By James K. Robinson

People with diabetes are normally concerned about their blood sugars, especially if they are experiencing higher than normal blood sugar levels, because that is the major diabetic problem in life that a person with diabetes normally has to deal with. But it is also important for the diabetic to be aware of a situation that is "opposite" to high blood sugar levels, a condition that doctors call hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia is characterized by an abnormally low level of blood sugar. The sugar carried in the bloodstream, called glucose, is an essential nutrient for the body and is the body's main source of energy, needed constantly by the body's cells.

Episodes of hypoglycemia are not common and are not often experienced by most adult diabetics or diabetic children of 10 years and older, but they do happen and the condition should be quickly recognized and treated promptly when it does. Hyoglycemia must be treated promptly because it can become progressively worse in a relatively short time, sometimes after tens of minutes, and can lead eventually to additional problems and in some extreme cases, it can become a life-threatening event.

From my own experience as a diabetic I suspect that most of my fellow diabetics have had a few such lower than normal blood sugar occurrences. Food is the source of the blood sugars, especially the carbohydrate content of food. One reason that a hypoglycemic event might occur in a diabetic person is when they have not eaten any food for too long a period of time. An additional or alternative cause might be when they have deliberately avoided consuming carbohydrates, ironic perhaps, because by not eating carbohydrates they wish to combat their own above normal blood sugars that they know can be caused by a high carbohydrate intake.

Just as the avoidance of too many high-carbohydrate foods is a standard recommendation in the treatment of diabetes, so too is the recommendation to participate in some form of exercise. However, sometimes too much exercise can cause blood sugar problems. The muscles involved in exercise require sugar, and low blood sugars can occur after having been involved in vigorous exercise at a time when the body has insufficient blood glucose to supply the necessary energy for the extra activity.

For the person with diabetes, it is not easy to know, without taking a blood test, whether or not they have above normal blood sugar levels but in the case of lower than normal blood sugars, the symptoms experienced are usually noticeable. When glucose levels become too low it can have an effect on the brain and often a sense of confusion and an inability to perform routine tasks becomes apparent. Should that happen, fortunately it can serve as a warning, an alert for the diabetic who is familiar with such symptoms to take immediate action to rectify the situation, usually by eating food that can provide a quick boost of sugar to their system.

Some other recognizable possible symptoms are sweating, anxiety and a sense of unease, trembling hands, perhaps heart palpitations, hunger pangs, blurred vision or other visual disturbances.

The important thing is to know what to do if and when it happens. Whenever a low blood sugar event occurs, a prompt response is needed.

The quick solution is to eat or drink a fast-acting glucose food item. The condition has occurred often enough to me to know what to do, my personal choice is to first drink half a glass of apple juice and I try to always keep a supply of apple juice available.

Possible food items to raise blood sugar levels back to normal, any one of the following:

* a half glass or half cup, 4 ounces, of apple juice, orange juice, or similar fruit juice

* a teaspoon of honey or sugar

* glucose tablets, usual 3 or 4 are sufficient

* 5 or 6 pieces of hard candy

* an 8-ounce glass of milk

* a half glass of non-diet pop

* Something containing about 15 grams of carbohydrate such as a fast acting energy bar or a serving of glucose-gel snack.

Be ready for an emergency even though it is a rare event

If a hypoglycemic event is not promptly treated and then progresses to a more serious stage, it can lead to a diabetic coma or seizure, even to the extent of becoming life threatening, I'm reluctant to say death but it can happen. The fact that this is known to happen underscores the need to be ready for an emergency of any degree. Try to always have a suitable supply of a fast acting glucose source readily available.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Hypoglycemia is the state of excessively decreased sugar in the blood... the levels are way too low, about 60 to 70 mg/dL (3.3 to 3.9 mmol/L). In normal healthy individuals, the body compensates for the steady drop in blood sugar levels by secreting the hormone glucagon, a special chemical that mediates the conversion of stored energy to a ready-to-use sugar supply within the blood. However, in diabetics taking oral anti-diabetic medications or receiving insulin injections, blood sugar can fall particularly during:

* starvation... if you don't eat for long periods of time
* intense physical activity, and
* the intake of alcohol

Hypoglycemia does not result from the diabetes itself, but from the drugs used to treat high blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia can cause signs and symptoms such as:

* cold clammy skin
* excessive sweating
* headache
* dizziness
* blurring of vision
* confusion
* anxiety
* fatigue, and
* palpitations

In worst cases, it can cause seizures, neurological dysfunctions, coma and even death.

