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Signs that your sugar has dropped. Symptoms and causes of low blood sugar levels - why does it drop sharply? Nocturnal hypoglycemia during sleep

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A severe decrease in blood sugar is a disease called hypoglycemia. This serious illness, which is provoked by a low concentration of glucose in the body. All human organs do not receive sufficient nutrition, and metabolism is disrupted. This can lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of the human body. If the patient is brought to a critical condition, he may fall into a coma. Symptoms of the disease can vary and intensify as the disease progresses. There are a large number of reasons that provoke such a disorder in the human body.

Common causes of violation

Hypoglycemia is usually caused by a number of reasons, such as:

  1. Increased insulin levels in the pancreas.
  2. Using a large number of medications with a high dose of insulin.
  3. Improper functioning of the pituitary gland and adrenal glands.
  4. Diabetes.
  5. Wrong carbohydrate metabolism in the liver.

The causes of hypoglycemia are divided into medicinal and non-medicinal. People with diabetes are most often susceptible to drug-induced hypoglycemia. If the dose of insulin administered to the patient is incorrectly calculated and exceeds the norm, then this can provoke various disorders in the body. Reasons not related to improper medication use include fasting. Often, after a long period of abstinence from food, the human body can respond to the consumption of carbohydrates by lowering blood sugar.

Quite often, diabetics suffer from hypoglycemia due to poor nutrition. If food consumption norms are not observed, insulin ends up in excess in the human body. As a result, the drug begins to help reduce the amount of sugar in the blood. Patients who are particularly susceptible to developing hypoglycemia for a long time suffer from diabetes. This is provoked malfunction pancreas and adrenal glands. The reasons lie in the fact that glucagon and adrenaline are produced in insufficient quantities. This means that the body has weak protection against hypoglycemia. Not only medications for diabetics, but also many other medications can cause the development of the disease.

The reasons for the development of the disease sometimes lie in mental state patient. If a person is very susceptible to various mental disorders, then this can provoke the appearance of hypoglycemia. Mentally unhealthy people can deliberately inject themselves with insulin if they have access to it. Treatment of such patients is carried out in special clinics.

Low blood sugar levels are often caused by overconsumption a person of alcohol. If a person suffers from alcoholism for a long time and at the same time neglects proper nutrition, then the body begins to gradually deplete. Subsequently, an attack (stupor) sometimes occurs even with low blood alcohol levels.

Rare causes of low sugar levels

Why does blood sugar drop? The cause may be intense physical activity. Such a defeat can occur even in the most healthy person. Sometimes the cause of a strong decrease in the amount of sugar is a malfunction of the pituitary gland. When the liver is damaged, the supply of carbohydrates in it is significantly reduced. This means that the human body cannot maintain the required amount of sugar.

Occasionally, hypoglycemia may occur in patients with liver disease after several hours of fasting. Such people need to adhere to a strict diet and eat food according to a schedule. If the patient does not fulfill this condition, the amount of sugar in his blood may drop sharply. Children under one year of age are also susceptible to developing hypoglycemia.

Surgery can cause hypoglycemia. If the patient has undergone gastric surgery, this may cause a decrease in blood sugar. In most cases, such a deviation is provoked by non-compliance with the diet during rehabilitation period after operation. Sugar begins to be absorbed very quickly, and this provokes excessive insulin production. Very rarely, when the stomach is affected, hypoglycemia can occur for no particular reason.

There is a separate type of disease called reactive hypoglycemia. This is a malaise that occurs in a person and is accompanied by a sharp drop in the amount of sugar in the blood. Today, this phenomenon is quite rare in adults. A drop in blood sugar is recorded during a short-term refusal to eat, but the results of the study change as soon as the patient eats. This is not true hypoglycemia.

The most common reactive form of the disease occurs in children under one year of age. During this period, they are especially susceptible to consuming fructose or lactose. These foods may prevent the liver from producing glucose freely. And the consumption of leucine provokes strong production of insulin by the pancreas. If a child eats a lot of foods containing these substances, then he experiences a sharp drop in blood sugar immediately after eating. In adults, a similar reaction may occur when consuming alcoholic drinks With increased content Sahara.

Additional causes of hypoglycemia

Very in rare cases a decrease in the amount of sugar is triggered by the development of a tumor of insulin-producing cells, which are located in the pancreas. As a result, the number of these cells increases and the amount of insulin produced increases. Any neoplasms that arise outside the pancreas, but contribute to an increase in insulin, also provoke a decrease in sugar.

Quite rarely, sugar levels drop if a person is sick. autoimmune disease. In this case, the body's system malfunctions and it begins to produce antibodies to insulin. In this case, the level of the element in the body begins to rise and fall sharply. This leads to changes in blood sugar levels and contributes to the progression of hypoglycemia. Such progression of the disease is extremely rare.

Low sugar levels sometimes occur in patients with kidney or heart failure. Hypoglycemia can develop due to another disease (for example, cirrhosis of the liver, viral hepatitis, severe viral or inflammatory infection). People with an unbalanced diet and patients who have been diagnosed with a malignant tumor are at risk.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia

Exist various degrees manifestations of this disease. In some patients, sugar levels drop significantly only in the morning. This is accompanied by decreased tone, drowsiness and weakness. In order to remove such symptoms of the disease and return to the normal rhythm of life, it is enough for the patient to have breakfast and regain his strength. Sometimes hypoglycemia begins to manifest itself, on the contrary, after eating. This disorder usually occurs in patients with diabetes. There are symptoms that can help you identify a sharp drop in blood sugar:

  1. Severe nausea.
  2. Hunger.
  3. Sudden decrease in visual acuity.
  4. Chills, extremities become very cold.
  5. Irritability and severe fatigue.
  6. Numbness of arms and legs.
  7. Muscle weakness.
  8. Increased sweating.

Such symptoms appear as a result of a lack of nutrients that do not reach the brain. Usually, consuming fast-digesting carbohydrates helps in this case. Before and after meals, you need to measure your blood sugar levels. If after eating it returns to normal, then there is no cause for concern. If carbohydrate-containing foods are not taken on time, the patient’s condition may worsen and the following symptoms will appear:

  1. Cramps.
  2. Unsteadiness in the legs.
  3. Incoherence of speech.

If a sufficient amount of glucose does not enter the body, the person may even lose consciousness. The patient may experience an attack that looks like an epileptic seizure.

Sometimes a stroke and severe brain damage can develop as a result of the disease.

This condition is especially dangerous for people with diabetes, as they can fall into a coma.

Thank you for your feedback

Comments

    Megan92 () 2 weeks ago

    Has anyone managed to completely cure diabetes? They say it is impossible to completely cure...

    Daria () 2 weeks ago

    I also thought it was impossible, but after reading this article, I had long since forgotten about this “incurable” disease.

    Megan92 () 13 days ago

    Daria () 12 days ago

    Megan92, that’s what I wrote in my first comment) I’ll duplicate it just in case - link to article.

    Sonya 10 days ago

    Isn't this a scam? Why do they sell on the Internet?

    Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago

    Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell it on the Internet because stores and pharmacies charge outrageous markups. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, they first looked, checked and only then paid. And now they sell everything on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.

