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__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
{{Infobox_Disease
| Name          = {{PAGENAME}}
| Image          = Glucose test.JPG
| Caption        = Glucose test
}}
{{Hypoglycemia (patient information)}}
{{Hypoglycemia (patient information)}}


'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Hypoglycemia|here]]'''
'''For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Hypoglycemia|here]]'''


{{CMG}}; {{AOEIC}} {{JW}}; '''Assistant Editor-in-Chief:''' Meagan E. Doherty
{{CMG}}; {{AOEIC}} {{JW}}; {{AE}} Meagan E. Doherty


==Overview==
==Overview==
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Other symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Other symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
* Decreased alertness
* Decreased alertness
* [[Different size pupils]]
* Different size pupils
* [[Dizziness]]
* [[Dizziness]]
* [[Excessive sweating]]
* [[Excessive sweating]]
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* [[Sleeping difficulty]]
* [[Sleeping difficulty]]


==What are the causes of Hypoglycemia?==
==What causes Hypoglycemia?==
Hypoglycemia occurs when:
Hypoglycemia occurs when:
* Your body's sugar ([[glucose]]) is used up too quickly
* Your body's sugar ([[glucose]]) is used up too quickly
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* [[Liver]] disease
* [[Liver]] disease


==Who is at risk for Hypoglycemia?==
==Who is at highest risk?==
Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes.
Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes.


==How to know you have Hypoglycemia?==
==Diagnosis==
[[Home monitoring]] of [[blood sugar]] will show readings lower than 50 mg/dL.
[[Home monitoring]] of [[blood sugar]] will show readings lower than 50 mg/dL.


Serum glucose test will be low.
Serum glucose test will be low.


==When to seek urgent medical care==
==When to seek urgent medical care?==
Go to the emergency room immediately or call a local emergency number (such as 911) if early signs of hypoglycemia do not improve after you've eaten a snack containing sugar.
Go to the emergency room immediately or call a local emergency number (such as 911) if early signs of hypoglycemia do not improve after you've eaten a snack containing sugar.


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:*Hypoglycemia caused by [[diabetes]]: In people with [[diabetes]] who take medication that lowers [[blood sugar]], a snack or drink containing sugar will raise the blood glucose level. Try to drink no more than 4 ounces of juice or sugar soda. You should see an immediate improvement in symptoms. If you do not, check blood sugar and repeat after 15 minutes. Overtreatment of low blood sugar can cause problems with high blood sugar in people with diabetes.
:*Hypoglycemia caused by [[diabetes]]: In people with [[diabetes]] who take medication that lowers [[blood sugar]], a snack or drink containing sugar will raise the blood glucose level. Try to drink no more than 4 ounces of juice or sugar soda. You should see an immediate improvement in symptoms. If you do not, check blood sugar and repeat after 15 minutes. Overtreatment of low blood sugar can cause problems with high blood sugar in people with diabetes.


:*Hypoglycemia caused by idiopathic hypoglycemia:Persons with severe hypoglycemia are treated with glucose injections or the hormone glucagon. Immediate treatment is needed to prevent serious [[complication]]s or death. Your doctor may tell you to change your diet so that you get more even amounts of glucose into your body throughout the day. This may prevent further episodes of low blood sugar. You may be told to eat small, frequent meals with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat and to avoid simple sugars, alcohol, and fruit juice. You should also eat meals at regular intervals, and balance extra exercise with extra food.
:*Hypoglycemia caused by idiopathic hypoglycemia: People with severe hypoglycemia are treated with glucose injections or the hormone [[glucagon]]. Immediate treatment is needed to prevent serious [[complication]]s or death. Your doctor may tell you to change your diet so that you get more even amounts of glucose into your body throughout the day. This may prevent further episodes of low blood sugar. You may be told to eat small, frequent meals with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat and to avoid simple sugars, alcohol, and fruit juice. You should also eat meals at regular intervals, and balance extra exercise with extra food.


:*Hypoglycemia caused by [[insulinoma]]: If hypoglycemia is caused by an [[insulinoma]] (insulin-secreting tumor), [[surgery]] to remove the tumor is the best treatment.
:*Hypoglycemia caused by [[insulinoma]]: If hypoglycemia is caused by an [[insulinoma]] (insulin-secreting tumor), [[surgery]] to remove the tumor is the best treatment.
===Medications to avoid===
{{MedCondContrPI
|MedCond =hypoglycemia|Insulin glulisine|Insulin lispro}}


==Diseases with similar symptoms==
==Diseases with similar symptoms==
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* Liver disease
* Liver disease


==Where to find medical care for Hypoglycemia==
==Where to find medical care for Hypoglycemia?==
[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|yourdisease}}}}&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=65.008093,112.148438&ie=UTF8&ll=37.0625,-95.677068&spn=91.690419,149.414063&z=2&source=embed Directions to Hospitals Treating Hypoglycemia]
[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|yourdisease}}}}&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=65.008093,112.148438&ie=UTF8&ll=37.0625,-95.677068&spn=91.690419,149.414063&z=2&source=embed Directions to Hospitals Treating Hypoglycemia]


==Prevention of Hypoglycemia==
==Prevention==
If you have [[diabetes]], make sure you follow your doctor's advice regarding diet, medications, and exercise.
If you have [[diabetes]], make sure you follow your doctor's advice regarding diet, medications, and exercise.


