Decreased blood sugar: symptoms, causes, treatments, reviews. Causes, symptoms and possible treatment for low blood sugar Low blood sugar symptoms in men

Antipyretics for children are prescribed by a pediatrician. But there are emergency situations for fever when the child needs to be given medicine immediately. Then the parents take responsibility and use antipyretic drugs. What is allowed to give to infants? How can you bring down the temperature in older children? What medicines are the safest?

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is as dangerous as elevated level glucose. With critical indicators, a coma occurs and a fatal outcome is possible. Most often, this condition is a complication of diabetes mellitus, but can be observed in mild form and in a healthy person.

Causes

In most cases, low blood sugar occurs in people with diabetes. Why is it falling? The reasons may be as follows:

a diet high in simple carbohydrates;
taking certain antidiabetic drugs (older generation drugs most often lead to hypoglycemia);
alcohol intake without food;
taking certain drugs or alcohol at the same time as antidiabetic medicines
skipping the next meal or its delay;
giving too much insulin

People who do not have diabetes can suffer from low sugar, although this happens quite rarely. The reasons are different, among them:

a large amount of alcohol drunk;
taking some medicines;
diseases of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas;
metabolic disease;
great physical activity;
strict diets, especially those low in carbohydrates;
long breaks between meals (from 8 hours);
decrease in sugar in the morning after a night's sleep due to prolonged lack of nutrition;
a large amount of sweets in the diet.

signs

With low blood sugar, well-being varies, depending on the level to which the decrease occurred. The appearance of symptoms also depends on the rate of sugar reduction. Symptoms of hypoglycemia may appear if the drop in glucose has occurred sharply, but at the same time its level has remained normal.

Slight decline

The glucose level drops to 3.8 mmol / l and below. In this case, the symptoms may be absent or may be the following:

weakness, trembling all over the body, chills;
increased sweating, cold clammy sweat, usually the head sweats, especially the back of the neck;
dizziness;
hunger;
nausea;
nervousness, restlessness, anxiety;
palpitations (tachycardia);
tingling or numbness of the lips and fingers;
blurred vision.

To feel better and the symptoms disappear, it is enough to eat something sweet.

Average decline

The glucose level drops below 3 mmol/l. If there is a decrease in blood sugar of moderate severity, the following symptoms appear:

irritability, anger;
confusion, inability to concentrate;
disorientation in space;
muscle cramps;
slow and slurred speech;
instability, unsteady gait, impaired coordination of movements;
drowsiness;
fatigue and weakness;
cry.

severe hypoglycemia

If the glucose level drops to 1.9 mmol / l, the consequences may be as follows:

convulsions;
coma;
stroke;
low temperature body;
death.

Prolonged and significant reduction in sugar can lead to irreversible changes in the brain and cardiovascular disease. There may be no symptoms of hypoglycemia if the person is taking certain medications, which include beta-blockers.

When blood sugar is low, a person experiences weakness, fatigue, drowsiness

A drop in sugar levels can happen in a dream. As a rule, a person wakes up in the morning with a headache. Signs of nocturnal hypoglycemia are as follows:

severe sweating;
falling out of bed;
sleepwalking;
restless behavior;
nightmares;
unusual noises made by a person.

All of the above symptoms different people may appear when different levels blood glucose. Such manifestations are possible with normal sugar, if there was a sharp drop. For persistent hypoglycemia in people with diabetes Type I and II symptoms may appear at 6-8 mmol/litre. The longer the course of diabetes, the less the body's ability to sense hypoglycemia on initial stage.

Children are less sensitive to low blood sugar. When falling to 3.6-2.2 mmol / liter, any manifestations in the child may be absent, and appear only when it decreases to 2.6-2.2 mmol / liter. Adults begin to feel changes in well-being, usually at 3.8 mmol / liter.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of hypoglycemia is made if the analysis showed low blood sugar levels, and there are symptoms that disappear after eating a sweet food or drink.

In addition, the doctor conducts a physical examination, asks about the state of health, lifestyle, medication, changes in body weight.

Treatment

With a slight drop in sugar, a person can cope on his own: take a glucose solution, eat a piece of sugar, a spoonful of honey, candy (caramel), drink sweet juice, and so on. It is not recommended to eat a sandwich with sausage or butter: firstly, the loaf is not quite suitable, and secondly, fat will slow down the absorption of glucose from the loaf. Also, you should not eat cakes, chocolate, ice cream, pasta, cereals, fruits.