    Editor's response 10 days ago

    Sonya, hello. This drug for the treatment of diabetes mellitus dependence is actually not sold through pharmacy chain to avoid overpricing. Currently you can only order from official website. Be healthy!

    Sonya 10 days ago

    I apologize, I didn’t notice the information about cash on delivery at first. Then everything is fine if payment is made upon receipt.

A state of low blood sugar is no less dangerous than an increase in glucose above normal, so it is important for men and women to know why such a deficiency occurs and what symptoms the disease manifests itself. It is necessary not only to monitor indicators of sugar absorption, but also to understand what actions need to be taken in case of hypoglycemia, since a critical situation is fraught with serious complications, even life-threatening.

What is low blood sugar

Lack of blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a pathology when the level of glucose in the blood falls below normal, which in a healthy person on an empty stomach is 3.3 - 5.5 mmol/l. Glucose is the fuel of our brain, and an imbalance in its levels leads to a hypoglycemic reaction, even coma. Low blood sugar is caused by many reasons: illness, physiological characteristics body, poor nutrition.

Causes of low blood sugar

The cause of the pathology is the discrepancy between the level of the hormone insulin in the blood and the intake of carbohydrates during physical activity and with food. The main provocateur is poor nutrition when the body does not receive the necessary carbohydrates, and with them, energy. As a rule, a sharp drop in blood sugar occurs with diabetes, but this condition is also possible in healthy people. Among the causes of pathology:

  • overdose of insulin, hypoglycemic drugs for diabetes;
  • poor nutrition (deficiency of fiber, mineral salts and vitamins with a predominance of foods with refined carbohydrates);
  • dehydration;
  • excessive physical activity;
  • alcohol abuse;
  • organ failure (pancreas, liver, heart, kidneys, adrenal glands);
  • exhaustion;
  • hormonal deficiency with inhibition of the production of glucagon, somatropin, adrenaline, cortisol;
  • extracellular tumors, benign neoplasms, autoimmune abnormalities;
  • excess intravenous drip administration saline solution;
  • chronic diseases;
  • long breaks between meals (empty stomach);
  • menses.

The child has

Low blood glucose levels in children occur, as a rule, due to a low-calorie diet, large time intervals between meals, and motor activity, psychological stress, lack of sleep. Less commonly observed is familial idiopathic (spontaneous) hypoglycemia on a pathogenetic basis, which manifests itself in children under two years of age. The catalyst is high sensitivity to leucine, which accelerates insulin synthesis and blocks gluconeogenesis in the liver, which causes a decrease in glucose.

Hypoglycemia in premature newborns, manifested by hypothermia, is also considered a frequent occurrence. respiratory disorders, cyanosis. However, it can also be asymptomatic; in this case, it can be detected in the first hours of life only with the appropriate analysis. The mother herself is a risk factor for the child if she has type 2 diabetes and takes glucose-lowering medications. For the baby, regardless of the degree clinical manifestations Urgent therapy is required - administration of glucose or glucagon and hydrocortisone.

Symptoms

During an attack of hypoglycemia, a person’s well-being depends on the speed and level of sugar drop. Symptoms low sugar in the blood may appear if the glucose level has dropped sharply, but remains within the normal range. The main features include:

  • adrenergic disorders – increased sweating, jumping blood pressure, pale skin, agitation, anxiety, tachycardia;
  • parasympathetic signs - weakness, nausea, vomiting, hunger;
  • neuroglycopenic phenomena - fainting, dizziness, disorientation, inappropriate behavior.

Among women

Low sugar in the blood can be expressed weakly, the signal appears only increased sleepiness and fatigue. Women are more prone to this pathology, especially when hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause and endocrine diseases, ovarian dysfunction. But the following may also appear characteristic symptoms:

  • sweating;
  • anxiety, aggressiveness;
  • pale skin;
  • muscle hypertonicity;
  • tachycardia;
  • muscle tremors;
  • increased blood pressure;
  • mydriasis;
  • general weakness;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • hunger;
  • dizziness, amnesia;
  • fainting, impaired consciousness.

In men

Blood glucose concentrations may change in men and women with age, due to lifestyle changes and addictions. bad habits. The opinion that the sugar norm for men is higher than for women has no basis. The indicator depends on nutrition, bad habits, stressful situations, excessive loads. Low blood sugar manifests itself in men with the following symptoms:

  • headache;
  • fast fatiguability;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • slow reaction;
  • nervous excitement;
  • lack of energy;
  • convulsions.

Why is low blood sugar dangerous?

Neuroglycopenic and adrenergic manifestations disappear with proper therapy, however, in addition to them, low blood glucose is dangerous for the development of hypoglycemic coma, cerebral dysfunction, even dementia. In addition, this condition is risky for people with cardiovascular diseases; it can provoke strokes and heart attacks, and retinal hemorrhage. In pregnant women, hypoglycemia negatively affects fetal development by reducing the amount of glucose supplied.

What to do if your blood sugar is low

You can cope with a minor lack of sugar yourself: drink a glucose solution, sweet juice, eat a lump of sugar, caramel, a spoonful of honey. However, not all sweet foods are recommended: for example, you cannot eat pasta, cakes, cereals, chocolate, ice cream, fruits, and white bread. In a serious condition, a person can lose consciousness and only immediate medical intervention will help.

The patient requires administration of glucagon or glucose, and after half an hour a blood test must be monitored. During therapy, it is important to observe the rate of administration so that the sugar level remains within 5-10 mmol/l. Subsequent treatment depends on the causes (insulin overdose, renal failure, liver disease), on the basis of which the duration of glucose infusion is determined.

Medicines to control blood sugar

For patients taking insulin and loved ones living with diabetics, the constant availability of drugs containing dextrose (glucose), glucagon should become mandatory, as well as knowledge of them correct application. To independently relieve hypoglycemia, there are the following medication options:

  • Glucose tablets. Dietary glucose is rapidly absorbed and active action. Pros: predictable action, cheap price. Cons: none. An alternative drug replacement option is ascorbic acid with glucose, sold in every pharmacy.
  • Dex4 tablets. Chewable tablets with dextrose do not require intestinal digestion and are absorbed instantly. Pros: different pleasant tastes. Cons: little represented on the market.
  • Dextro4. Available in the form of gel, tablets, containing D-glucose. Quickly combats hypoglycemia. Pros: ease of choice different forms. Cons: none identified.

Hypoglycemia is when blood sugar drops below normal. Mild hypoglycemia causes unpleasant symptoms, which are described below in the article. If severe hypoglycemia occurs, the person becomes unconscious and this can lead to death or disability due to permanent brain damage. The official definition of hypoglycemia is a decrease in blood glucose to less than 2.8 mmol/L, which is accompanied by adverse symptoms and may cause impairment of consciousness. Hypoglycemia is also a decrease in blood sugar to less than 2.2 mmol/L, even if a person does not feel symptoms.

Hypoglycemia with diabetes mellitus can be caused by two main reasons:

  • insulin injections;
  • taking pills that force the pancreas to produce more of its own insulin.

Insulin injections for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes are extremely important, and the benefits of them far exceed possible risk hypoglycemia. Especially when you master and can manage in small doses insulin, the risk of hypoglycemia will be very low.

