Hypoglycaemia is when a person has abnormally low levels of blood sugar, which is the body’s main source of energy. Not considered a disease, Hypoglycaemia is more or less a sign that you have a health problem. You’ll know you have low sugar levels if you have the following symptoms: trembling, hunger, shivering, nausea, sweating, anxiety, pallor, dizziness, headache, inability to concentrate and difficulty speaking. When Hypoglycaemia is more severe you might experience irrational and disorderly behaviour, seizures and a loss of consciousness. Keep in mind that these signs and symptoms could very well be caused by other illnesses and health conditions, and therefore, the best way to make sure it is Hypoglycaemia is with a blood test.
Causes
Hypoglycaemia can take place due to several reasons, the most common being when a diabetic person takes too much insulin.
People with either diabetes type 1 or 2 suffer from rising blood-glucose levels and cells that do not get enough energy – which means they need to take insulin and other medicine to keep their blood sugar levels normal. If they take too much insulin, their blood sugar levels can drop below normal levels – this is when they have Hypoglycaemia. Taking in more insulin than needed does not mean the person increased the dosage levels; it simply means that the insulin taken was over and above the body’s needs.
Hypoglycemia causes not linked to diabetes could include liver diseases like Hepatitis, kidney disorders, eating disorders, endocrine problems, alcohol abuse and even certain medications like Quinine, Salicylates and Propronanolol.