Hypoglycemia

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Food and insulin release

Insulin shock; Low blood sugar

A snack or drink containing sugar will raise the blood glucose level, and you should see an immediate improvement in symptoms.

Infants of diabetic mothers that develop low blood sugars are treated with glucose solutions given into the vein to maintain the blood sugar at normal levels. The glucose is slowly reduced over the next 24 - 48 hours while the infant begins to regulate its blood sugar at normal levels.

Unconsciousness or inability to swallow may occur if the person's blood sugar levels are very low. This is called insulin shock, and emergency medical treatment is needed. An injection of glucose solution or the hormone glucagon will be given immediately.

In the longer term, you may need to modify your diet so that you get glucose into your body more evenly throughout the day. This may prevent further hypoglycemic episodes. Small, frequent meals with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat and avoiding simple sugars, alcohol, and fruit juice may be recommended. You should also eat meals at regular intervals, and balance extra exercise with extra food.

If hypoglycemia is caused by an insulinoma (insulin-secreting tumor), surgery to remove the tumor is the best treatment.

Severe hypoglycemia can often be avoided by recognizing the early warning signs of the condition and treating yourself rapidly and appropriately. Untreated hypoglycemia can progress to unconsciousness and if the brain is exposed to reduced glucose for a long period of time, there may be permanent damage.

• Loss of consciousness
• Coma

• Seizure
• Permanent damage to the nervous system

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. If a diabetic, or other person known to experience hypoglycemia, becomes unresponsive or you can't wake them, you should also call an emergency number.

Review Date: 08/01/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.