We strongly recommend that you avoid taking pills that cause the pancreas to produce more insulin. These include all diabetes medications from the sulfonylurea and meglitinide classes. Not only can these pills cause hypoglycemia, but they also cause harm in other ways. Read “”. Doctors who are behind the times still continue to prescribe them to patients with type 2 diabetes. Alternative methods, which are described in, allow you to control blood sugar without the risk of hypoglycemia.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia become more pronounced the faster the blood glucose level decreases.

Early symptoms of hypoglycemia (you urgently need to eat “fast” carbohydrates, specifically glucose tablets):

  • pale skin;
  • sweating;
  • trembling, palpitations;
  • severe hunger;
  • inability to concentrate;
  • nausea;
  • anxiety, aggressiveness.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia, when blood sugar is critically low and a hypoglycemic coma is already very close:

  • weakness;
  • dizziness, headache;
  • feeling of fear;
  • speech and visual disturbances behavior;
  • confusion;
  • impaired coordination of movements;
  • loss of orientation in space;
  • trembling of limbs, convulsions.

Not all symptoms of glycemia appear at the same time. For the same diabetic, the signs of hypoglycemia may change each time. For many patients, the symptoms of hypoglycemia are “dulled.” Such diabetics suddenly lose consciousness each time due to the development of hypoglycemic coma. They are at high risk of disability or death due to severe hypoglycemia. Why this happens:

  • always very low level blood sugar;
  • the person has been suffering from diabetes for a long time;
  • elderly age;
  • if hypoglycemia occurs frequently, the symptoms are not felt so clearly.

Such people are obliged not to pose a danger to others at the time of sudden severe hypoglycemia. This means that they are contraindicated from performing work on which the lives of other people depend. In particular, such diabetics should not drive a car or use public transport.

Some diabetic patients realize in time that they have hypoglycemia. They remain clear-headed enough to take out a glucometer, measure their sugar, and stop an attack of hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, many diabetics have great problems with subjective recognition of their own hypoglycemia. When the brain lacks glucose, a person may begin to behave inappropriately. Such patients remain confident that they have normal sugar in the blood, right up until they lose consciousness. If a diabetic has experienced several acute episodes of hypoglycemia, he may have trouble recognizing subsequent episodes in a timely manner. This occurs due to dysregulation of adrenergic receptors. Also, taking certain medications makes it difficult to recognize hypoglycemia in a timely manner. These are beta blockers that lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Here is another list of typical symptoms of hypoglycemia that develop as its severity increases:

  • Slow reaction to surrounding events - for example, in a state of hypoglycemia, a person cannot brake in time when driving a car.
  • Irritable, aggressive behavior. At this time, the diabetic is sure that his sugar is normal, and aggressively resists the attempts of others to force him to measure his sugar or eat fast carbohydrates.
  • Blurred consciousness, difficulty speaking, weakness, clumsiness. These symptoms may continue after the sugar has returned to normal, up to 45-60 minutes.
  • Drowsiness, lethargy.
  • Loss of consciousness (very rare unless you are injecting insulin).
  • Convulsions.
  • Death.

Nocturnal hypoglycemia during sleep

Signs of nocturnal hypoglycemia during sleep:

  • the patient has cold, sticky skin from sweat, especially on the neck;
  • shortness of breath;
  • restless sleep.

If your child has type 1 diabetes, you should sometimes monitor him at night, checking his neck by touch, or you can wake him up and measure his blood sugar with a glucometer in the middle of the night, just in case. To reduce insulin dosages and with them the risk of hypoglycemia, follow. Start a baby with type 1 diabetes on a low-carbohydrate diet as soon as you finish breastfeeding.

If symptoms of hypoglycemia are dulled

Some people with diabetes early symptoms hypoglycemia appears to be blunted. With hypoglycemia, hand tremors, pale skin, rapid pulse and other signs are caused by the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline). Many diabetics have weakened its production or decreased sensitivity of receptors to it. This problem develops over time in patients who have chronic low sugar in the blood or frequent jumps from high sugar to hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, these are precisely the categories of patients who most often experience hypoglycemia and who would most need normal sensitivity to epinephrine.

There are 5 reasons and circumstances that can lead to dulling of hypoglycemia symptoms:

  • Severe autonomic diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes nerve conduction problems.
  • Fibrosis of adrenal tissue. This is the death of adrenal tissue - the glands that produce adrenaline. It develops if the patient has a long history of diabetes and was treated lazily or incorrectly.
  • Blood sugar chronically remains below normal.
  • A diabetic takes medications—beta blockers—for high blood pressure, after a heart attack, or to prevent it.
  • In diabetics who eat a “balanced” diet that is overloaded with carbohydrates, and therefore are forced to inject themselves with large doses of insulin.

If the glucometer shows that your blood sugar is below 3.5 mmol/L, take glucose tablets, even if there are no symptoms of hypoglycemia. You only need a little glucose to raise your blood sugar to normal. 1-3 grams of carbohydrates will be enough - this is 2-6 glucose tablets. Don't eat extra carbohydrates!

Some diabetics refuse to take glucose tablets even when they have tested their sugar and found it to be below normal. They say that they feel fine without the pills. Such diabetics are the main “clients” for emergency doctors, so that they can practice bringing a person out of a hypoglycemic coma. They also especially high probability car accidents. When you drive, measure your blood sugar with a glucometer every hour, whether you are hypoglycemic or not.

People who have frequent episodes of hypoglycemia or whose blood sugar is chronically below normal develop a “habituation” to this condition. Adrenaline appears in their blood often and in large quantities. This leads to the fact that the sensitivity of receptors to adrenaline is weakened. Just like excessive doses of insulin in the blood impair the sensitivity of insulin receptors on the surface of cells.

Causes of hypoglycemia in diabetes mellitus

Hypoglycemia occurs in situations where too much insulin circulates in the blood relative to dietary and liver glucose supply.

Causes of hypoglycemia

A. Directly related to drug therapy to lower blood sugar
Overdose of insulin, sulfonylureas or glinides
  • Patient error (dose error, too high doses, lack of self-control, diabetic is poorly trained)
  • Faulty insulin pen
  • Glucose meter is not accurate, shows too high numbers
  • Doctor's mistake - prescribed too low target blood sugar level for the patient, too high doses of insulin or sugar-lowering pills
  • Intentional overdose for the purpose of committing or simulating suicide
Changes in the pharmacokinetics (strength and speed of action) of insulin or sugar-lowering pills
  • Changing insulin medication
  • Slow elimination of insulin from the body - due to renal or liver failure
  • Incorrect depth of insulin injection - they wanted to inject it subcutaneously, but it turned out intramuscularly
  • Changing injection site
  • Massage or impact on the injection site high temperature- insulin is absorbed at an accelerated rate
  • Drug interactions with sulfonylureas
Increased tissue sensitivity to insulin
  • Early postpartum period
  • Concomitant adrenal or pituitary insufficiency
  • B. Nutrition related

    1. Skipping a planned meal
    2. Not eating enough carbohydrates to cover the insulin dose
    3. Short-term unplanned physical activity, without taking carbohydrates before and after exercise
    4. Alcohol consumption
    5. Attempting to lose weight through caloric restriction or absolute fasting, without correspondingly reducing the dose of insulin or sugar-lowering pills
    6. Delayed gastric emptying (gastroparesis) due to diabetic autonomic neuropathy
    7. Malabsorption syndrome - food is poorly absorbed. For example, due to the fact that there are not enough pancreatic enzymes that are involved in the digestion of food.
    8. Pregnancy (1st trimester) and breastfeeding

    Official medicine claims that if a diabetic patient is effectively treated with insulin or tablets that lower sugar, then the symptoms of hypoglycemia will have to be experienced 1-2 times a week and, they say, there is nothing wrong with that. We declare: if you do or, then hypoglycemia will happen much less often. Because with type 2 diabetes, we have given up the drugs that can cause it. As for insulin injections, for type 1 and type 2 diabetes it allows you to reduce insulin dosages several times and thus reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.