If you have a history of hypoglycemia, you should keep a snack or drink containing sugar available at all times to take as soon as symptoms appear. If symptoms do not improve in 15 minutes, eat more food. A glucagon kit is available for those who have episodes of hypoglycemia that don't respond well to other types of treatment.
If you have a history of hypoglycemia, you should keep a snack or drink containing sugar available at all times to take as soon as symptoms appear. If symptoms do not improve in 15 minutes, eat more food. A glucagon kit is available for those who have episodes of hypoglycemia that don't respond well to other types of treatment.


==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)==
==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==
Prognosis of hypoglycemia depends on:
Prognosis of hypoglycemia depends on:


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[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Endocrinology]]
[[Category:Endocrinology]]
[[Category:Emergency medicine]]
[[Category:Emergency medicine]]
[[Category:Intensive care medicine]]
[[Category:Medical emergencies]]
[[Category:Blood tests]]
[[Category:Metabolic disorders]]
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Latest revision as of 22:18, 29 July 2020

Hypoglycemia

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

Diagnosis

When to seek urgent medical care?

Treatment options

Prevention

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Hypoglycemia On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Hypoglycemia

Videos on Hypoglycemia

FDA on Hypoglycemia

CDC on Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia in the news

Blogs on Hypoglycemia

Directions to Hospitals Treating Hypoglycemia

Risk calculators and risk factors for Hypoglycemia

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Jinhui Wu, M.D.; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Meagan E. Doherty

Overview

Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low.

What are the symptoms of Hypoglycemia?

Other symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

What causes Hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia occurs when:

  • Your body's sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly
  • Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly
  • Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream

Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.

Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes. It occurs when

  • You take too much insulin or diabetes medicine
  • You don't eat enough food
  • You suddenly increase your exercise without increasing the amount of food you eat

Relative hypoglycemia is a fairly common condition in which a newborn's blood sugar is low. Babies born to mothers with diabetes may have severe hypoglycemia.

Idiopathic hypoglycemia is hypoglycemia that occurs without a known cause. People with this type of hypoglycemia do not have diabetes.

Hypoglycemia may also be caused by:

Who is at highest risk?

Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes.

Diagnosis

Home monitoring of blood sugar will show readings lower than 50 mg/dL.

Serum glucose test will be low.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Go to the emergency room immediately or call a local emergency number (such as 911) if early signs of hypoglycemia do not improve after you've eaten a snack containing sugar.

Get immediate medical help if a person with diabetes or a history of hypoglycemia loses alertness or if you can't wake them up.

Treatment options

Treatment depends on the cause.

  • Hypoglycemia caused by diabetes: In people with diabetes who take medication that lowers blood sugar, a snack or drink containing sugar will raise the blood glucose level. Try to drink no more than 4 ounces of juice or sugar soda. You should see an immediate improvement in symptoms. If you do not, check blood sugar and repeat after 15 minutes. Overtreatment of low blood sugar can cause problems with high blood sugar in people with diabetes.
  • Hypoglycemia caused by idiopathic hypoglycemia: People with severe hypoglycemia are treated with glucose injections or the hormone glucagon. Immediate treatment is needed to prevent serious complications or death. Your doctor may tell you to change your diet so that you get more even amounts of glucose into your body throughout the day. This may prevent further episodes of low blood sugar. You may be told to eat small, frequent meals with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat and to avoid simple sugars, alcohol, and fruit juice. You should also eat meals at regular intervals, and balance extra exercise with extra food.
  • Hypoglycemia caused by insulinoma: If hypoglycemia is caused by an insulinoma (insulin-secreting tumor), surgery to remove the tumor is the best treatment.

Medications to avoid

Patients diagnosed with hypoglycemia should avoid using the following medications:


Diseases with similar symptoms

Where to find medical care for Hypoglycemia?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Hypoglycemia

Prevention

If you have diabetes, make sure you follow your doctor's advice regarding diet, medications, and exercise.

If you have a history of hypoglycemia, you should keep a snack or drink containing sugar available at all times to take as soon as symptoms appear. If symptoms do not improve in 15 minutes, eat more food. A glucagon kit is available for those who have episodes of hypoglycemia that don't respond well to other types of treatment.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Prognosis of hypoglycemia depends on:

  • The cause of hypoglycemia
  • Whether the patient is diagnosed and treated in time.

Sources

Template:WH Template:WS

Template:WikiDoc Sources