With a severe decrease in glucose, a person may lose consciousness. In this case, you need to call an ambulance. Usually, the patient is slowly injected with a glucose solution intravenously or glucagon, which can be administered not only into a vein, but also intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Half an hour later, determine the level of glucose in the blood.

With mild hypoglycemia, you can improve your well-being by eating a piece of sugar

In severe cases, hospitalization is possible. Treatment depends on the causes of hypoglycemia: an overdose of insulin or a hypoglycemic drug, kidney failure, liver disease, sepsis, etc. Depending on the cause of the drop in sugar, determine how long the glucose infusion will last. The speed of administration is also important. It should be such that the sugar level is at the level of 5-10 mmol / liter.

Treatment of hypoglycemia in diabetes

Treatment of hypoglycemia in diabetic patients is as follows:

If sugar drops after eating simple carbohydrates, it is recommended to change the diet.
It is recommended to eat in small portions, but often.
Eat some complex carbohydrate or protein food before bed.
Ask your doctor to change the dose of insulin if the drop in glucose is associated with taking it.

Prevention of hypoglycemia in diabetes

To prevent low blood sugar in diabetes, you must adhere to the following rules:

Follow the diet recommended by the doctor.
Breaks between meals - no more than 4 hours.
Continuous control of blood sugar.
Dose control of hypoglycemic drug or insulin.
Knowledge of the action of drugs.
Always carry sugary foods with you.

Important preventive measure hypoglycemia in diabetes mellitus - continuous monitoring of glucose levels

You should not allow a decrease in blood sugar in the following cases:

elderly people;
with diabetic rhinopathy and the risk of retinal hemorrhage;
with diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
people who do not have symptoms of low sugar.

A sharp decrease in glucose should be avoided, especially for people with diabetes that has not been compensated for a long time. In this case, sugar is constantly growing, and if it is reduced quickly, even to 6 mmol / liter, symptoms characteristic of hypoglycemia may appear.

Treatment of hypoglycemia without diabetes

First you need to analyze the lifestyle and health status, try to determine what could cause low sugar. It is best to contact a doctor who can conduct an examination for this. It is possible that diseases that caused hypoglycemia will be identified.

When blood sugar drops and characteristic symptoms you need to eat cookies, candy, sweet dried fruits, drink fruit juice, milk or a glucose tablet.

Finally

If you do not pay attention to mild and moderate hypoglycemia, it can turn into severe, in which there is a loss of consciousness. Treatment must begin immediately. A drop in glucose levels to low values \u200b\u200bis no less life-threatening than high sugar. Hypoglycemia can lead to coma and death, so it's important to control your glucose levels. It is necessary to warn acquaintances and colleagues about your illness, and also inform them of what measures they could take as first aid.

Low blood sugar is a common occurrence. Such a deviation can be felt by people without even knowing it. For example, feeling tired, depressed, irritable in the midst of a working day is for some reason attributed to the weather, a long absence of days off, and so on. But a cup of sweet tea or coffee does a miracle, and strength and energy appear again. Such dramatic changes are due precisely to an increase in blood glucose.

A healthy person feels symptoms of low sugar at a value of 3.3 mmol / l. Patients with diabetes - much earlier. This is due to the fact that their body is accustomed to high levels of sugar and if it drops, for example, to 10 mmol / l (at a rate of up to 5.5 mmol / l), they feel unwell. In the case of a constantly low concentration of glucose in the lymph (less than 3.5 mmol / l), doctors ascertain hypoglycemia.

Causes of hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar develops against the background of insufficient intake of glucose in the body. This means that the organs and systems do not fully receive the necessary nutrients. Such “hunger” primarily affects the functioning of the brain. With a very low supply of glucose to this organ, coma is possible.

Hypoglycemia can be of two types: on an empty stomach (if fasting for more than eight hours) and response (two hours after eating)

Sugar on an empty stomach can decrease for the following reasons:

prolonged fasting;
dehydration;
constant consumption of fast foods;
the use of pharmacological preparations;
oncological diseases;
alcohol abuse;
liver dysfunction;
disorders in the work of the pancreas;
hormonal failure;
obesity;
heart failure;
renal pathologies.

Response hypoglycemia can be caused by:

operations on the gastrointestinal tract;
early diabetes;
pathologies of idiopathic origin.

In addition, the cause of a sharp drop in serum glucose can be a long-term exercise stress taking beta-blockers.

Also, low blood sugar levels are observed in young pregnant women, in children after consuming acetylsalicylic acid.

In addition, the concentration of glucose in the biological fluid drops rapidly due to the excessive use of sweets.