What are the special precautions you need to do to avoid hypoglycemia?

Self-monitor your blood sugar regularly. There is no other better preventive measure to protect you against episodes of hypoglycemia than checking your blood sugar regularly. If you plan to drink alcohol, check you blood sugar before your drinking session and again after your drinking session, before you go to sleep.

If you plan to increase your physical activity, it would be better to consult your doctor first. This way, your doctor can adjust your medications depending on your proposed level of physical activity and therefore, prevent hypoglycemic episodes from developing.

What is the role of oral glucose supplementation in the self-treatment of hypoglycemia?

Oral glucose supplementation may serve as a first-aid treatment for hypoglycemic episodes, according to DiabetesPro, the professional online resource of the American Diabetes Association. Through the use of these glucose supplements, your blood sugar level can be corrected immediately and the dangerous consequences of hypoglycemia can be corrected instantaneously.

What are the examples of glucose supplements?

1. BD glucose tablets are effective glucose supplements for the first-aid management of hypoglycemia according to DiabetesPro. BD glucose tablets contain five grams of carbohydrate per tablet. Although its action in elevating the blood sugar level is only comparable to any candy or sweet soda in the market, BD glucose tablets are still preferred by many medical professionals since most diabetics are not tempted to snack on them.

2. Glucose tablets are another first-aid treatment that can be used for hypoglycemic episodes. According to Walgreens, each glucose tablet contains four grams of carbohydrates. Again glucose tablets are only comparable to the action of candies in elevating the blood sugar. However, since it is very convenient to carry around, most diabetics prefer this form of oral glucose supplement.

3. Glutose 15 contains fifteen grams of carbohydrates. And according to DocNews of the American Diabetes Association, Glucose 15 is considered as one of the latest high-tech convenient devices in the market today. It comes in a gel tube that eliminates measuring and counting and it is very effective in elevating the blood sugar.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Hypoglycemia is the state of excessively decreased sugar in the blood... the levels are way too low, about 60 to 70 mg/dL (3.3 to 3.9 mmol/L). In normal healthy individuals, the body compensates for the steady drop in blood sugar levels by secreting the hormone glucagon, a special chemical that mediates the conversion of stored energy to a ready-to-use sugar supply within the blood. However, in diabetics taking oral anti-diabetic medications or receiving insulin injections, blood sugar can fall particularly during:

* starvation... if you don't eat for long periods of time
* intense physical activity, and
* the intake of alcohol

Hypoglycemia does not result from the diabetes itself, but from the drugs used to treat high blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia can cause signs and symptoms such as:

* cold clammy skin
* excessive sweating
* headache
* dizziness
* blurring of vision
* confusion
* anxiety
* fatigue, and
* palpitations

In worst cases, it can cause seizures, neurological dysfunctions, coma and even death.

What are the special precautions you need to do to avoid hypoglycemia?

Self-monitor your blood sugar regularly. There is no other better preventive measure to protect you against episodes of hypoglycemia than checking your blood sugar regularly. If you plan to drink alcohol, check you blood sugar before your drinking session and again after your drinking session, before you go to sleep.

If you plan to increase your physical activity, it would be better to consult your doctor first. This way, your doctor can adjust your medications depending on your proposed level of physical activity and therefore, prevent hypoglycemic episodes from developing.

What is the role of oral glucose supplementation in the self-treatment of hypoglycemia?

Oral glucose supplementation may serve as a first-aid treatment for hypoglycemic episodes, according to DiabetesPro, the professional online resource of the American Diabetes Association. Through the use of these glucose supplements, your blood sugar level can be corrected immediately and the dangerous consequences of hypoglycemia can be corrected instantaneously.

What are the examples of glucose supplements?

1. BD glucose tablets are effective glucose supplements for the first-aid management of hypoglycemia according to DiabetesPro. BD glucose tablets contain five grams of carbohydrate per tablet. Although its action in elevating the blood sugar level is only comparable to any candy or sweet soda in the market, BD glucose tablets are still preferred by many medical professionals since most diabetics are not tempted to snack on them.

2. Glucose tablets are another first-aid treatment that can be used for hypoglycemic episodes. According to Walgreens, each glucose tablet contains four grams of carbohydrates. Again glucose tablets are only comparable to the action of candies in elevating the blood sugar. However, since it is very convenient to carry around, most diabetics prefer this form of oral glucose supplement.

