Overview. Hypoglycemia is a
condition in which your blood sugar (glucose) level is lower than normal
. Glucose is your body’s main energy source. Hypoglycemia is often related to diabetes treatment. But other drugs and a variety of conditions — many rare — can cause low blood sugar in people who don’t have diabetes.
What causes low blood sugar without diabetes?
If you don’t have diabetes, hypoglycemia can happen
if your body can’t stabilize your blood sugar levels
. It can also happen after meals if your body produces too much insulin. Hypoglycemia in people who don’t have diabetes is less common than hypoglycemia that occurs in people who have diabetes or related conditions.
What would be the response if blood glucose level is low?
The warning signs of hypoglycemia are the body’s natural response to low blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels fall too low, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which helps get stored glucose into the bloodstream quickly. This can make someone:
pale
.
What is low glucose in blood test?
Low blood glucose, also called low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, occurs
when the level of glucose in your blood drops below what is healthy for you
. For many people with diabetes, this means a blood glucose reading lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
What causes blood sugar to drop?
Taking too much medication, skipping meals, eating less than normal, or exercising more than usual
can lead to low blood sugar for these individuals. Blood sugar is also known as glucose. Glucose comes from food and serves as an important energy source for the body.
How do you treat low blood sugar without diabetes?
- Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day, eating about every three hours.
- Having a variety of foods, including protein (meat and non-meat), fatty foods, and high-fiber foods such as whole-grain bread, fruit, and vegetables.
- Limiting high-sugar foods.
What is the best snack for low blood sugar?
- a piece of fruit or handful of berries and whole-grain crackers.
- Greek yogurt mixed with berries.
- an apple with a spoonful of peanut butter and a slice of cheese.
- a small handful of mixed dried fruit and nuts.
- a no-sugar peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole-grain bread.
What is the best thing to eat when your blood sugar is low?
Good choices are a
piece of fruit
, a few whole wheat crackers, a glass of milk, or a carton of yogurt. In people with diabetes, hypoglycemia can come on suddenly and needs to be treated right away so it doesn’t get worse. Eat or drink a quickly digested carbohydrate food, such as: 1⁄2 cup fruit juice.
How long does it take to recover from low blood sugar?
It will usually take
around 15 minutes
to recover from a mild episode of hypoglycaemia. If you have a blood glucose meter, measure your blood sugar again after 15 to 20 minutes.
What is a normal blood sugar reading?
A blood sugar level
less than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
is normal. A reading of more than 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) after two hours indicates diabetes. A reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L and 11.0 mmol/L) indicates prediabetes.
What foods to avoid if you have hypoglycemia?
- Processed foods.
- Fried foods.
- MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- All soft drinks.
- Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (NutraSweet), sucralose (Splenda), and saccharine (Sweet’n Low)
- Hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats.
What is average blood sugar by age?
| Chart of Normal Blood Sugar Levels in Children Age Wise | Age Blood Sugar levels after Fasting Blood Sugar Levels After 1 to 2 Hours of Eating | 6 to 12 years >80 to 180 mg/dL Up to 140 mg/dL | 13 to 19 years >70 to 150 mg/dL Up to 140 mg/dL |
|---|
What do I eat to raise my blood sugar?
- a piece of fruit, like a banana, apple, or orange.
- 2 tablespoons of raisins.
- 15 grapes.
- 1/2 cup apple, orange, pineapple, or grapefruit juice.
- 1/2 cup regular soda (not sugar-free)
- 1 cup fat-free milk.
- 1 tablespoon honey or jelly.
- 15 Skittles.
How do you feel when your sugar is low?
- sweating.
- feeling tired.
- dizziness.
- feeling hungry.
- tingling lips.
- feeling shaky or trembling.
- a fast or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
- becoming easily irritated, tearful, anxious or moody.
What low blood sugar feels like?
Most people will feel the effects and symptoms of low blood sugar when blood glucose levels are lower than 50 mg/dL. Symptoms and signs include
nervousness, dizziness, trembling, sweating, hunger, weakness, and palpitations
. Severe cases may lead to seizures and loss of consciousness.
Can skipping meals cause low blood sugar?
A skipped meal alters the balance between food intake and insulin production, and can cause your blood sugar levels to eventually drop. “For diabetic people dependent on insulin or blood sugar–lowering medication,
skipping meals can be more dangerous because it can lead to low blood sugar
,” says Pearson.