So, if you consume large quantities of culinary products with a high glycemic index, such as sweets, chocolate, pastries, blood sugar will immediately increase, but then it will also drop sharply. A similar effect on glucose has alcohol and soda.

Signs of low sugar

Manifestations of hypoglycemia are individual. For some, the drop in sugar occurs in the morning. At the same time, after waking up, a person is irritable, weak, feels sleepy. But if he eats breakfast, everything changes: the symptoms disappear, strength and mood appear. In others, a sharp drop in glucose is observed after eating. This manifestation is more alarming, as it indicates the development of diabetes.

The main symptoms of low glucose concentration:

irritability;
general weakness;
rapid fatigue;

chills or fever;
high sweating;
dizziness;
hand trembling;
headache;
heaviness in the legs;
muscle weakness;
numbness of the limbs;
nausea;
hunger;
visual defects: shroud, flies, darkness.

If these symptoms are observed, then it is necessary to immediately check the level of glucose in the blood. When this indicator is less than 3 mmol / l, you need to eat something with a lot of quickly digestible carbohydrates.

If timely assistance is not provided, there may be a worsening of the condition in the form of convulsions, incoherent speech, inability to concentrate one's attention, unsteady gait, loss of consciousness. In critical situations, a stroke, coma is possible.

Treatment and diagnosis

The first thing to do if frequent bouts of hypoglycemia occur is to see a doctor. Only a doctor can correctly determine the cause of the pathology and give the right recommendations.

The diagnosis of "hypoglycemia" is established on the basis of the collected anamnesis and laboratory tests.

You can confirm this ailment using a glucose tolerance test or a home analysis:

In the first case, two measurements of the concentration of glucose in the blood serum are made. First on an empty stomach. After the indicators are recorded, the person is given a glass of glucose solution to drink. Two hours later, repeat measurements are taken.
In the second option, the analysis is carried out at home independently using a traditional glucometer, and the data are reported to the doctor.

The basis of pathology therapy is the prevention of seizures, the elimination of symptoms, the causes that led to the anomaly.

If low blood sugar is observed in people with diabetes, then it is necessary to recalculate the required dose of insulin. In no case can you independently adjust the amount of sugar-lowering drugs used. Only the attending physician can do this correctly.

It is not uncommon for low blood sugar to be a symptom. oncological disease pancreas. In this case, the doctor may recommend surgical intervention to eliminate the neoplasm.

One of the keys to successfully treating hypoglycemia is diet. Proper, balanced nutrition will help maintain the level of glucose in the blood serum in an optimal amount.

You need to eat often, in small portions.
You can't skip breakfast.
It is not recommended to take long breaks between meals.
You can have small snacks.

Don't get carried away with coffee. This leads to a significant production of insulin.
It is necessary to give up bad habits: smoking, alcohol.
Vegetables, cheese, nuts, fish should be consumed daily.

Sample menu for the day:

First breakfast: a sandwich of grain bread and cheese, weak tea.
Second breakfast: milk or yogurt.
Lunch: low-fat soup, whole grain bread, vegetable salad, juice.
Afternoon: fruits.
Dinner: vegetable stew, boiled or baked fish.

The diet can be adjusted according to your preferences. It is also recommended to have snacks between meals.

Many people do not attach much importance to low blood sugar. For some reason, it is believed that such a deviation is normal, has no serious reasons, and it will go away on its own.

If low glucometer readings are detected, processes occur in the body that dangerously affect human life. First of all, this concerns the psychological aspect of the problem.

In addition, low blood sugar negatively affects the physical condition.

Orientation in space falls, inadequate behavior may be observed. If a sharp drop in glucose occurred when the patient was driving, an accident may occur, at home or on the street - injuries and injuries are inevitable.

Therefore, with hypoglycemia, you should not delay going to the doctor. Low blood sugar requires due attention and timely complex therapeutic measures.

In a healthy person, the body itself controls the indicators of glucose - the main source of energy. If there is a sharp decrease in blood sugar, then the brain cells begin to experience starvation, as a result of which they die. The symptoms of hypoglycemia (lack of glucose in the blood) are always pronounced and fairly easy to recognize. Why can this condition occur, and what can be done to avoid it? How to prevent pathology and prevent possible complications?

Why blood sugar drops in healthy people and diabetics

For a diabetic, the main task is to maintain normal glucose levels, preventing its sharp increase. But no less dangerous is the decrease in sugar levels.

