When blood sugar falls below 70 mg/dl, it is called hypoglycemia. This condition develops due to excessive secretion of insulin. It can be classified as mild, moderate and severe according to its severity.
What is Low Blood Sugar?
The most important cause of hypoglycemia is unhealthy and irregular diet. Like a diet rich in carbohydrates, poor nutrition and a healthy lifestyle also trigger low blood sugar. The regulation of blood sugar is extremely important. Delay in treatment of hypoglycemia can lead to unconsciousness and even death. It is dangerous because it is an insidious and uncontrollable disease and it is necessary to be alert at all times. It can prevent hypoglycemia with a regular diet and minimum sugar consumption.
What are the Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar?
Hunger, tremor, restlessness, blackout, sweating, tingling in tongue and lips, pallor and palpitation Complaints such as these indicate mild hypoglycemia. A person with this condition can take sugar and raise their blood sugar level to normal. Head and stomach pain, pallor, blurred vision, difficulty in speaking, drowsiness, sweating, tachycardia (increased heart rate) indicate moderate hypoglycemia, while in severe hypoglycemia, the sugar level drops much below 50 mg/dl and as a result of the brain being without sugar. loss of consciousness may occur.
At this point, medical intervention is essential. A test for hypoglycemia is needed to find out if a person with symptoms is sick. During this test, a certain amount of sugar is loaded into the body. After a while, a blood test is done to measure the sugar level in the blood. Diagnosis is made if the sugar level is below a certain rate.
Does All Diabetics Respond to Low Blood Sugar in the Same Way?
Some diabetics may respond differently, especially to blood glucose values below 60 mg/dl; in other words, they may notice the symptoms of hypoglycemia less. For example, with a blood sugar level of 45 mg/dl, they can wander around as if nothing is happening.
Although the cause of this situation is not known exactly, the reason is long insulin use, pancreatic glucagon, which raises blood sugar. Inability to secrete enough of the essential hormone or changes in brain perception center thresholds have been considered. Especially after the use of human insulin, 'hypoglycemic awareness' began to be observed.
How to Treat Hypoglycemia?
If you suspect hypoglycemia; The first thing you need to do is measure your sugar with a blood glucose meter. In addition to the symptoms, if your blood sugar is below 70 mg/dl, you should start hypoglycemia treatment. If hypoglycemia occurs when you are full, you can put 2-3 cubes of sugar in your mouth or drink 1 tea glass of fruit juice / lemonade. If you are faced with hypoglycemia 15-30 minutes before the main meal, you can eat immediately. No changes are observed within 10-15 minutes; on the contrary, if worsening continues, sugar intake (in the same amount) should be continued.
If there is loss of consciousness in case of hypoglycemia at a level where food cannot be taken by mouth, parenteral, glucose or glucagon injection should be done. Glucagon is a drug that is administered in cases where blood sugar falls so low that it causes loss of consciousness, and that stimulates the release of sugar from the liver into the blood. If the person has lost consciousness when blood sugar drops, nothing is given by mouth in any way.
As the person cannot do the treatment by himself, the people around him should undertake the treatment. For this reason, it is necessary to learn the administration of glucagon injection by the patient's relatives and those close to them, such as classmates and teachers. Glucagon is available in pharmacies ready to use, it is administered intramuscularly by injecting into a syringe. With glucagon injection, blood sugar can be corrected within 15-20 minutes. If the patient is still unconscious, the glucagon injection should be repeated and the patient should be taken to the nearest health institution. Regular blood glucose measurements may be required before treatment planning. The general approach is for the diabetic to comply with the lifestyle regulations and nutrition plan. However, in some cases, hypoglycemia drugs that regulate blood sugar at certain rates are recommended. It is imperative that the drugs are used under the supervision of a doctor and at the specified rate. Ongoing hypoglycemia Possible problems with the pancreas may need to be investigated.
Hypoglycemia Diet
Diabetic patients should follow their diabetic diet to avoid hypoglycemia attacks. Patients are advised to increase fibrous foods and get enough digestible fiber in vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains and wheat. Meat, chicken and fish should be grilled rather than cooked, chicken skin should not be consumed. Powdered sugar, honey, jam, Turkish delight, pastry and all kinds of sweets from the bakery contain simple carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates significantly affect and change the level of sugar in the blood. Therefore, patients should avoid them and turn to complex carbohydrates. Whole wheat products, whole wheat pasta, brown rice and legumes contain complex carbohydrates. Patients with hypoglycemia should prefer fresh fruits, it is not recommended for these patients because there is a small amount of sugar or sweetener in ready-made fruit juices. Caffeine-rich coffee, chocolate and cola should not be consumed as they will increase fatigue and weakness. Alcohol should never be consumed. It is recommended that patients adopt the habit of eating frequently and in small amounts.
What is Reactive Hypoglycemia?
If the sugar level rises very high two hours after the sugar load test, which is done a while after taking the first bite, and then A sudden drop below normal is called reactive hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia is a chronic disease that requires constant attention and is a reactive drop in sugar due to food eaten. It occurs when the pancreas secretes insulin after eating irregularly and lowers the sugar level below normal.
How to Understand Reactive Hypoglycemia?
Unlike hypoglycemia, the most obvious symptom is within two to four hours after eating. It is a sudden feeling of extreme hunger and weakness. The person may experience an overindulgence in sweets and sugar. In addition, extreme irritability, pessimism and low mood are among the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia.
Nutrition and Reactive Hypoglycemia
Patients with reactive hypoglycemia are also important in their diet and should follow a reactive hypoglycemia diet. Patients should not fast for more than three hours and should eat six or eight meals a day. noon Protein, carbohydrate and fat should be balanced in front of them. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grain foods, legumes, vegetables and fruits should be taken adequately. Again, avoiding simple sugars and excessively fatty foods is the basic requirement for a reactive hypoglycemia diet. In addition, regular physical activity together with diet is effective for the treatment of the disease.
How to Treat Reactive Hypoglycemia?
Insulin-lowering drugs can be used alongside diet and sports. Although it is not generally treated with medication, in drug-treated cases, the dose and frequency of drugs are determined by blood sugar level.
Continuous blood sugar measurement, adherence to diet and rearrangement of daily life are required under doctor control. In addition, any underlying problem should be investigated and, if any, this problem should be treated as soon as possible. These patients should pay attention to a healthy diet, do sports and take good care of themselves throughout their lives. However, these are solutions that only work for short-term and emergencies. Consuming more fruits and vegetables for sugar needs and staying away from ready-made simple sugary foods should be everyone's choice for a healthy life.
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