What is considered a low blood glucose level?
Let’s get one thing straight, folks. Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) are not something to be taken lightly. In fact, they can be downright dangerous if left untreated. But what exactly qualifies as low? And why should we care? Well, pull up a chair and let me tell you.
Defining Low
First things first – what are we even talking about here? Simply put, hypoglycemia occurs when your blood sugar drops below normal levels. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), this means anything under 70 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
But hold on just a minute there! That number isn’t necessarily set in stone for everyone. Some people may feel symptoms of hypoglycemia at higher levels than that, while others may have none until their numbers drop much lower.
So How Do You Know When it’s Too Low?
As I mentioned above, each person’s response to low blood sugar can vary widely. However, some common symptoms include:
- Sweating
- Shakiness or tremors
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Extreme hunger pangs
- Headache/Migraine
- Confusion/disorientation
- Dizziness/light headedness/faint feelings
Keep in mind that these signs don’t always manifest themselves in the same way for everyone – some might get really quiet and withdrawn instead of jittery and nervous-feeling.
| Symptom | Description |
|---|---|
| Sweating | Your body suddenly feels damp with perspiration |
| Trembling | Your hands start shaking uncontrollably |
| Anxiety | You panic without any apparent cause because there seems no “reason” behind it |
| Hunger Pangs | You feel intense, overwhelming hunger despite recent food intake |
| Headache | A severe stabbing or throbbing pain anywhere on the head |
| Confusion | You find it difficult to think, concentrate or focus your attention |
| Dizziness | Feeling faint, unsteady balance and/or disorientated |
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and are concerned your blood sugar may be low,YOU MUST ACT! Don’t just assume that feeling bad is normal for you.
Causes of Low Blood Glucose Levels
Alright Candidly speaking – The causes behind hypoglycemia are many. Here’s some things to watch out for:
Diabetes Medications/Eating habits
Certain medications designed to help control diabetes can also have the unwanted side effect of lowering glucose levels too much. Similarly, how frequently you eat carbs/starches/sugarsy-stuff-you-shotgun-after-a-breakup can also impact glucose readouts.
Don’t get me wrong here, a well-rounded diet consisting of fruits as well vegetables along with balanced distribution should maintain right BGs without medication; but if such care fails and there were an adequate medical screening done then one must adhere to their medicines.
Organ Failing Glands & extreme physical activity
I know this sounds bonkers- but bear with me: Some tumors produce what’s called insulinoma, which means they’re cranking out loads more insulin than your body needs. This leads to chronically low blood sugar – not good!
Extreme physical exercise (in people who aren’t used to it) can use up all available glucose in no time flat leading them straight into hypoglycemic territory.
Treating Hypoglycemia
So what do we do when our bodies start acting like ornery toddlers and throwing tantrums? Well first off,DO NOT WAIT, because low-blood sugar will probably not get better on its own. Here’s a few things you can do right away to address it:
The Quick Fix – munchies/ Honey & Juice
For all foodie lovers out there,whenever your blood sugar drops low and there’s no glucosemeter around (yeah sometimes glucosemeters are expensive so they aren’t as common); the quick go-to solution for hypoglycemia is to pop something sweet in their mouths.
Honey or juice contain carbohydrates, which our bodies quickly break down into usable glucose. This should help your blood sugar levels rise pretty fast.
Pro Tip: Plan ahead! keep some small candy bars/ Snickers in your purse, wallet or backpack; just don’t carry too much – who needs unnecessary temptations?
Some Long-term Strategies
Of course, constantly relying on sugary treats isn’t really sustainable. A balanced diet with slower digesting carbohydrate such as whole grains and eating more frequently throughout day will likely solve the issue long term… odds of getting any Instagram likes confirming this though are slim to none.
Again,Maintain Your Health– Beyond that, it’s always smart be proactive about taking care of yourself overall for healthy BG levels down the road:
- Be Aware when symptoms show up– Catching hypoglycemia early will help ward off some of those scary complications
- Talk To Your Docs/Add us Assistants : If instances happen chronically then Better informed decisions comes from times invested creating good relationships with healthcare team assistants
- Track Sugar Intake: Rather than guessing about carbs intake— Make sure nutrition counting/tracking/scheduling is easy-peasy
Strike HypoG like Thor strikes Loki
Takeaways
Short story shorter: Low blood sugar won’t necessarily kill you but if left untamed overtime due carelessness then Hello Medical Complications!
If numbers dip too much too often, making adequate precautions is not only crucial but basically the whole point of all this type-two diabetes business. Come on now… Let’s focus – handle it like pros and don’t end up in our next meeting!
Epilogue:
So that concludes our informal discussion about hypoglycemia. I hope you’ve learned something today, or at least had a chuckle or two along the way.
In an ideal world, we’d be snacking on sugar-frosted broccoli every day, but when it comes to reality – Healthy eating is important for everyone; and if no one has yet told you this: You Got This!