This condition can be caused by:

eating food with light carbohydrates;
incorrect dosage of sugar-lowering medications;
drinking alcohol without food (alcohol blocks the production of glucose in the liver);
improperly selected diet and non-compliance with the volume of servings;
the introduction of insulin in the wrong dosage;
physical overwork of a diabetic.

Hypoglycemia in a healthy person can occur when:

taking specific medications, for example, sugar-lowering drugs without consulting a specialist;
diseases internal organs;
drinking large amounts of alcohol;
following a strict diet;
long interval between meals / lack of snacks;
a diet based on light carbohydrates;
severe physical fatigue;
stressful situations, deep excitement;
waking up after a night's sleep, as there was no food intake for a long time.

In rare cases, a sudden drop in sugar can be caused by the development of tumor processes in the pancreas. As a result, the number of insulin-producing cells and the amount of insulin increase uncontrollably. Also, a decrease in sugar can be triggered by other neoplasms (often malignant), which contribute to an increase in insulin.

Very rarely, low glucose levels are observed during the development autoimmune diseases. In this case, the body begins to produce antibodies to insulin, causing either a sharp drop or a sharp increase in the amount of this hormone. Low sugar also occurs in patients with renal or heart failure (cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, viral infections — common cause low blood sugar).

Symptoms of a sudden drop in blood sugar

To avoid the dangerous complications of hypoglycemia, it is important to know what symptoms accompany a sharp drop in sugar.

Specialists divide the course of pathology into:

Lung, in which sugar levels fall below 3.5 mmol / l.
Average, with a decrease in indicators to 3 and below units.
Severe, characterized by a drop in sugar below 1.9 mmol / l.

With mild hypoglycemia, the victim experiences:

irresistible lethargy;
increased sweating;
mild dizziness;
hunger;
sensation preceding vomiting;
gagging;
anxiety;
depressive state;
heartbeat;
numbness of the limbs;
blurred vision;
tingling in the lips.

In such situations, it is enough for a healthy person to eat or drink something sweet. In a diabetic patient with similar symptoms, it is urgent to measure blood sugar. If there is an average course of hypoglycemia, then the following signs appear:

nervousness;
irritability;
impaired concentration;
body cramps;
disturbance of consciousness;
slurred speech;
change in gait;
general malaise;
severe weakness;
uncontrollable emotions.

In this state, the intake of sugar-lowering drugs is immediately stopped and careful monitoring of glucose levels is carried out.

In severe hypoglycemia, the victim has:

convulsive attacks;
fall into;
stroke;
drop in body temperature.

If such a phenomenon persists for a long time, then the consequences can be the most deplorable, up to death. brain cells and the cardiovascular system are affected, the work of internal organs is disrupted. But sometimes the signs of a sharp drop in sugar remain invisible. This occurs when taking beta-blockers at the same time.

The cause of low sugar after eating in diabetics with type 1 and 2 may be taking medications that work to lower sugar. When diabetes lasts for more than 15 years, the signs of hypoglycemia become less pronounced. Here it is important to measure the indicators daily and be observed by an endocrinologist in order to timely adjust the dosage of insulin.

If a child has a sugar drop, then he will react worse to pathology, and the first symptoms of malaise will appear if the indicators drop to 3.3 mmol / l. In adults, the problem is acutely felt when glucose drops to 3.7 mmol / l.

What is the risk of hypoglycemia

Blood glucose levels must be within normal limits, otherwise serious problems health is unavoidable. Hypoglycemia is dangerous for the brain. This is the main organ nervous system which is very complex. At the slightest failure in its work, many problems arise with other organs and systems.

Blood supplies nutrients and oxygen to neurons. Glucose can be delivered to brain cells without insulin. Therefore, it does not matter how much of this hormone is present in the body - the blood will still deliver all the necessary elements to the neurons. With hypoglycemia, a sufficient amount of sugar does not reach the brain, the cells begin to starve. Within a few minutes of a pathological condition, a person feels its signs: clouding in the eyes, tingling of the lips, sweating, palpitations.

by the most dangerous consequence deficiency of glucose in blood clicks is considered hypoglycemic coma. It can develop when the indicators fall below 2.2 mmol / l. Also, in a patient, a pathological condition may be accompanied by swelling of the brain, the death of its sections, impaired blood circulation in tissues and structures.

Experts identify two possible groups complications of hypoglycemia:

The nearest, developing in the first hours of a hypoglycemic state: myocardial infarction, stroke, paralysis of the limbs, strabismus, speech impairment, hemiparesis, increased muscle tone in the limbs.
Remote, developing some time after severe hypoglycemia. These include seizures of epilepsy, encephalopathy, parkinsonism.