    Typical causes of hypoglycemia in those treated using site methods:

    • We didn’t wait 5 hours for the previous dose of rapid insulin to finish working, and injected the next dose to knock down high sugar in blood. This is especially dangerous at night.
    • They injected rapid insulin before meals, and then started eating too late. The same applies if you take pills before meals that force the pancreas to produce more insulin. It is enough to start eating 10-15 minutes later than you should to feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
    • Diabetic gastroparesis is delayed gastric emptying after eating.
    • After graduation infectious disease- insulin resistance suddenly weakens, and the diabetic forgets to return from increased doses of insulin or tablets that lower sugar to their usual doses.
    • For a long time, a diabetic injected himself with “weakened” insulin from a bottle or cartridge that was stored incorrectly or was expired, and then started injecting “fresh” normal insulin without lowering the dose.
    • Switching from an insulin pump to injections with insulin syringes and back if it occurs without careful self-monitoring of blood sugar.
    • The diabetic injected himself with high-power ultra-short insulin in the same dose that he usually injects with short-term insulin.
    • The insulin dose does not correspond to the amount of food eaten. Ate less carbohydrates and/or protein than planned for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Or they ate as much as they intended, but for some reason they injected more insulin.
    • A diabetic engages in unplanned physical activity or forgets to monitor their blood sugar every hour during physical activity.
    • Alcohol abuse, especially before and during meals.
    • A diabetic patient who injects himself with the average NPH insulin protafan forgot to shake the bottle well before drawing a dose of insulin into the syringe.
    • Accidentally gave an intramuscular injection of insulin instead of a subcutaneous one.
    • Did the right thing subcutaneous injection insulin, but to the part of the body that is subjected to intense physical activity.
    • Long-term treatment with intravenous gamma globulin. Causes random and unpredictable recovery of some beta cells in patients with type 1 diabetes, thereby reducing the need for insulin.
    • Taking the following medications: aspirin in large doses, anticoagulants, barbiturates, antihistamines and some others. These drugs lower blood sugar or inhibit the liver's production of glucose.
    • Sharp warming. During this time, many diabetic patients' insulin needs decrease.

    Hunger is the most common symptom of hypoglycemia in early stage. If you are doing or and have your disease well controlled, then you should never experience extreme hunger at all. You should be only slightly hungry before your planned meal. On the other hand, hunger is often just a sign of fatigue or emotional stress, not hypoglycemia. Also, when blood sugar, on the contrary, is too high, the cells do not have enough glucose, and they intensely send hunger signals. Conclusion: if you feel hungry, immediately measure your blood sugar with a glucometer.

    Risk factors for severe hypoglycemia:

    • the patient has previously had cases of severe hypoglycemia;
    • the diabetic does not feel the symptoms of hypoglycemia in time, and therefore his coma occurs suddenly;
    • secretion of insulin by the pancreas is completely absent;
    • short social status patient.

    How to figure out what caused hypoglycemia

    You need to recreate the entire sequence of events that leads to episodes when your blood sugar drops too low. This needs to be done every time, even if there were no visible symptoms, to find where you went wrong. In order to be able to reconstruct events, insulin-dependent diabetic patients need to continuously live in the regime, i.e., measure it often, record the measurement results and accompanying circumstances.

    Severe hypoglycemia can lead to the fact that events several hours before it are completely erased from the memory of a diabetic patient. If he carefully keeps his self-control diary, then in such a situation the notes will provide invaluable help. It is not enough to record only the results of blood sugar measurements; you also need to record the accompanying circumstances. If you have had several episodes of hypoglycemia but cannot understand the cause, show the records to your doctor. Perhaps he will ask you clarifying questions and figure it out.

    Treatment (relief) of hypoglycemia

    If you experience any of the hypoglycemia symptoms we listed above—especially extreme hunger—measure your blood sugar with a glucometer right away. If it is 0.6 mmol/L below your target level or even lower, then take measures to stop hypoglycemia. Eat enough carbohydrates, specifically glucose tablets, to raise your sugar to your target level. If there are no symptoms, but you measured your blood sugar and noticed that it is low, the same thing, you need to eat glucose tablets in a precisely calculated dosage. If your sugar is low, but there are no symptoms, then you still need to eat fast carbohydrates. Because hypoglycemia without symptoms is more dangerous than one that causes obvious symptoms.

    What to do if you don't have a glucometer with you? This is a grave sin for an insulin-dependent diabetic. If you suspect that you have hypoglycemia, then play it safe and eat some glucose to raise your blood sugar by 2.4 mmol/l. This will protect you from severe hypoglycemia, which has irreversible consequences.

    As soon as the glucometer is at your disposal, measure your sugar. It will probably be higher or lower. Bring it back to normal and don’t sin again, i.e. always keep a glucometer with you.

    The most difficult thing is if your blood sugar has dropped because you injected too much insulin or took excessive dose. In such a situation, your sugar may drop again after taking glucose tablets. Therefore, test your sugar again with a glucometer 45 minutes after taking the anti-hypoglycemia medication. Make sure everything is fine. If your sugar is low again, take another dose of tablets, then repeat the measurement after another 45 minutes. And so on until everything finally returns to normal.

    How to cure hypoglycemia without raising blood sugar above normal

    Traditionally, diabetic patients eat flour, fruits and sweets, drink fruit juices or sweet carbonated water to relieve hypoglycemia. This treatment method does not work well for two reasons. On the one hand, it acts slower than necessary. Because the carbohydrates contained in food products, the body still has to digest them before they begin to raise blood sugar. On the other hand, such “treatment” excessively increases blood sugar, because the dose of carbohydrates cannot be accurately calculated, and out of fear the diabetic patient eats too many of them.

    Hypoglycemia can wreak terrible havoc in diabetes. A severe attack can lead to death in a diabetic patient or disability due to permanent brain damage, and it is not easy to know which outcome is worse. Therefore, we strive to raise blood sugar to normal as quickly as possible. Complex carbohydrates, fructose, milk sugar lactose - all of them must undergo a digestion process in the body before they begin to increase blood sugar. The same goes for even starch and table sugar, although the absorption process is very fast for them.

    Use glucose tablets to prevent and treat hypoglycemia. Buy them at the pharmacy, don't be lazy! Fruits, juices, sweets, flour - undesirable. Eat exactly as much glucose as you need. Do not allow your sugar to “rebound” after you have dealt with an attack of hypoglycemia.

