inborn errors of metabolism, and several medications. Low blood sugar may occur in otherwise healthy newborns who have not eaten for a few hours.