What to do if blood sugar drops

If mild to moderate low blood sugar is observed, then 1-2 pieces of sugar or 2-3 tablespoons of honey will help to cope with the problem. From drinks, you can drink sweet tea or juice with pulp. In addition, experts advise using:

1-2 caramels;
a couple of squares of chocolate;
banana
dried apricots;
figs;
prunes.

But there is no need to eat indiscriminately foods with a high concentration of glucose. For example, if there is a lot of fat in food, then it will prevent glucose from being absorbed, as a result of which it will not be possible to quickly solve the problem. At the first signs of a hypoglycemic attack, not accompanied by loss of consciousness, you need to know how to properly help the victim.

You need to act like this:

seat or lay the patient down so that he is comfortable;
drink a sugar drink or give a piece of refined sugar;
leave the victim alone until the condition improves.

When diabetics drop sugar, and the condition is assessed as severe, it is necessary to call an ambulance. Specialists should administer an injection of glucose to improve blood counts. If half an hour after measuring the glucose level, the patient's health does not improve, he will be taken to the hospital. There, they will inject glucose by drip until the state of health is completely normalized.

If sugar drops suddenly, most medical professionals advise taking glucose tablets. Their components are quickly absorbed into the blood and begin to act immediately. As a result, the body does not need to spend time digesting food in order to get an energy source. If sugar drops sharply, 1 g of the drug can increase the performance by 0.28 mmol / l. In a hypoglycemic crisis, this is the best solution to the problem.

Alternative treatment

During therapy, experts advise using folk methods treatment using medicinal plants. They help restore metabolic processes and normalize sugar levels in diabetics and in healthy people. An effective plant is lingonberry, St. John's wort, rose hips, plantain, garlic (it is recommended to eat it fresh).

Useful decoctions and tinctures are made from plants, allowing the body to recover in the shortest possible time. You can use this recipe: 1 large spoonful of rose hips insist in 2 cups of boiling water, filter and drink half a glass twice a day.

In addition, the diet has a good effect on the patient's condition. A diabetic patient needs to know which foods should be included in the diet and which should be avoided:

Healthy foods. In the diet of a diabetic should be present: cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, seafood, whole grain bread, lean meat, sour milk drinks, nuts, legumes.
Forbidden food. Sweets, bananas, grapes, caffeinated drinks, alcohol are excluded from the diabetic menu.

Prevention of falling blood glucose

To prevent a sharp drop in blood sugar, diabetics are recommended:

adjust the diet and add food that will be absorbed longer;
eat in small portions, at least 5 times a day;
if signs of hypoglycemia appear at night, then at night it is recommended to eat food that takes longer to digest;
with insulin therapy, it is necessary to adjust the dosage in order to prevent a sharp decrease in glucose.

If hypoglycemia occurs in a healthy person, it is necessary to find the cause of its occurrence. You may need to reconsider your diet and lifestyle, exclude, enrich the menu with plant foods. If you cannot find the provoking factor on your own, it is better to consult a doctor.

If a low glucose content is observed in a pregnant woman, then she must adhere to a certain diet in order to avoid unpleasant complications. Food should be fractional and as useful as possible.

regularly consume protected carbohydrates: cereals, vegetables;
include fruits, including citrus fruits, in your daily diet;
take protein from lean red meat;
consume dairy products (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk).

With hypoglycemia, the patient should not ignore the symptoms of the pathological condition. It is better to temporarily protect yourself from doing hard physical work and switch to training with moderate loads (swimming, easy running, walking). There are a lot of reasons for the drop in sugar, but maintaining healthy lifestyle life, observance correct mode nutrition will solve many problems and prevent serious complications. The main thing is to consult a doctor in a timely manner if the condition worsens. In diabetes, this problem must be solved together with a specialist.

If low blood sugar is found, symptoms in women, causes of low sugar and prevention methods are information that will be useful to every woman. Low glucose levels are a common phenomenon in our time, especially common in older women.

Blood is an important body fluid, it has many functions, and its condition must be continuously monitored. A small boost proteins or leukocytes can tell about the beginning of any diseases. A serious indicator is the level of sugar in the blood.

Sugar is formed in the human blood after it enters the body with food. Glucose is processed by the pancreas and enters the bloodstream.

general information

Low blood sugar is considered a disease, doctors call this condition hypoglycemia. This is a rather serious disease, due to reduced level blood glucose decreases efficiency, a person becomes lethargic, which often leads to unpleasant consequences.

