Top Six Low Blood Sugar Symptoms

Carbohydrate foods which include rice, potatoes, milk, fruits, buns, sweets, pasta and cereal are the main source of glucose which your body needs for energy. After your food has been digested and changed into glucose within the body it is absorbed by the body's cells through the bloodstream. Insulin is produced by your pancreas to help the cells utilize glucose as fuel or energy. If more glucose is consumed than the body needs, the excess glucose gets stored as glycogen in the muscles and the liver which can then can be used as energy between meals. The body can also convert glucose into fat and store it in fat cells until it can be used later for energy.

When the blood sugar levels fall below normal, glucagon, another pancreatic hormone, alerts the liver to change glycogen back into glucose and release it into the bloodstream. Other hormones like epinephrine, commonly known as adrenaline, may also help the glucose levels rise back to normal and keeps the body functioning without any loss of movement. A diabetic person may not be able to complete this transformation of glycogen, leaving them without enough glucose to raise the blood glucose levels. When diabetes is treated with insulin or with pills that help increase the insulin production in the pancreas, the return to normal glucose levels is not so easily accomplished.

When glucose levels remain lower than the needs of the body for a certain length of time hypoglycaemia occurs, though it rarely attacks adults or children above 10 unless they have diabetes. Attacks of hypoglycemia can happen suddenly without much advanced warning. Thankfully most cases are mild and can be rectified quickly by eating or drinking glucose-rich foods. If hypoglycaemia is ignored and untreated, it gets worse and can lead to very serious consequences, such as confusion, awkwardness in balance and movement and even fainting. If this condition is ignored seizures, coma and even death may result.

Other medications or other diseases such as hormone or enzyme deficiencies or tumours can all cause hypoglycaemia to be manifested. The six most common symptoms that are present under almost all conditions are sweating at the back of the neck or hairline, weakness, shakiness, nervousness; slight nausea and extreme hunger; headache and dizziness; blurry vision; and feeling anxious or increased heartbeat. If you experience any of these low blood sugar symptoms, it would be wise to consult a healthcare provider or doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.