If you have a healthy pancreas, it releases a hormone called glucagon to make up for the absence of food. This hormone tells your liver to process the stored sugars and release them into your bloodstream. If everything works as it should, your blood sugar levels should remain in the normal range until your next meal. Insufficient blood sugar levels can cause a rapid heartbeat and heart palpitations. However, even if you have diabetes, you may not always have obvious symptoms of low blood sugar.
This is a potentially dangerous condition called hypoglycemia unawareness. Normally, low blood sugar causes your body to release stress hormones, such as epinephrine. Epinephrine is responsible for those early warning signs, like hunger and shakiness. When low blood sugar happens too frequently, your body may stop releasing stress hormones, called hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure, or HAAF.
Oftentimes, low blood sugar can signal immense hunger. Low blood sugar levels can also cause a variety of problems within your central nervous system. Early symptoms include weakness, lightheadedness , and dizziness. Headaches can occur from a lack of glucose, especially if you have diabetes. You may also feel signs of stress, such as nervousness, anxiety , and irritability. When blood sugar levels drop during the night, you may have nightmares, cry out during sleep, or other sleep disturbances.
Lack of coordination, chills , clammy skin , and sweating can happen with low blood sugar. Tingling or numbness of the mouth are other effects that may develop. Many people with diabetes, particularly those who use insulin, should have a medical ID with them at all times.
In the event of a severe hypoglycemic episode, a car accident or other emergency, the medical ID can provide critical information about the person's health status, such as the fact that they have diabetes, whether or not they use insulin, whether they have any allergies, etc. Emergency medical personnel are trained to look for a medical ID when they are caring for someone who can't speak for themselves.
Medical IDs are usually worn as a bracelet or a necklace. Traditional IDs are etched with basic, key health information about the person, and some IDs now include compact USB drives that can carry a person's full medical record for use in an emergency. As unpleasant as they may be, the symptoms of low blood sugar are useful.
These symptoms tell you that you your blood sugar is low and you need to take action to bring it back into a safe range. But, many people have blood sugar readings below this level and feel no symptoms. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness.
Hypoglycemia unawareness puts the person at increased risk for severe low blood sugar reactions when they need someone to help them recover. People with hypoglycemia unawareness are also less likely to be awakened from sleep when hypoglycemia occurs at night. People with hypoglycemia unawareness need to take extra care to check blood sugar frequently. This is especially important prior to and during critical tasks such as driving.
A continuous glucose monitor CGM can sound an alarm when blood sugar levels are low or start to fall. This can be a big help for people with hypoglycemia unawareness.
Hypoglycemia unawareness occurs more frequently in those who:. If you think you have hypoglycemia unawareness, speak with your health care provider.
This helps your body re-learn how to react to low blood sugar levels. This may mean increasing your target blood sugar level a new target that needs to be worked out with your diabetes care team. It may even result in a higher A1C level, but regaining the ability to feel symptoms of lows is worth the temporary rise in blood sugar levels. This can happen when your blood sugar levels are very high and start to go down quickly. If this is happening, discuss treatment with your diabetes care team.
Your best bet is to practice good diabetes management and learn to detect hypoglycemia so you can treat it early—before it gets worse. Monitoring blood sugar, with either a meter or a CGM, is the tried and true method for preventing hypoglycemia.
Studies consistently show that the more a person checks blood sugar, the lower his or her risk of hypoglycemia. This is because you can see when blood sugar levels are dropping and can treat it before it gets too low. If you can, check often! Or, have a snack that contains a slow-release carbohydrate, such as a slice of bread or toast, a couple of biscuits, or a glass of cows' milk. How to treat someone who's unconscious or very sleepy drowsy Follow these steps: Put the person in the recovery position and do not put anything in their mouth — so they do not choke.
Call for an ambulance if an injection of glucagon is not available, you do not know how to use it, or the person had alcohol before their hypo. If an injection of glucagon is available and you know how to use it, give it to them immediately. If they wake up within 10 minutes of getting the injection and feel better, move on to step 5. If they do not improve within 10 minutes, call for an ambulance. If they're fully awake and able to eat and drink safely, give them a carbohydrate snack.
How to treat someone who's having a seizure or fit Follow these steps if someone has a seizure or fit caused by a low blood sugar level: Stay with them and stop them hurting themselves — lie them down on something soft and move them away from anything dangerous like a road or hot radiator.
Call for an ambulance if the seizure or fit lasts more than 5 minutes. After the seizure or fit stops, give them a sugary snack. What causes a low blood sugar level In people with diabetes, the main causes of a low blood sugar level are: the effects of medicine — especially taking too much insulin, medicines called sulfonylureas such as glibenclamide and gliclazide , medicines called glinides such as repaglinide and nateglinide , or some antiviral medicines to treat hepatitis C skipping or delaying a meal not eating enough carbohydrate foods in your last meal, such as bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes and fruit exercise, especially if it's intense or unplanned drinking alcohol Sometimes there's no obvious reason why a low blood sugar level happens.
Very occasionally, it can happen in people who do not have diabetes. Preventing a low blood sugar level If you have diabetes, you can reduce your chance of getting a low blood sugar level if you: Check your blood sugar level regularly and be aware of the symptoms of a low blood sugar level so you can treat it quickly.
Always carry a sugary snack or drink with you, such as glucose tablets, a carton of fruit juice or some sweets. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Hypoglycemia is a condition in which your blood sugar glucose level is lower than normal. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Continuous glucose monitor Open pop-up dialog box Close. Continuous glucose monitor A continuous glucose monitor CGM is a device that measures your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor inserted under the skin.
Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Jameson JL, et al. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. The McGraw-Hill Companies; Accessed Jan. Low blood glucose hypoglycemia. Unexplained hypoglycemia in a nondiabetic. Mayo Clinic; Cryer PE.
Hypoglycemia in adults with diabetes mellitus. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes — Diabetes Care. Service FJ, et al.
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