The main cause of low sugar in both women and men is nutrition. After each meal, the sugar level rises, the pancreas works intensively, it produces insulin. After this hormone has converted the sugar into energy, the sugar level should drop. But this does not happen in people with low glucose levels.

Most often, low blood sugar in women is accompanied by diabetes. During this disease, insulin is not enough to convert food into energy. The condition can only be improved by eating sweet foods. Diabetes is a serious disease that requires treatment.

Hypoglycemia can also occur in healthy people. The causes of this condition are different, may depend on the diet or lifestyle of a person.

Normal blood sugar

Normal fasting glucose ranges from 3.3 to 5.5 mmol/L. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by a blood sugar level above 6.7 mmol/L.

Why does low blood sugar occur?

The causes of low blood sugar in women are different, these can be:

Improper nutrition with long intervals between meals.
Exercise while eating a low calorie diet.
The use of sweet, flour.
Smoking, drinking alcohol.
Tumors of the pancreas.

Now thin women are in fashion, so often girls are on different diets, malnourished, eat wrong. This leads to an imbalance in blood sugar levels. Also, you can not play sports for several hours without including high-calorie foods in your diet. The body must always be saturated with proteins in order to cope with stress.

In any case, the causes and signs of a decrease in blood sugar in women are individual, for clarification, you should seek the advice of a specialist.

Problem symptoms

To begin with, it should be said that the signs of low blood sugar do not appear immediately, hypoglycemia is a long process, and when sugar levels drop to the lowest possible level, the body reports abnormalities.

The first and main sign of low blood sugar is fatigue and lethargy of a person, he is constantly thirsty. Nervousness, irritability are also the main signs of hypoglycemia and can occur throughout the day.

However, there are patients in whom the symptoms are mild, they do not feel very tired, they attribute their fatigue to work. In such cases, drowsiness on weekends can become a signal, for example, a person has had enough sleep, but drowsiness is still present at lunchtime. In this condition, it is better to consult a specialist.

Low blood sugar symptoms in women are as follows:

weakness, fatigue;
headache;
irritability and nervousness;
blurred vision;
frequent heartbeat;
constant feeling of hunger and thirst.

Signs of low blood sugar in women are mostly the same, but the symptoms can vary individually. If you have all the symptoms that recur every day, you should immediately consult a doctor. The specialist will have to prescribe studies to understand the nature of the disease and prevent the unpleasant consequences of developing hypoglycemia.

How can you check your sugar level

Now there are several ways to measure your blood sugar. If a person feels the above symptoms, then it is better to check their sugar level. This can be done using the test on an empty stomach, as well as after the introduction of glucose into the body.

Another test is the glucose tolerance test. During this study, a person needs to get a few grams of glucose dissolved in water. A few hours later, a specialist should take the blood.

The best result can be obtained if both studies are done at the same time. Prior to the start of the study, the patient must adhere to a certain diet. He should not eat fatty foods, drink or smoke. In the morning on an empty stomach, the first blood sampling is performed, after a few minutes the patient needs to drink a solution with glucose. After a few hours, the specialist will take a second blood sample.

How to treat this phenomenon

The main thing to remember in the treatment of hypoglycemia is the need to consult a specialist in a timely manner.

You can not leave low blood sugar unattended, it is necessary to identify the cause of the decrease. You should contact a specialist who will prescribe various studies, necessary treatment and a special diet. Only complex treatment can give a result.

If the problem of low blood sugar appeared due to diabetes, it is necessary to treat this disease, monitor your lifestyle. Regularly measure blood sugar and eat right: this will help keep glucose levels normal.

In general, therapy includes the use of agents containing glucose. If a person is in a hypoglycemic coma, you should immediately call an ambulance, doctors should administer the necessary drugs. It may be necessary to administer drugs that normalize the production of insulin.

Low sugar can also be caused by neoplasms of the pancreas. In this case, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumor. If the neoplasm is of a benign nature, then the surgical intervention gives a favorable prognosis, the patient recovers.

It is worth noting that any medicines must be taken after consultation with a specialist. He can select the necessary drugs to avoid adverse consequences, he can prescribe hospital treatment. In no case should you self-medicate.

low sugar diet

With hypoglycemia, you need to pay increased attention to your diet. It must be correct, balanced, diet is one of the main points of successful treatment. Here are some nutritional guidelines:

You need to eat often, do not skip breakfast, make snacks, do not allow a long break between meals.
Now in stores there are many products for diabetics, in which sugar is balanced or completely absent. If you dilute your diet with such products, then normal level sugar will remain throughout the day, which will prevent hypoglycemia.
Do not get carried away with drinking coffee, because of it, more insulin is produced.
You should get rid of bad habits, stop drinking alcohol and smoking.
You need to add nuts, vegetables, cheese to the diet, they help sugar stay normal.
It is necessary to add fish, flax seed, Omega-3 vitamins to your diet, these products regulate blood parameters.