    The products we have listed above contain a mixture of fast and slow carbohydrates, which act with a delay, and then increase blood sugar unpredictably. This always ends with the fact that after stopping an attack of hypoglycemia, the sugar level in a diabetic patient goes through the roof. Ignorant doctors still believe that after an episode of hypoglycemia it is impossible to avoid a rebound increase in blood sugar. They consider it normal if after a few hours the blood sugar of a diabetic patient is 15-16 mmol/l. But this is not true if you act correctly. Which drug raises blood sugar the fastest and works predictably? Answer: pure glucose.

    Glucose tablets

    Glucose is the same substance that circulates in the blood and which we call “blood sugar.” Dietary glucose is immediately absorbed into the blood and begins to act. The body does not need to digest it; it does not undergo any transformation processes in the liver. If you chew a glucose tablet in your mouth and drink it with water, most of it will be absorbed into the blood from the mucous membrane of the mouth; you don’t even have to swallow it. Some more will enter the stomach and intestines and will be instantly absorbed from there.

    In addition to speed, the second advantage of glucose tablets is the predictability of action. During hypoglycemia in a person with type 1 or type 2 diabetes weighing 64 kg, 1 gram of glucose will raise blood sugar by approximately 0.28 mmol/L. In this condition, in a patient with type 2 diabetes, the production of insulin by the pancreas is automatically switched off, while in a patient with type 1 diabetes it is not produced at all. If blood sugar is not below normal, then glucose will have a weaker effect on a patient with type 2 diabetes, because the pancreas “quenches” it with its insulin. For a patient with type 1 diabetes, 1 gram of glucose will still increase blood sugar by 0.28 mmol/l, because he does not produce his own insulin.

    The more a person weighs, the weaker the effect of glucose on him, and the lower the body weight, the stronger. To calculate how much 1 gram of glucose will increase your blood sugar at your weight, you need to create a proportion. For example, for a person weighing 80 kg there will be 0.28 mmol/l * 64 kg / 80 kg = 0.22 mmol/l, and for a child weighing 48 kg it will be 0.28 mmol/l * 64 kg / 48 kg = 0.37 mmol/l.

    So, to relieve hypoglycemia, glucose tablets are the most best choice. They are sold in most pharmacies and are very cheap. Also in grocery stores, tablets are often sold in the checkout area. ascorbic acid(vitamin C) with glucose. They can also be used against hypoglycemia. The doses of vitamin C in them are usually very low. If you are too lazy to stock up on glucose tablets, carry refined sugar with you in pieces. 2-3 pieces are enough, no more. Sweets, fruits, juices, flour - are not suitable for patients who are following a type 1 diabetes treatment program or a type 2 diabetes treatment program.

    If you handle glucose tablets, wash your hands before testing your blood sugar with a glucose meter. If there is no water, use a damp cloth. IN as a last resort, lick the finger you are about to pierce, and then wipe it with a clean cloth or handkerchief. If traces of glucose remain on the skin of the finger, the results of measuring blood sugar will be distorted. Keep glucose tablets away from the meter and test strips.

    The most important question is how many glucose tablets should you eat? Eat just enough of them to raise your blood sugar to normal, but no more. Let's look at a practical example. Let's say you weigh 80 kg. We calculated above that 1 gram of glucose will raise your blood sugar by 0.22 mmol/L. Now your blood sugar is 3.3 mmol/L, and the target level is 4.6 mmol/L, i.e. you need to increase your sugar by 4.6 mmol/L - 3.3 mmol/L = 1.3 mmol/l. To do this, you need to take 1.3 mmol/l / 0.22 mmol/l = 6 grams of glucose. If you use glucose tablets that weigh 1 gram each, that's 6 tablets, no more and no less.

    What to do if your blood sugar is low just before a meal

    It may happen that you discover that your sugar is low just before you start eating. If you are following type 1 or 2 diabetes to control it, then still eat glucose tablets right away, and then “real” food. Because low-carb foods are digested slowly. If hypoglycemia is not stopped, it can result in overeating and a jump in sugar levels after a few hours, which will then be difficult to bring back to normal.

    How to cope with a binge eating disorder due to hypoglycemia

    Soft and “ moderate severity“Hypoglycemia can cause intense, unbearable hunger and panic. The urge to binge on carbohydrate-laden foods can be almost uncontrollable. In such a situation, a diabetic can eat a whole kilogram of ice cream at once or flour products or drink a liter fruit juice. As a result, blood sugar will be monstrously high after a few hours. Below you will learn what to do if you experience hypoglycemia to reduce the harm to your health from panic and overeating.

    First, experiment ahead of time and make sure that glucose tablets work very predictably, especially for type 1 diabetes. How many grams of glucose you ate is exactly how much your blood sugar will rise, no more and no less. Check it out for yourself, see for yourself in advance. This is necessary so that in a situation of hypoglycemia you do not panic. After you take glucose tablets, you will be sure that loss of consciousness and death are definitely not a threat.

    So, we brought the panic under control because we had prepared in advance for the situation of possible hypoglycemia. This allows the diabetic patient to remain calm, sane, and remain less chance that the desire for gluttony will get out of control. But what should you do if, after taking glucose tablets, you still cannot control your wild hunger? This may occur because the half-life of adrenaline in the blood is quite long, as described in the previous section. In this case, chew and eat low-carb foods from.

    Moreover, it is advisable to use products that do not contain carbohydrates at all. For example, cold cuts. You should not snack on nuts in such a situation, because you will not be able to resist and eat too many of them. Nuts contain some carbohydrates, and large quantities They also increase blood sugar, causing. So, if hunger is unbearable, then you drown it out with low-carbohydrate animal products.

    Sugar increased to normal, but symptoms of hypoglycemia do not go away

    In a situation of hypoglycemia, a sharp release of the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) occurs into the blood. It is this that causes most of the unpleasant symptoms. When blood sugar drops excessively, the adrenal glands respond by producing adrenaline and increasing its concentration in the blood. This occurs in all diabetics except those who have impaired recognition of hypoglycemia. Like glucagon, adrenaline signals the liver to convert glycogen into glucose. It also increases the heart rate, causes pale skin, hand tremors and other symptoms.

    Adrenaline has a half-life of approximately 30 minutes. This means that even an hour after the hypoglycemic attack has ended, ¼ of the adrenaline is still in the blood and continues to act. For this reason, symptoms may continue for some time. You need to wait 1 hour after taking glucose tablets. During this hour, the most important thing is to resist the temptation to eat too much. If symptoms of hypoglycemia do not go away after an hour, measure your sugar with a glucometer again and take additional measures.

    Aggressive behavior of a diabetic in a state of hypoglycemia

    If a person with diabetes experiences hypoglycemia, it can make life very difficult for family members, friends and colleagues. This happens for two reasons:

    • in a state of hypoglycemia, diabetics often behave rudely and aggressively;
    • the patient may suddenly lose consciousness and require emergency health care.

    What to do if a diabetic patient has truly severe hypoglycemia or loses consciousness will be discussed in the next section. Now let's discuss what causes aggressive behavior and how to live with a diabetic patient without unnecessary conflicts.

