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Have low blood sugar without symptoms? You may need to check your blood sugar more often. Blood sugar levels change often during the day. When they drop below 70 mg/dL, this is called having low blood sugar. At this level, you need to take action to bring it back up. Low blood sugar is especially common in people with type 1 diabetes. Knowing how to identify low blood sugar is important because it can be dangerous if left untreated. Read more about what causes low blood sugar and common symptoms. Causes of Low Blood SugarThere are many reasons why you may have low blood sugar, including:
Symptoms of Low Blood SugarHow you react to low blood sugar may not be the same as how someone else with low blood sugar reacts. It’s important to know your signs. Common symptoms may include:
If you’ve had low blood sugar without feeling or noticing symptoms (hypoglycemia unawareness), you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if it’s low and treat it. Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel. You may not have any symptoms when your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia unawareness). If you don’t have symptoms, it will be harder to treat your low blood sugar early. This increases your risk of having severe lows and can be dangerous. This is more likely to happen if you:
If you meet one or more of the above and you have hypoglycemia unawareness, you may need to check your blood sugar more often to see if it’s low. This is very important to do before driving or being physically active. Types of Low Blood SugarNighttime low blood sugarWhile low blood sugar can happen at any time during the day, some people may experience low blood sugar while they sleep. Reasons this may happen include:
Eating regular meals and not skipping them can help you avoid nighttime low blood sugar. Eating when you drink alcohol can also help. If you think you’re at risk for low blood sugar overnight, have a snack before bed. You may wake up when you have low blood sugar, but you shouldn’t rely on that. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can alert you with an alarm if your blood sugar gets low while you’re sleeping. Severe low blood sugarAs your low blood sugar gets worse, you may experience more serious symptoms, including:
Severe low blood sugar is below 54 mg/dL. Blood sugar this low may make you faint (pass out). Often, you’ll need someone to help you treat severe low blood sugar. People with diabetes may experience low blood sugar as often as once or twice a week, even when managing their blood sugar closely. Knowing how to identify and treat it is important for your health. Learn how to treat low blood sugar. Causes of (hypoglycemia) low blood sugar in non-diabetics include some medications, drinking too much alcohol, hypothyroidism, side effects of weight loss surgery, liver or kidney problems, anorexia nervosa, problems in the pancreas, and certain genetic disorders. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is when the level of sugar (glucose) in a person's blood gets too low, usually below 70 mg/dL. Low blood sugar causes in diabetesHypoglycemia in people with diabetes is caused by:
Most cases of low blood sugar occur in people who have diabetes. It is very uncommon in people who are not diabetic. Low blood sugar causes without diabetesCauses of low blood sugar in non-diabetics includes:
What Are Symptoms of Hypoglycemia?Early symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can include:
Untreated low blood sugar levels can lead to severe symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as:
How Is Hypoglycemia Diagnosed?Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is diagnosed when a person has symptoms of low blood sugar and:
To determine the cause of hypoglycemia, tests may include:
What Is the Treatment for Hypoglycemia?Treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) includes:
SLIDESHOWDiabetes: What Raises and Lowers Your Blood Sugar Level? See SlideshowFromReviewed on 10/12/2021 References https://www.uptodate.com/contents/low-blood-sugar-in-people-without-diabetes-the-basics?search=Hypoglycemia&source=search_result&selectedTitle=3~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=3 https://www.uptodate.com/contents/low-blood-sugar-in-people-with-diabetes-the-basics?search=Hypoglycemia&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2 https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/medication-management/blood-glucose-testing-and-control/hypoglycemia What causes blood sugar to drop in non diabetics?Causes of (hypoglycemia) low blood sugar in non-diabetics include some medications, drinking too much alcohol, hypothyroidism, side effects of weight loss surgery, liver or kidney problems, anorexia nervosa, problems in the pancreas, and certain genetic disorders.
Can you get low blood sugar even if not diabetic?Non-diabetic hypoglycemia, a rare condition, is low blood glucose in people who do not have diabetes. Clinicians usually want to confirm non-diabetic hypoglycemia by verifying classic symptoms along with a low sugar level AND that these symptoms recover after eating sugar.
What is the most common cause of low blood sugar?Low blood sugar is most common among people who take insulin, but it can also occur if you're taking certain oral diabetes medications. Common causes of diabetic hypoglycemia include: Taking too much insulin or diabetes medication. Not eating enough.
Why do I suddenly have low blood sugar?Causes of Low Blood Sugar
There are many reasons why you may have low blood sugar, including: Taking too much insulin. Not eating enough carbs for how much insulin you take. Timing of when you take your insulin.
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