If you follow all these points, you can forever forget about the problem of hypoglycemia, because it occurs precisely because of malnutrition. After 2 weeks, a noticeable result will appear, the blood condition will improve, sugar will normalize.

What causes low blood sugar

Many patients do not seek medical care because they believe that low blood sugar is harmless and will go away on its own. First of all, changes occur in the body that can interfere with a person’s normal life, slow him down, a patient with low blood sugar quickly gets tired, nervous, relationships with loved ones begin to deteriorate.

Due to hypoglycemia, the brain is damaged, the body lacks nutrition. Orientation in space is significantly reduced, a person may behave inappropriately.

A person with hypoglycemia can hardly drive a car, can get into an accident. At work or at home, the patient may fall or injure himself.

To avoid all these consequences, it is necessary to consult a doctor and begin appropriate treatment. Do not delay, hypoglycemia requires due attention, treatment should be comprehensive, include taking the necessary medications and proper diet. Only then can you completely get rid of the disease and improve your well-being.

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Causes

One of the reasons for lowering blood sugar levels is the complicated course of diabetes mellitus. This condition can develop in almost all patients with this disease. The following factors can provoke it:

overdose or from the group of sulfonylurea or buganides, meglitidines (Chlorpropamide, Tolbutamide, Maninil, Amaryl, Novonorm, Geksal, Metformin, Siofor, etc.);
starvation;
diet violation;
a long break between meals;
kidney and liver diseases;
acute infectious diseases;
heavy physical activity;
taking large doses of alcohol.

A common mistake that some diabetics make to lower their glucose levels is to combine insulin or hypoglycemic agents and other ways to reduce sugar. These include:

plants that enhance the effect of hypoglycemic drugs: clover, bay leaf, bean leaves, dandelion grass, lingonberry and blueberry leaves, burdock grass, linden flowers, blackcurrant, rosehip and hawthorn fruits, chicory grass;
sugar-reducing vegetables and herbs: parsley, horseradish, pumpkin, spinach, turnips, garlic, eggplant, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, white cabbage, sweet peppers, asparagus, zucchini, radish, Jerusalem artichoke;
sugar-reducing fruits and berries: citrus fruits, blueberries, sour varieties of apples or pears, blackberries, lingonberries, mountain ash, viburnum, pineapples, raspberries, blackberries, chokeberries.

When using these drugs to lower the level of glucose in the blood, the patient should definitely agree on this possibility with the doctor and constantly monitor the sugar level with a home glucometer.

Another cause of hypoglycemia may be a neoplasm of the pancreas, which is capable of producing insulin -. This tumor causes a sharp increase in insulin levels, which “absorbs” blood glucose and causes a decrease in its level.

In addition to these diseases, a decrease in glucose levels can be caused by such ailments and conditions:

severe liver pathology;
condition after resection of the intestine or stomach;
congenital deficiency of enzymes that affect carbohydrate metabolism;
diseases of the hypothalamus and;
adrenal pathology.

In healthy people, low blood sugar levels can be caused by the following factors or conditions:

period and lactation;
heavy physical activity;
frequent and excessive consumption of sweet foods;
adherence to irrational diets, irregular meals or malnutrition.

Symptoms

In healthy people, signs of a decrease in blood sugar begin to appear at levels of 3.3 mmol / l, and in patients with diabetes they appear earlier, because their body is already accustomed to constant hyperglycemia. In a patient suffering from this disease for a long time, the first symptoms may appear with a sharp jump in glucose levels (for example, from 20 to 10 mmol / l). Children represent a special category of patients with diabetes mellitus who are insensitive to sugar reduction. They do not always feel the beginning of this process, and parents or doctors who suspect the onset of hypoglycemia have to use a glucometer to detect it.

The severity of symptoms of low blood sugar can be divided into three degrees: mild, moderate and severe.

Symptoms of a slight decrease in sugar levels to 3.3 mmol / l are:

dizziness and;
nervousness;
weakness;
trembling in the body;
increased sweating;
mild nausea;
pronounced hunger;
blurred vision.

Symptoms of a moderate decrease in sugar levels to 2.2 mmol / l are:

irritability;
inability to concentrate;
feeling unsteady when standing or sitting;
slowness of speech;
muscle cramps;
unreasonable crying, aggression or anger.

