Hypoglycemia

This is information assembled from the ADA website, and a number of other sources, written as I understand it. Cross reference and double check the accuracy of what I am presenting.

Hypoglycemia is a term that is bandied about by people, most of whom have no clue what it really is, or whether it is the problem. The truth of the matter is that only a tiny percentage of the people who say they have hypoglycemia really do. All the rest actually have HIGH blood sugar, not low, or some other unrelated problem! Hypoglycemia is most often a problem associated with the use of insulin injections, and rarely occurs otherwise (sometimes associated with specific systemic conditions).

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was told that the periods of fatigue and sleepiness, dizziness and weakness that I got after meals was most likely hypoglycemia. It was not. It was high blood sugar that caused those symptoms. I was told this by my OB though, and believed him. He had not tested me, he had just assumed. Even good doctors make this mistake, because they fail to realize how prevalent blood sugar spikes are.

High blood sugar spikes cause one to feel funky after eating. This response can occur as early as 1/2 hour after meals, and as long as 2-3 hours after meals. A true hypoglycemic response will generally occur 2-6 hours after meals, and has symptoms that are so similar to high blood sugar that unless you test, it is impossible to tell the difference!

It is critical that you understand one vital point:

Both HIGH, and LOW blood sugar cause one to feel hungry!

When blood sugar is low, the body signals the stomach to produce hunger symptoms, and demand fuel.

When blood sugar is high, there is plenty of fuel available, but no way for your body to use it, so your cells starve in spite of the banquet. Your body, in an effort to get fuel into the cells, again signals the stomach to produce hunger symptoms. So you'll get really hungry when your blood sugar is high, as well as when it is low, and you'll feel sleepy, dizzy, weak, fatigued, achy, moody, light headed, disoriented, or other symptoms of reduced function. In order to tell which it is, you MUST test!

If you assume that your blood sugar is low, then eating will make the problem worse, not better, and you can get into a cycle of high blood sugar that does not resolve. This pattern can be life-threatening if continued.

True hypoglycemia occurs when the blood sugar is extremely low. Some sources say below 50, some say below 60, a few say below 40. Below 40 is generally conceded to be in the danger zone, where readings below 60 are just uncomfortable and require food to make you feel better.

If your blood sugar is over 110, then your symptoms are not likely from low blood sugar, but have some other cause. If your blood sugar is over 140, then there is every chance that they are related to high blood sugar, though significant symptoms are generally indicative of readings much higher than that.

Some people do get symptomatic when their blood sugar drops rapidly. But again, it is not likely to do that unless it is below 110, and dropping at a very fast rate - test again in 5 minutes and see if it has dropped more than 10 points (with no significant activity or stress).

If your body has been used to very high blood sugar levels, it may react at a higher level, but if this is the case, then you almost certainly have true diabetes, and need a full screening by a physician, because shakiness, or light headedness do not generally occur in people with blood sugar readings of over 110 unless their body is used to very high levels of blood sugar, and unless the disease process is fairly advanced. Good control will then enable them to gradually ease those numbers back down into the normal range with consistent effort.

In a diabetic who is on insulin supplements, testing for hypoglycemia is very important. It is also important to inform people around you, and teach them how to test your blood sugar in an emergency. Since there is NO way to tell whether your symptoms are caused by high or low blood sugar, and since the treatments for both are contradictory, it is imperative that you know which one you are treating BEFORE you take action, and that people around you know how to test you also, and what to do.

Hypoglycemia in an insulin dependent person can be life threatening. But so can hyperglycemia. Either way, prompt action is required, and the RIGHT action is required. My kids all know how to test blood sugar, and what to do if it is high or low. Since we live in a very rural area with no emergency services, they have had to learn more than the average person would, but even they have been capable of doing so. The youngest one who is able to do this is 10.

The major thing I want people to know is to not assume. Because if they assume, and assume wrongly, then they will be making the problem worse instead of better, and can set themselves up for a life threatening emergency. A simple finger stick and blood sugar test can remove all doubt, and help you effectively treat the problem, if it is indeed blood sugar related.

As a last note, there are a number of other problems which can cause symptoms similar to blood sugar symptoms. They range from hormonal, to circulatory, to nervous system, to dietary or metabolic problems. And often, a doctor will tend to minimize the symptoms, or suggest blood sugar problems because it is simpler. I do not know ONE person in my acquaintance though, who has complained of hypoglycemia (and there have been many who have done that who were not on insulin), who turned out to actually HAVE hypoglycemic reactions when tested. Every time, it was something different.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc.