Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar can be a condition alone or can be caused by a complication of diabetes or a different disease. However, it is most frequently a result of insulin intake reaction due to diabetes.

There are several causes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This includes the following:

- Excessive medications
- Skipping of meals or delays in eating
- Insufficient intake of insulin because too little food is taken

There are other rare causes of low blood sugar. Low blood sugar may occur during early pregnancy after a strenuous work out or after fasting or it can be caused by medications or too much intake of alcohol.

There are some symptoms of low blood sugar to look out for. However, symptoms may vary depending on the individual's case. The following are symptoms of low blood sugar:

- Sensitivity inside the mouth
- Excessive hunger
- Dizziness and shakiness
- Irritability and moodiness
- Pale skin color
- Headache and blurry vision
- Unawareness
- Excessive sweating

The symptoms of low blood sugar may be caused by other disorders or conditions. It is best to consult your physician about it to be sure.

In dagnosing low blood sugar, different tests are conducted by a specialist. If a person suffering from hypoglycemia has diabetes, the doctor can therefore conclude that it is a complication from diabetes due to insulin. For patients who have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that do not have diabetes, the condition will be diagnosed using the following methods below:

- Measurement of blood glucose level while the symptoms are being experienced
- Observation of the symptoms whether they are relieved when eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugar

Test to measure insulin production may also be performed by doctors and specialized treatments will be based on the patient's condition like the age, medical history, overall medical condition and past treatments. To help detect low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) as early as possible, it is best to look for the symptoms above and consult a physician.

Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, is a disorder wherein the level of blood sugar is too low. The brain requires constant glucose supply since it does not store or produce this energy fuel. When the supply of blood sugar is low, the person will experience several low blood sugar symptoms but the first sign of this condition is having a craving for excessive sugary or starchy foods. Other common low blood sugar symptoms include becoming nervous, irritable, confused or absent-minded, fatigued, and depressed.

Other typical low blood sugar symptoms are headaches and disturbances in your vision. Shaking, sweating, numbness, dizziness, heart palpitations, difficulty in speaking and some sexual disorders can also be low blood sugar symptoms. Sometimes low blood sugar occurs while a person is asleep and he or she might experience nightmares or feel confused, exhausted or irritable when they wake up.

Hunger is one of the most common low blood sugar symptoms so patients with this condition find themselves eating frequently to overcome their feeling of irritability or weakness. These individuals become tense if they have not eaten anything for a couple of hours.

When you experience any of the above low blood sugar symptoms, you should immediately take a teaspoonful of sugar or orange juice with 2 teaspoons of sugar and then seek medical assistance.

Here are some remedies that you can try to raise blood sugar:

Increase your intake of the vitamins E, C and B complex. Vitamin E increases the ability of the muscles and tissues to store glycogen. Vitamin C and B complex vitamins help with restoring normal sugar metabolism. Take large doses of Vitamin C from 2,000 mg up to 5, 0000 mg.

Another effective way to increase blood sugar level is to eat two small apples after each meal. Do not peel the apples. Also, make a sherbet with molasses and always have some ready because a glass of this will energize a person with low blood sugar who suddenly feels faint.

The above low blood sugar symptoms are not specific to the condition of hypoglycemia. Other medical conditions may also produce similar symptoms. In order to be certain that you do have hypoglycemia, have your blood sugar level tested. Abnormally low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can indicate several types of illnesses. Visiting your doctor is the only way to start the process of proper diagnosis and treatment of any underlying condition.

Hypoglycemia is better known as low blood sugar that occurs when your glucose level drops very low giving your body insufficient energy for your daily activities. This disease is uncommon in adults or children over ten years old, except as a side effect in treatment of diabetes. However, it can also be a result of other diseases, medications, tumors or hormone/enzyme deficiencies.

Hypoglycemia can also occur during sleep. You might experience crying out while sleeping or you may have nightmares, your clothes and bed sheets are damped from perspiration or you feel tired and irritable when waking up.

Diabetic people who are under medication to control blood sugar levels are likely to have hypoglycemia. This disease can be treated by taking food and drinks that contain carbohydrates. If this disease is left untreated, it may lead to unconsciousness. Hypoglycemia can occur suddenly but it can also be treated immediately by bringing the glucose level back to normal.

For people who are taking blood sugar lowering medications, hypoglycemia occurs for a number of causes such as the following below:

- Eating too small amount of food as well as delayed or skipped meals.
- Too much dose of insulin or other diabetic medicines including sulfonylureas and meglitinides.
- Excessive exercise or physical activities.
- Too much alcohol intake.

There are several things to bear in mind to prevent hypoglycemia. This includes the following:

1. If you are under a diabetic medication, it is important to ask your doctor about the proper intake of insulin and other diabetic drugs.

2. Proper diet is also a must to avoid risks of hypoglycemia. You should consult a dietician who will make a meal plan that will meet your lifestyle and preference. It is very important to follow your diet plan and make sure not to skip your meals. Also, never take too much alcoholic beverage especially on an empty stomach

3. Your daily activity should also be planned accordingly. It is best that you consult a health care specialist whether you need to have a small snack or only your medicine before engaging in any activity or sports. It you will be too active, you should consider eating first.

Diabetes is sometimes a disease that has undiagnosed symptoms and many people are surprised at the physician's diagnosis. While it may not have symptoms that cause pain, the disease working in the background can have very serious consequences if left undetected. Please consider the heredity you have been given and educate yourself on the control and offsetting of the situation to overcome any predisposition to diabetes.