    In a state of hypoglycemia, a diabetic may behave strangely, rudely and aggressively for two main reasons:

    • he lost control of himself;
    • attempts by others to feed him sweets can really cause harm.

    Let's figure out what happens in the brain of a diabetic patient during an attack of hypoglycemia. The brain does not have enough glucose to function properly, and because of this, the person behaves as if he is drunk. Mental activity broken. This may manifest itself different symptoms- lethargy or, on the contrary, irritability, excessive kindness or its opposite aggressiveness. In any case, the symptoms of hypoglycemia resemble alcohol intoxication. A diabetic is sure that his blood sugar is now normal, just as a drunk person is sure that he is absolutely sober. Alcohol intoxication and hypoglycemia disrupt the activity of the same centers of higher nervous activity in the brain.

    A diabetic patient has firmly learned that high blood sugar is dangerous, destroys health, and therefore should be avoided. Even in a state of hypoglycemia, he firmly remembers this. Moreover, right now he is sure that his sugar is normal and in general he is knee-deep in the sea. And then someone is trying to feed him harmful carbohydrates... Obviously, in such a situation, the diabetic will imagine that it is the second participant in the situation who is behaving badly and trying to harm him. This is especially likely if a spouse, parent, or coworker has tried the same thing before, and then it turns out that the person with diabetes actually had normal sugar levels.

    You are most likely to provoke aggression in a diabetic patient if you try to stuff sweets into his mouth. Although, as a rule, verbal persuasion is enough for this. The brain, irritated by a lack of glucose, prompts its owner with paranoid ideas that a spouse, parent or colleague wishes him harm and is even trying to kill him, tempting him with harmful sweet food. In such a situation, only a saint could refrain from retaliatory aggression... People around him are usually upset and shocked by the negative situation of a diabetic patient and their attempts to help him.

    The spouse or parent of a person with diabetes may develop a fear of severe hypoglycemia, especially if the diabetic has previously fainted in such situations. Usually sweets are kept in different places in the house so that they are at hand and the diabetic can quickly eat them when needed. The problem is that in half the cases, people around him suspect hypoglycemia in a diabetic patient, when his sugar is actually normal. This often happens during family scandals due to some other reasons. Opponents think that our diabetic patient is making such a big scandal because he now has hypoglycemia. In this way they are trying to avoid the real, more complex reasons for the scandal. But in the second half of cases of unusual behavior, hypoglycemia is indeed present, and if a diabetic patient is sure that his sugar is normal, then he is needlessly putting himself at risk.

    So, half of the time when others try to feed a diabetic patient sweets, they are wrong, because he actually does not have hypoglycemia. Eating carbohydrates causes a spike in blood sugar, and this is quite harmful to the health of a diabetic. But in the second half of cases, when hypoglycemia is present and the person denies it, he creates unnecessary problems for others, exposing himself to significant risk. How should all participants behave correctly? If a diabetic patient behaves unusually, then you need to persuade him not to eat sweets, but to measure his blood sugar. After this, in half the cases it turns out that there is no hypoglycemia. And if there is one, then glucose tablets immediately come to the rescue, which we have already stocked and learned to correctly calculate their doses. Also make sure that the glucometer is accurate in advance (). If it turns out that your glucometer is lying, then replace it with an accurate one.

    The traditional approach of persuading a diabetic to eat sweets does at least as much harm as good. The alternative, which we outlined in the previous paragraph, is to bring peace to families and ensure normal life to all interested parties. Of course, if you don’t skimp on test strips for a glucometer and lancets. Living with a diabetic person means having almost as many problems as the diabetic person has. It is the direct responsibility of a diabetic to measure your sugar immediately at the request of family members or colleagues. Then it will be clear whether it is necessary to stop hypoglycemia by taking glucose tablets. If you don't have a glucose meter at hand or you run out of test strips, eat enough glucose tablets to raise your blood sugar by 2.2 mmol/L. This is guaranteed to protect against severe hypoglycemia. And you will deal with high sugar levels when you have access to a glucometer.

    What to do if a diabetic is already on the verge of losing consciousness

    If a diabetic is already on the verge of losing consciousness, then this is moderate hypoglycemia, turning into severe. In this state, a diabetic patient looks very tired and lethargic. He does not respond to requests because he is unable to answer questions. The patient is still conscious, but is no longer able to help himself. Now it all depends on those around them - do they know how to help with hypoglycemia? Moreover, if hypoglycemia is no longer mild, but severe.

    In such a situation, it is too late to try to measure sugar with a glucometer; you will only waste precious time. If you give a diabetic patient glucose tablets or sweets, he is unlikely to chew them. Most likely, he will spit out solid food or worse, choke. At this stage of hypoglycemia, it is correct to give a diabetic patient a liquid glucose solution. If not, then at least with a sugar solution. American guidelines for the treatment of diabetes recommend in such situations the use of glucose in the form of a gel, which is lubricated from the inside of the gums or cheeks, because this way there is less risk that a diabetic patient will inhale the liquid and choke. In Russian-speaking countries, we only have a pharmacy glucose solution or a homemade instant sugar solution at our disposal.

    Glucose solution is sold in pharmacies, and the most prudent diabetic patients have it at home. It is released in order to medical institutions perform a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. When giving a diabetic a solution of glucose or sugar, it is very important to ensure that the patient does not choke, but actually swallows the liquid. If you can do this, then ominous symptoms hypoglycemia will quickly pass. After 5 minutes, the diabetic will be able to answer questions. After this, he needs to measure his sugar with a glucometer and use an insulin injection to lower it to normal.

    Emergency assistance if a diabetic patient loses consciousness

    You should know that a diabetic patient may lose consciousness not only due to hypoglycemia. The cause may also be a heart attack, stroke, or a sudden drop in blood pressure. Diabetics sometimes lose consciousness if they have very high symptoms for several days in a row. high sugar in the blood (22 mmol/l and above), and this is accompanied by dehydration. This is called, it happens to elderly people with diabetes who live alone. If you do or follow disciplinedly, then it is very unlikely that your sugar will rise so high.

    As a rule, if you see that a diabetic has lost consciousness, then there is no time to find out the reasons for this, but you need to start treatment immediately. If a diabetic patient has lost consciousness, he first needs to be given a glucagon injection, and then understand the reasons. Glucagon is a hormone that quickly raises blood sugar, causing the liver and muscles to convert their glycogen stores into glucose and saturate the blood with this glucose. People who surround a person with diabetes should know:

    An emergency glucagon injection kit is available in pharmacies. This is a case in which a syringe with liquid is stored, as well as a bottle with white powder. There's also visual instructions in pictures how to do the injection. You need to inject the liquid from the syringe into the bottle through the cap, then remove the needle from the cap, shake the bottle well to mix the solution, and draw it back into the syringe. An adult needs to inject the entire volume of the contents of the syringe, subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The injection can be given in all the same areas where insulin is usually injected. If a diabetic patient receives insulin injections, then family members can practice giving these injections to him in advance, so that later they can easily cope if they need to give a glucagon injection.