3. Glutose 15 contains fifteen grams of carbohydrates. And according to DocNews of the American Diabetes Association, Glucose 15 is considered as one of the latest high-tech convenient devices in the market today. It comes in a gel tube that eliminates measuring and counting and it is very effective in elevating the blood sugar.

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Hypoglycemia is the state of excessively decreased sugar in the blood... the levels are way too low, about 60 to 70 mg/dL (3.3 to 3.9 mmol/L). In normal healthy individuals, the body compensates for the steady drop in blood sugar levels by secreting the hormone glucagon, a special chemical that mediates the conversion of stored energy to a ready-to-use sugar supply within the blood. However, in diabetics taking oral anti-diabetic medications or receiving insulin injections, blood sugar can fall particularly during:

* starvation... if you don't eat for long periods of time
* intense physical activity, and
* the intake of alcohol

Hypoglycemia does not result from the diabetes itself, but from the drugs used to treat high blood sugar.

Hypoglycemia can cause signs and symptoms such as:

* cold clammy skin
* excessive sweating
* headache
* dizziness
* blurring of vision
* confusion
* anxiety
* fatigue, and
* palpitations

In worst cases, it can cause seizures, neurological dysfunctions, coma and even death.

What are the special precautions you need to do to avoid hypoglycemia?

Self-monitor your blood sugar regularly. There is no other better preventive measure to protect you against episodes of hypoglycemia than checking your blood sugar regularly. If you plan to drink alcohol, check you blood sugar before your drinking session and again after your drinking session, before you go to sleep.

If you plan to increase your physical activity, it would be better to consult your doctor first. This way, your doctor can adjust your medications depending on your proposed level of physical activity and therefore, prevent hypoglycemic episodes from developing.

What is the role of oral glucose supplementation in the self-treatment of hypoglycemia?

Oral glucose supplementation may serve as a first-aid treatment for hypoglycemic episodes, according to DiabetesPro, the professional online resource of the American Diabetes Association. Through the use of these glucose supplements, your blood sugar level can be corrected immediately and the dangerous consequences of hypoglycemia can be corrected instantaneously.

What are the examples of glucose supplements?

1. BD glucose tablets are effective glucose supplements for the first-aid management of hypoglycemia according to DiabetesPro. BD glucose tablets contain five grams of carbohydrate per tablet. Although its action in elevating the blood sugar level is only comparable to any candy or sweet soda in the market, BD glucose tablets are still preferred by many medical professionals since most diabetics are not tempted to snack on them.

2. Glucose tablets are another first-aid treatment that can be used for hypoglycemic episodes. According to Walgreens, each glucose tablet contains four grams of carbohydrates. Again glucose tablets are only comparable to the action of candies in elevating the blood sugar. However, since it is very convenient to carry around, most diabetics prefer this form of oral glucose supplement.

3. Glutose 15 contains fifteen grams of carbohydrates. And according to DocNews of the American Diabetes Association, Glucose 15 is considered as one of the latest high-tech convenient devices in the market today. It comes in a gel tube that eliminates measuring and counting and it is very effective in elevating the blood sugar.

So what happens if the supply in your blood runs low because it's been too long since you ate, or you went swimming or jogging and didn't prepare for the extra exercise by eating something first? Hypoglycemia.

What Should You Watch For?

The symptoms are clear. You get tired and lose focus easily. You might feel shaky and anxious. And you feel hungry or thirsty. If you ignore these symptoms you will begin to sweat and get blurred vision.

What's the worst that could happen if a diabetic ignores hypoglycemia and tries to push past it? Seizures, coma and even death. But that is the extreme, and it happens most often in people who have untreated type 1 diabetes. It can also happen when a type 2 diabetic takes too much insulin.

The possibility of hypoglycemia is the biggest reason diabetics wear special jewelry, necklaces or bracelets to alert people around them of their condition.

The Grouch Factor

But most of the time hypoglycemia just makes you a grouch. You wake up in the morning grouchy because it's been a long time since you ate. That's why it's called breakfast; you've been fasting, which is something hypoglycemics do not tolerate well.

Then about an hour before lunch, or in the middle of the afternoon you have another spell of the grouchies, or you get tired, sleepy, and can't concentrate.

The worst part of hypoglycemia is how quickly it affects the brain. Your brain does not store or make glucose, so it is sensitive and reacts to low blood sugar faster than any other part of you.

