Hypoglycemia

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In most cases, hypoglycemia literally, low blood sugar-can he treated easily without professional intervention when the symptoms are, recognized early enough. Although the condition most often occurs in people with diabetes, non-diabetics can, in rare cases, also experience hypoglycemia attacks. Whether you are diabetic or not, if these episodes become frequent, you need to consult a professional about how to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Causes

The body draws on glucose, the sugar circulating in your bloodstream, for energy. When glucose levels fall below normal, the body cannot meet its energy requirements. The symptoms and complications of hypoglycemia develop as your system tries to extract energy from body fat and muscle.

To convert glucose into energy, the body re-lies on the pancreatic hormone insulin, whose levels normally rise and fall with energy demand. When there is too much insulin in the blood-stream, available supplies of glucose are burned up too quickly, resulting in hypoglycemia.

Insulin levels can rise sharply after a meal, when the sudden rise in blood sugar levels triggers increased production by the pancreas. By the same token, glucose levels may drop as a result of a missed meal or vigorous exercise. Hypo-glycemia can also be brought on by stomach surgery, some types of cancer, liver disease, alcohol, high fevers, and reactions to food or drugs. In some people, excess insulin production is caused by small tumors that develop on the pancreas. Certain foods, (specially simple sugars, can also boost insulin production. To avoid bringing on an attack of hypoglycemia, diabetics who administer their own insulin thus need to monitor their dosages and their diet carefully.

Diagnostic and Test Procedures

If you have several attacks of hypoglycemia, you need to find out if diabetes Is the underlying cause. Your doctor can determine this through a glucose tolerance test, which measures your body's ability to process glucose, or through a blood test two hours after eating. If you have diabetes, the physician may induce an attack of hypoglycemia to help you learn to recognize and respond to the symptoms.

Treatment

Most remedies for hypoglycemia concentrate on regulating the content and timing of your diet to make sure you receive sufficient blood glucose and insulin supplies at appropriate times.

Conventional Medicine

If you are diabetic and become unconscious during a hypoglycemia attack, it is essential that you receive immediate medical treatment. A doctor can inject glucose directly into your blood-stream, but if that is not possible, a friend or family member trained in the procedure can give you an injection of glucagon, a hormone that helps your body regulate blood sugar levels. Diabetics should always wear a Medic Alert bracelet or tag identifying their condition so that medical personnel can give appropriate treatment if the patient becomes disoriented or unconscious during a hypoglycemia attack. People with diabetes also should always have some hard candy on hand to eat if they start feeling hypoglycemic.

For diabetics, conventional long-term treatment for hypoglycemia aims to regulate blood levels of glucose and insulin to maintain the proper balance between the two. In many cases, this equilibrium can be achieved through diet modification alone. The recommended diet for alleviating hypoglycemia includes small, frequent meals (at least six a day) made up of foods with lots of complex carbohydrates (such as beans, pasta, bread, and potatoes); fiber (vegetables) and fat; and only limited amounts of simple sugars (such as candy or cookies), alcohol, and fruit juices. If necessary, your doctor may also treat your diabetes with medications such as streptozocin or diazoxide to limit your body's insulin production or to improve your blood glucose levels. If your hypoglycemia is caused by small pancreatic tumors that secrete too much insulin, the doctor may recommend having the tumors removed.

Alternative Choices

Nonconventional remedies emphasize nutrition and diet, with supplements of vitamins, minerals, and herbs.

Herbal Therapies

A decoction made from gentian (Gentiana lutea) helps to stimulate the endocrine, or hormone-producing, glands. Boil ½ tsp of shredded gentian root in a cup of water for 5 minutes and drink warm, 15 to 30 minutes before a meal. It must taste bitter to be effective.

Symptoms