    If you don't have a glucagon emergency kit on hand, you should call an ambulance or take the unconscious diabetic patient to the hospital. If a person has lost consciousness, then under no circumstances should you try to administer anything to him through the mouth. Do not put glucose tablets or solid food in his mouth, or try to give him any liquids. All this can get into Airways, and the person will suffocate. IN unconscious a diabetic cannot chew or swallow, so he cannot be helped in this way.

    If a diabetic patient loses consciousness due to hypoglycemia, he may experience convulsions. In this case, saliva is released abundantly, and the teeth chatter and clench. You can try to insert a wooden stick into the teeth of an unconscious patient so that he cannot bite his tongue. At the same time, it is important to prevent him from biting off your fingers. Lay him on his side so that the saliva flows out of his mouth and he does not choke on it.

    It happens that glucagon causes nausea and vomiting in a diabetic. Therefore, the patient should lie on his side so that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract. After the injection of glucagon, the diabetic patient should come to consciousness within 5 minutes. No later than 20 minutes later, he should already be able to answer questions. If within 10 minutes there are no signs of obvious improvement in the condition, an unconscious diabetic patient requires urgent medical attention. The emergency doctor will give him intravenous glucose.

    A single injection of glucagon can raise blood sugar to 22 mmol/L, depending on how large glycogen stores are stored in the liver. When consciousness has fully returned, the diabetic patient needs to measure his blood sugar with a glucometer. If 5 hours or more have passed since the last injection of rapid insulin, then you need to give an insulin injection to bring your sugar back to normal. This is important to do because this is the only way the liver begins to restore its glycogen reserves. They will recover within 24 hours. If a diabetic patient loses consciousness 2 times in a row within a few hours, then a repeated injection of glucagon may not help because the liver has not yet restored its glycogen reserves.

    After a diabetic patient has been revived with a glucagon injection, over the next 24 hours he needs to measure his sugar with a glucometer every 2.5 hours, including at night. Make sure hypoglycemia does not occur again. If your blood sugar drops, immediately use glucose tablets to raise it to normal. Careful monitoring is important because if a diabetic person becomes unconscious again, giving them a second glucagon injection may not help them wake up. We explained why above. At the same time, high blood sugar needs to be adjusted less frequently. A second injection of rapid insulin can be given no earlier than 5 hours after the previous one.

    If hypoglycemia is so severe that you lose consciousness, you need to carefully review your diabetes treatment regimen to understand where you are making a mistake. Re-read the list of typical causes of hypoglycemia given above in the article.

    Supplies in case of hypoglycemia are glucose tablets, an emergency kit with glucagon, and preferably liquid solution glucose. Buying all this at the pharmacy is easy, not expensive, and it can save the life of a diabetic patient. At the same time, hypoglycemia supplies will not help if people around you do not know where they are stored or do not know how to provide emergency assistance.

    Keep hypoglycemia supplies in several convenient places at home and at work, and let family members and co-workers know what goes where. Keep glucose tablets in your car, wallet, briefcase and handbag. When traveling by plane, keep hypoglycemia supplies in your carry-on luggage, as well as a duplicate supply in your checked luggage. This is necessary in case some luggage gets lost or is stolen from you.

    Replace the glucagon emergency kit when the expiration date expires. But in a situation of hypoglycemia, you can safely give an injection, even if it is overdue. Glucagon is a powder in a bottle. Because it is dry, it remains effective for several years after the expiration date. Of course, this is only if it has not been exposed to very high temperatures, as happens in the summer in a car locked in the sun. It is advisable to store the emergency kit with glucagon in the refrigerator at a temperature of +2-8 degrees Celsius. The prepared glucagon solution can only be used for 24 hours.

    If you have used any of your supplies, replenish them as quickly as possible. Store excess glucose tablets and meter test strips. At the same time, bacteria are very fond of glucose. If you do not use glucose tablets for 6-12 months, they may develop black spots. This means that colonies of bacteria have formed on them. It is better to immediately replace such tablets with new ones.

    IN English speaking countries ID bracelets, lanyards and medallions are popular for diabetics. They are very useful if a diabetic becomes unconscious because they provide valuable information to healthcare professionals. A Russian-speaking diabetic patient should hardly order such a thing from abroad. Because it is unlikely that an emergency doctor will understand what is written in English.

    You can make yourself an identification bracelet by ordering individual engraving. A bracelet is better than a locket because it is more likely to be noticed by medical professionals.

    Hypoglycemia in diabetes mellitus: conclusions

    You've probably heard many horror stories about how hypoglycemia occurs frequently and is very severe in people with type 1 diabetes. The good news is that this problem only affects diabetics who follow a “balanced” diet, eat a lot of carbohydrates and therefore have to inject themselves with a lot of insulin. If you follow our instructions, the risk of severe hypoglycemia is extremely low. A significant reduction in the risk of hypoglycemia is a significant, but not even the most important reason to switch to our type 1 diabetes control regimen.

    If you switch to , your insulin needs will decrease significantly. Also, our patients do not take harmful diabetes pills that cause hypoglycemia. After this, hypoglycemia can occur only in one of two cases: you accidentally injected yourself with more insulin than necessary, or you injected a dose of rapid insulin without waiting 5 hours for the previous dose to wear off. Feel free to ask your family members and work colleagues to review this article. Although the risk is reduced, you may still find yourself in a situation of severe hypoglycemia, when you cannot help yourself, and only the people around you can save you from loss of consciousness, death or disability.

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    When blood glucose levels rise during diabetes, the patient knows what measures to take to eliminate this phenomenon. But what to do if the readings rise not after eating, but before eating it? This is an unusual condition for diabetics, which can and should be dealt with. Study carefully how to do this to avoid unexpected complications.

    When your fasting blood sugar is high, you are at risk for hypoglycemia. This means that high blood sugar will abruptly give way to low levels, which can cause severe and unpredictable complications. If your fasting blood sugar is higher than after a meal, then you need to fight this. To do this, you need to initially identify the reasons for this process.

    Causes

    High glucose levels before meals can be caused by the following reasons:

    • Dawn syndrome is a surge of hormones that promote the breakdown of carbohydrates in the body and their absorption into the blood, resulting in high glucose levels. This condition usually goes away on its own over time, but if you experience it on a severe scale, the doctor will prescribe you pharmaceuticals that will help fight it;
    • Hypoglycemia at night is a process in which glycogen levels are lower than normal indicator. Nocturnal hypoglycemia can be caused by the patient taking too many medications to lower glucose levels. In this case, the body throws all its strength into the fight against hypoglycemia, so the indicators in the body go astray. Your body is simply trying to increase them, which is why they jump a lot;
    • Fasting sugar may be high because the patient is taking too few medications that normalize pancreatic function. In this case, you simply do not have enough substances that regulate all body processes;
    • High fasting blood sugar and hunger are related. If you go to bed hungry, the body releases hidden energy reserves, glycogen from which begins to break down. These reserves contain many carbohydrates, which are released, broken down and released into the blood;
    • If you go to bed with elevated readings, this state in the morning is quite understandable. The body simply does not have time to process carbohydrates that enter it with food. Keep track of your routine;
    • If you have a cold, the body will launch a defense mode, as a result of which a certain amount of glycogen will be released. Therefore, fasting glucose may be higher than after a meal.

