What Is Hypoglycemia And Its Treatment?

by drkhezar In 2005, The American Diabetes Association (ADA) published criteria for the definition of hypoglycemia (insulin reaction) as given below: “Hypoglycemia is defined as all episodes of an abnormally low plasma glucose concentration (with or without symptoms) that expose the individual to harm”. A patient is considered as hypoglycemic if his blood sugar level is as low as 70 mg/dl. Hypoglycemia affects both types of diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Causes: There are different causes of hypoglycemia mentioned below: Improper intake of insulin or diabetes medication Intake of overdose of either insulin or any anti-diabetic drug Skipping meals Rapid utilization of blood sugar by the body Slow release of glucose in blood stream Increased secretion of insulin into the blood If a patient is suffering from diabetes then there are following reasons that can lead to hypoglycemia: Higher intake of alcohol Improper exercise Following drug which are used b diabetic patients can cause hypoglycemia: Chlorpropamide (Diabinese), tolazamide (Tolinase), acetohexamide (Dymelor), glipizide (Glucotrol), or tolbutamide (Orinase) Glyburide (Micronase), glimepiride (Amaryl), repaglinide (Prandin), nateglinide (Starlix), and mitiglinide) — the risk with these drugs is lower, but still possible Insulin Newborn blood sugar can also be low Hypoglycemia in people devoid of diabetes: Hypoglycemia can also occur in those patients who are non-diabetic due to following reasons: Excessive alcohol intake Insulinoma (a tumor in the pancreas that produces too much insulin ) Liver disease Sign and symptoms: Hypoglycemic patients have following sing and symptoms:"Hypoglycemia" Shakiness Dizziness Double vision (blurry vision) Sweating Hunger Clumsy or jerky movements Seizure Difficulty paying attention, or confusion Tingling sensations around the mouth Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason Headache Pale skin color If blood sugar level is too much low then patient may suffer: Coma Faint Seizures Lab tests Different types of tests are performed for hypoglycemia as: Blood testing to determine the level of sugar Glucose tolerance test Treatment: Treatment of hypoglycemia depends upon the cause. In case of diabetes the objective of treatment is too raise the level of blood sugar immediately. This can be done by taking 10 to 20 grams of carbohydrates if patient is conscious. Examples are Intake 3 tablets of glucose One tablespoon of honey or syrup One tablespoon of sugar dissolved in water or plain Four ounce of fruit juice Wait for atleast 15 minutes and determine if patient has still low level of sugar (less than 70 mg/dl) then eat something else that is equivalent to 15 gm of carbohydrate. If patient is unconscious then intravenous dextrose, concentrations varying depending on age (infants are given 2 ml/kg dextrose 10%, children are given dextrose 25%, and adults are given dextrose 50%) is administered. If patient is not responding to the above treatment then glucagon (hormone) 1 to 2mg is administered via IV or intramuscular route. Surgery is usually recommended to remove the tumor if patient is suffering from Insulinoma (insulin-releasing tumor)