Hypoglycemia Health Channel

	Feature Article Illustrations for this article Click on an image below to enlarge Food and insulin release Hypoglycemia Definition Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. Alternative Names Insulin shock; Low blood sugar Causes, incidence, and risk factors Hypoglycemia occurs when: Your body's sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood glucose. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood. Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes. It occurs when: You take too much insulin or diabetes medicine You don't eat enough food You suddenly increase your exercise without increasing the amount of food you eat Relative hypoglycemia is a fairly common condition in which a newborn's blood glucose is low. Babies born to mothers with diabetes may have severe hypoglycemia. Severe hypoglycemia that results in unconsciousness is also called insulin shock. Idiopathic hypoglycemia is hypoglycemia that occurs without a known cause. People with this type of hypoglycemia do not have diabetes. Hypoglycemia may also be caused by: Ingestion of alcohol Insulin-secreting tumor of the pancreas Liver disease The condition affects approximately 1 out of every 1,000 people. Symptoms Cold sweats Confusion Convulsions Coma Double vision or blurry vision Fatigue General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling (malaise) Headache Hunger Irritability (possible aggression) Nervousness Rapid heart rate Trembling Other symptoms that may be associated with this disease: Decreased alertness Different size pupils Dizziness Excessive sweating Fainting Hallucinations Memory loss Muscle pain Paleness Pounding heartbeat (heartbeat sensations) Sleeping difficulty Signs and tests Home monitoring of blood glucose levels will show readings lower than 50 mg/dL. Serum glucose test will be low. Treatment A snack or drink containing sugar will raise the blood glucose level. You should see an immediate improvement in symptoms. Infants that are born with hypoglycemia are given glucose through a vein until the body begins to control its own blood sugar level. Continue reading this article

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