    These are all the reasons that explain that fasting blood sugar exceeds the level after eating. Now let’s determine what this phenomenon is, how to treat it and what to do, you encountered this unexpectedly.

    How to deal with the phenomenon

    So, we have determined why sugar is lower after a meal than before a meal. Now let's talk about how to bring your fasting sugar back to normal. Based on the reasons that explain the process, there are several ways to combat this:

    • Consult a doctor who will prescribe you medications that normalize hormonal levels;
    • If high fasting sugar is caused by improper distribution medicines, then the doctor will prescribe you a different method of taking them and determine how long you will have to adhere to the new method;
    • If you go to bed hungry, then stop doing it. On an empty stomach, your blood sugar will normalize if you drink a glass of kefir at night. But remember that this will be quite enough to maintain normal metabolism. You should also not overeat;
    • If you have a cold, your fasting glucose will normalize if you consult your doctor and start taking additional medications.

    So, we figured out what this phenomenon is and how to deal with it. And remember, if your blood levels are higher before meals, you need to consult a doctor. The reason why sugar is lower after meals may be hidden in unexpected phenomena that the doctor will determine very quickly.

    Remember that compliance special diet, regular physical activity and following all the doctor’s recommendations is your way to similar phenomena never happened to you.

    The rules described above should be followed not only by patients, but also by healthy people, since neglecting them can provoke the appearance and rapid development of the disease.

    As many people know, the concentration of sugar in the blood of a completely healthy person can change throughout the day and night.

    Mainly in the morning hours. This is especially true when it is measured before the actual meal.

    The normal limits for a given substance and the values ​​that indicate its likely presence or can be determined in a doctor's office. It is important to note that a significant decrease in blood sugar to levels that are less than 2.8 mmol/l can trigger a sudden deterioration general well-being and the appearance of unwanted symptoms.

    If the concentration of this substance in the body decreases even more, then we can talk about the development of the patient. This is undesirable and dangerous condition requires immediate medical attention.

    It is necessary to consult a doctor even in cases where it is bright severe symptoms there are no diseases. If nothing is done, a subsequent deterioration in the patient's condition is likely. So what are the first symptoms of low blood sugar?

    Glucose in the human body must be maintained at acceptable levels. Otherwise it is likely serious problems with health.

    It is important to note that blood sugar decreases in a healthy person for completely opposite reasons.

    It is very important to figure this out as soon as possible. This can only be done if you promptly contact specialists for diagnosis and treatment of this poor health.

    It should be noted right away that hypoglycemia can have quite serious consequences. The most dangerous of them are: deep state and death.

    Hypoglycemia occurs due to an acute deficiency of sugar in the structures of the body, which is necessary to provide nutrition to nerve cells. If the glucose level in the blood is at critically low levels, then undesirable pathological processes are immediately launched. So what are the causes of this disease?

    For diabetes

    People who suffer from diabetes are often tormented by the question: what causes this disease? Especially when blood sugar levels drop to low levels.

    On this moment The following factors are known to influence:

    1. consumption of foods that are rich in easily digestible substances;
    2. incorrectly selected dose of medications intended to lower blood sugar;
    3. taken on an empty stomach. This can lead to hypoglycemia because it blocks the synthesis of glucose in liver structures;
    4. reception medications which are intended for therapy, simultaneously with alcohol-containing drinks;
    5. with poorly selected portions of food (when it is not consumed at the same time);
    6. illiterately selected portion of insulin (pancreatic hormone of artificial origin);
    7. a person suffering from diabetes is exposed to constant stress. In this case, it is imperative to consult with your doctor about changing the original dosages of the prescribed medications.

    In a healthy person

    Reasons for a drop in blood glucose levels in a completely healthy person:

    1. if certain medications were taken without the knowledge of the specialist. For example, medications that reduce blood sugar levels;
    2. diseases of internal organs;
    3. abuse of alcoholic beverages;
    4. if a person is in constant stressful situations and also suffers from;
    5. if he complies with strict and... Especially those that are low in carbohydrates;
    6. if there are significant intervals between meals, which are more than nine hours;
    7. after waking up immediately, because there was no food for a long time;
    8. if the diet is based on a large amount of food that contains exclusively fast carbohydrates.

    In pregnant women

    for the following reasons:

    1. with an increase in enzymatic activity;
    2. if there is a significant acceleration of metabolic processes in the body;
    3. while improving the performance of the pancreas and thyroid gland.

    Often in the first trimester of pregnancy a woman suffers from toxicosis. With severe signs of malaise, vomiting may occur, and, as a result, loss of moisture. The expectant mother's body experiences a deficiency of nutrients, including a decrease in blood sugar. This is why hypoglycemia occurs.

    It is important to note that often the determining factor is that the pancreas produces much more of the hormone, which can subsequently become a factor in the development of hypoglycemia.

    Blood sugar has dropped: symptoms and signs

    A drop in blood sugar is a rather insidious phenomenon, because hypoglycemia can cause coma, cerebral edema and death.

    Moreover, until a certain time, a person who develops this condition may feel quite normal.

    But this is only up to a certain point. A little later, a subsequent decrease in glucose in the body can lead to lightning-fast and incredibly dangerous transformations in its condition.

    Most a clear sign a sharp drop in blood sugar is considered increased sweating, which can be observed at low air temperatures. A person may also sweat heavily during sleep. It is during this period that there is a significant decrease in sugar levels in the body.

    ABOUT this symptom may indicate wet bed sheets. IN daytime very easy to determine availability increased sweating. To do this, you just need to swipe skin on the back of the head.

    Additionally, other common signs of low blood sugar include:

    • unbearable weakness;
    • tremor;
    • darkening of the eyes;
    • increased irritability;
    • anxiety;
    • aggressiveness.

    Why is a sharp decrease in glucose levels dangerous for the body?

    At this phenomenon there is a risk of hypoglycemic coma.

    What to do if the indicators drop significantly?

    If, after measuring your sugar using a glucometer, it is noticeable that its indicator has dropped to 0.6, then you should immediately consume easily digestible carbohydrates.

    This must be done even in the absence of bright pronounced signs hypoglycemia. We must not forget that low blood glucose without any symptoms is even more dangerous than with them.

    Enhancement with medication

    In order to slightly increase blood sugar, it is necessary to take such types of medications as: calcium channel blockers, oral contraceptives and medications that contain pancreatic hormones, sleeping pills, antibacterial tablets.

    But, it is important to note that this is a small list of drugs that help improve the body’s condition while lowering blood sugar.

    It's important to remember that medicines can only be taken if they have been prescribed by a personal doctor.

    Treatment with folk remedies

    Complex treatment must include prescriptions alternative medicine. But, of course, they are not able to cure hypoglycemic coma.

    They are used only to stop attacks. Traditional methods remarkable in that they are used to prevent hypoglycemia of any type.

    This condition can be eliminated by using St. John's wort, plantain and.

    For all people, hypoglycemia is a great danger. Even a slight deviation of blood sugar from normal must be treated to avoid complications in the future. If you start this condition, you may experience the appearance of seizures that interfere with leading a normal lifestyle.