Some of the symptoms of diabetes include, but are not limited to:

Frequent bathroom trips, Excessive thirst, Extreme hunger, Unusual weight loss, Increased fatigue, Irritability, Blurry vision

You may wonder if it is possible to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. After all, it can come from heredity, many people have it, it has been studied for years and you may feel if you are going to get it, then so be it. But, the symptoms are so random and often not noticed so that many pre-diabetics do not seek help. The two main components of preventing diabetes are those that will give you a lot of other benefits as well: exercise or just increasing your level of physical activity and proper nutrition in the diet.

You want to increase your fiber, your vegetables and proteins, and decrease your high sugar, high carbohydrate foods, and high fat foods. Even though it may seem daunting at first, you can make the proper choices with a little effort and proper planning.

Even people already diagnosed with diabetes and taking medication can sometimes revert to proper blood sugar levels with the addition of more, or consistent, physical activity and proper diet in their lives. Some studies have shown, in fact, that these two situations of diet and exercise can work as well as medications. Of course, you should not go off any medications unless you check with your physician first and have the proper normal readings on tests associated with diabetes levels.

Another important item to consider is an eye exam. This should be done every year to allow your doctor to catch any upcoming or progressing diseases, including diabetes.

Discover the scientific breakthrough that today's top medical scientists, doctors and Nobel Prize winners have revealed about how you can fight back against diabetes. The Diabetes Miracle Breakthrough

- A Comprehensive Guide To Beating Diabetes
- Diabetes Symptoms Guide
- 101 Ways to Improve Your Health

"What are normal blood sugar levels?", you asked. Either in your own or in the company of your personal physician, you constantly put in effort to understand the details of your blood sugar testing. Having a well-based understanding of these results and the associated causes will be a good tool for one to better approach one's medical condition.

If you really want to find out how well your body digest sugar, then you can take a blood sugar test and find out for yourself. These tests are also used for the purpose of diagnosing for pre-diabetes or diabetes, while these are also done to determine how one is managing diabetes.

When asking "What are normal blood sugar levels that I should aim for?", you should take into consideration the type of testing that will be done and your current health condition.

Fasting Blood Glucose Test

This involves fasting, no food or liquids other than water for at least eight hours and then having your blood tested for the amount of sugar. The normal blood sugar level for this test is lower than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If your result is 200 mg/dL and it goes along with symptoms of diabetes then there may be no need for a confirmatory second test to be diagnosed as having diabetes.

Random Blood Sugar Test

As the name of the test implies, it is taken at no specific time. This is taken regardless of when you last ate. The normal blood sugar level for this test is lower than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If your result is 200 mg/dL or higher, it would suggest that you either have Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

In this test, asking "What are normal blood sugar levels?", will have different answers depending on the stage of this test. First, your fasting blood sugar level will be measured. After which, you will be asked to drink a sugar-water solution, and blood sugar levels will be taken after 60 minutes & after 120 minutes. A blood sugar level that is lower than 140 mg/dL is considered normal after the test. Two hours after, with a 200 mg/dL level, may indicate diabetes.

It is normal to be constantly asking, "What are normal blood sugar levels for me now?", precisely because there is a good reason to be very much concerned. If high levels of blood sugar are present for a good number of years already, there will be health risks associated with it.

Among the health risks and complications include kidney disease, nerve disease, eye disease and cardiovascular disease. So always keeping in mind "What are normal blood sugar levels for me at this point in my life?", will pay off in the future. After all, what's more important than your health?

For people with hyperglycemia or high blood sugar, one of their main goals should be exercise and low blood sugar targets. Exercise has been proven to lower blood sugar levels because they make insulin regulate sugar better. While exercise has many outstanding benefits, it is also important for a hyperglycemic person to check for low blood sugar symptoms while exercising.

If you regularly exercise and low blood sugar is a concern, watch out for the following symptoms: sweating excessively, rapid heartbeats, dizziness, headache, shaking, hunger, blurry vision, and irritability.

You should always be prepared to treat symptoms of low blood sugar by always having with you at least 15 grams of carbohydrates so that when you exercise and low blood sugar symptoms kick in, you can quickly relieve them. Some fast-acting sources of carbohydrates include 3 to 4 BD glucose tablets, 4 oz of regular soft drink or fruit juice or 7 to 8 pieces of hard candies.

Additionally, when you exercise and low blood sugar symptoms set in you need to act quickly and get help so always bring with you a mobile phone or quarters to use on a payphone. Always have with you your identification, medical information and physician's phone number as well as contact name and information in case of emergencies. These reminders are important because severe low blood sugar can lead to loss of consciousness.

Exercise and low blood sugar control may be tricky especially if what you do have is high blood sugar and you do need to exercise. The key is tracking your blood sugar level before you exercise as well as during and after exercising. Write down the numbers because they will help your doctor find out how well your body act in response to exercise and can be very useful in preventing potentially fatal fluctuations of your blood sugar.

Before starting any exercise program, you need to get your physician's approval, especially if you have been sedentary. If before exercise, your blood sugar is below 100 mg/dL it may not be safe for you to exercise. Eat a fruit or some crackers before exercising. Stop exercising if your blood sugar drops to 70 mg/dL or lower and consume 15 grams of carbohydrates as suggested above. Wait every 15 minutes and then repeat treatment until your blood sugar returns to a safe level.

Test your blood sugar again after exercising to make sure you did not use up your body's sugar reserves, especially if you did a strenuous workout. It may seem tedious to check your blood sugar every so often but it is in fact as equally critical as exercising so do not disregard it for your own good.