Symptoms of a severe drop in blood sugar below 1.1 mmol/l are:

loss of consciousness (hypoglycemic coma);
convulsive attack;
death (in some cases).

Sometimes a drop in sugar levels occurs during a night's sleep. You can understand that a sleeping person has begun hypoglycemia by the following signs:

the appearance of unusual noises;
anxiety;
accidentally falling out of bed or trying to get out of it;
increased sweating;
nightmares.

During a nocturnal episode of hypoglycemia, a person may feel headache after morning awakening.

Symptoms of the development of hypoglycemic syndrome

Symptoms of hypoglycemia rapidly increase and lead to loss of consciousness.

With a sharp decrease in blood sugar levels, the patient develops hypoglycemic syndrome. At the same time, the signs of hypoglycemia increase much faster than with the usual decrease in this indicator. That is why, for first aid, every patient with diabetes should always carry sugar or candy and a glucagon pen with him.

Conventionally, the course of hypoglycemic syndrome can be divided into 4 main phases.

First phase

Marked hunger;
drowsiness;
weakness;
hypotension;
mood swings: from tearfulness to unrestrained fun;
irritability.

Second phase

Intolerable hunger;
pallor;
cold sweat;
tachycardia;
feeling of a beating heart;
blurred vision;
trembling in the body and limbs;
feeling of fear of death.

Third phase

A state of euphoria, similar to alcohol intoxication;
excitation;
uncontrollable behavior;
the disappearance of a sense of fear;
inadequacy of behavior (up to the refusal to take sweets or medicines when they are realized that they are necessary).

Fourth phase

Trembling all over the body and convulsive twitches, followed by a convulsive attack;
loss of vision;
fainting and coma.

The initial phases of the hypoglycemic syndrome are usually not dangerous for the brain and do not leave irreversible consequences. With the onset of a coma and the absence of timely and qualified assistance, not only a decrease in memory and intellectual abilities is possible, but also a lethal outcome.

Treatment

To eliminate signs of hypoglycemia, assistance should be provided during the first 10-15 minutes. The following foods can eliminate an attack within 5-10 minutes:

sugar - 1-2 teaspoons;
honey - 2 teaspoons;
caramel - 1-2 pcs.;
lemonade or other sweet drink - 200 ml;
fruit juice - 100 ml.

Such timely initiation of treatment in most cases contributes to rapid rise blood sugar levels and prevents the development of more severe manifestations of this condition. After that, the patient is advised to eliminate the cause that caused hypoglycemia (eat food, give up an exhausting or incorrectly formulated diet, take a large dose of insulin, etc.).

First aid for hypoglycemic syndrome

With the development of hypoglycemic syndrome, the patient's condition changes very quickly and assistance should be provided immediately (even before the arrival of the ambulance team). It consists of the following activities:

Place the patient in horizontal position and raise your legs.
Call an ambulance, indicating the probable reason for the call.
Remove clothing that restricts breathing.
Provide fresh air supply.
Give to take sweet in the form of a drink.
If the patient has lost consciousness, then it is necessary to turn him on his side (to prevent the tongue from sinking and asphyxia with vomit), and put sweets (in the form of sugar, etc.) behind the cheek.
In the presence of a syringe tube with Glucagon, inject 1 ml subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Ambulance crew performing jet intravenous administration 40% glucose solution and establishes drip administration of 5% glucose solution. After this, the patient is transported to the intensive care unit, and additional injections of drugs can be performed during the move.

Treatment of patients with hypoglycemic coma

After hospitalization, the patient is placed two catheters: intravenous and urine output. After that, diuretics are administered to prevent cerebral edema. Initially, osmotic diuretics (Mannitol or Mannitol) are used. Later, emergency diuretics (Furosemide) are prescribed.

The introduction of short-acting insulin is carried out only under the control of blood sugar. This drug is started to be used only in the presence of glucose indicators such as 13-17 mmol / l, since its early administration can cause the development of a new attack of hypoglycemic syndrome and the onset of coma.

The patient is scheduled to be examined by a neurologist and a cardiologist on duty, who evaluate the ECG and electroencephalogram parameters. The data of these studies allow us to predict the possible recurrence of coma and adjust the treatment plan.

After leaving the coma, the patient is constantly monitored, and the endocrinologist adjusts the tactics of his treatment and diet, based on data obtained from the results of laboratory and instrumental studies. At the last stage of treatment, the patient is prescribed rehydration and detoxification therapy, which allows to eliminate acetone in the blood and replenish the lost fluid.