What Causes Hypoglycemia in People Who Don't Have Diabetes?

Nobody knows for sure. It comes and goes, and it's often hard to convince your doctor that you have it. Many doctors will only consider hypoglycemia with a blood sugar consistently below 50. They use criteria from something called the Whipple Triad.

But many who suffer from the symptoms of hypoglycemia do not fit the doctors' criteria. So they are left undiagnosed. From my own experience with a glucose monitor, the effects of hypoglycemia can show up with a blood sugar closer to 70.

But not many people who don't have diabetes happen to have a glucose monitor lying around when they get the shakes. That makes it difficult to prove hypoglycemia.

In non-diabetics hypoglycemia seems to be caused by an overreaction of the pancreas to eating sugar and carbs. If the beta cells release too much insulin into the blood stream, the glucose gets transferred out, leaving the blood sugar too low. That's when the symptoms appear. There is more going on but that is the short version.

Does It Mean You Are Borderline Diabetic?

The symptoms of shaking, tiredness and irritability in a non-diabetic are the same as those in diabetics. but that does not mean you are diabetic or even borderline. Many people who have hypoglycemia never become diabetic. And some people are not hypoglycemic at all.

You might have symptoms that look like low blood sugar, but the cause is not hypoglycemia. The list of possible conditions is very long. There are at least 50 possibilities and they include anemia. That's why it's crucial to go to your doctor and get yourself checked out before you decide you have hypoglycemia. Don't self diagnose.

But if your doctors can't find any reason for your symptoms, then you might try the things others have used to help them with hypoglycemia. If those things help you, you may have found the problem.

Some of the Things You Can Do

The good news is that there are lots of people who have hypoglycemia and found ways to feel better. Here are a few of the do's and don'ts from the hypoglycemia forums.

    * Do eat smaller, more frequent meals. That keeps the pancreas from putting out too much insulin at once, and it smooths the lows that make you grouchy.
    * Don't eat carbohydrate snacks by themselves. Add some fiber, protein and/or fats (like nuts) to slow down the digestion of the carbs.
    * Do eat a healthy snack with carbs and protein before you exercise.
    * Don't drink high sugar sodas. Hypoglycemics say they are the worst for causing highs and then crashes. They are packed with sugar and many have caffeine, and some hypoglycemics say caffeine make things worse.
    * Do get your blood sugar checked to see if you are borderline diabetic.

One friend of mine suffered with grouchies every morning. She learned to keep a plate of cheese by her bed so in the morning before her feet hit the floor she could grab a quick snack. It kept her on an even keel while she got her kids ready for school. She never had diabetes, but she did have hypoglycemia.

Hypoglycemia in Diabetics

Diabetics on insulin watch for low blood sugar as much as for high blood sugar, because we are artificially managing insulin levels. The diabetes symptoms you need to watch for include sugar lows, and it's good to know the way your body reacts to them as part of your journey with the disease.

If you get weak and sweaty and begin to see spots before your eyes, your blood sugar has probably dropped close to or below 50 and it's time to do something. Orange juice, milk or a quick bowl of cereal brings blood sugar up quickly.

Hypoglycemia is dangerous for a type 1 or type 2 diabetic. It can happen fast, and it is always unexpected. If you get a stomach virus, if for some reason your insulin level rises during the night, or if you exercised more than usual and did not adjust your medication to account for it - there are many factors to consider if you are taking insulin.

It helps to have family around at a time like that. You're not always thinking clearly and it's good to have someone else there to take you to the emergency room if things don't normalize. Don't be shy about asking for help. And make sure you wear a diabetic identification bracelet or necklace all the time.

If you are hypoglycemic but not diabetic, there are hypoglycemia groups ready to welcome you and sympathize with the problems you are facing. Sometimes my hypoglycemic friends felt left out in the cold because they were not taken seriously by the medical community.

But there are people who have been helped and want to pay it forward. They will share the things that have helped them, and they'll support and encourage you when nothing seems to be working. Find a hypoglycemia forum online and join it. Reach out.

Martha Zimmer invites you to visit her website and learn more about type 2 diabetes, its complications and how you can deal with them, as well as great tips for eating healthy that will make living with diabetes less painful.

Go to http://www.a-diabetic-life.com and find out what you can do to avoid many of the pitfalls of this life-changing condition, like paying for cures that don't work and spending money for things you could have gotten free. Martha has made the mistakes and done the research so you don't have to.

By Martha J Zimmer