| Hypoglycemia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hypoglycaemia, hypoglycæmia, low blood glucose, low blood sugar |
 |
|
| Hypoglycemia (left) and normal blood sugar concentration (right) | |
| Specialty | Endocrinology |
| Symptoms | Headache, blurred vision, shakiness, dizziness, weakness, tiredness, sweating, clamminess, fast heart rate, pounding heartbeat, nervousness or anxiety, hunger, nausea, pins and needles sensation, difficulty talking, confusion, unusual behavior, lightheadedness, pale skin color, seizures[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Complications | Loss of consciousness, death |
| Usual onset | Rapid[1] |
| Causes | Medications (insulin, glinides and sulfonylureas), sepsis, kidney failure, certain tumors, liver disease[1][6] |
| Diagnostic method | Whipple's triad: Symptoms of hypoglycemia, serum blood glucose level <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), and resolution of symptoms when blood glucose returns to normal[2] |
| Treatment | Eating foods high in simple sugars |
| Medication | Glucose, glucagon[1] |
| Frequency | In type 1 diabetics, mild hypoglycemia occurs twice per week on average, and severe hypoglycemia occurs once per year.[3] |
| Deaths | In type 1 diabetics, 6–10% will die of hypoglycemia.[3] |
| Hypoglycemia | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hypoglycaemia, hypoglycæmia, low blood glucose, low blood sugar |
|
|
| Hypoglycemia (left) and normal blood sugar concentration (right) | |
| Specialty | Endocrinology |
| Symptoms | Headache, blurred vision, shakiness, dizziness, weakness, tiredness, sweating, clamminess, fast heart rate, pounding heartbeat, nervousness or anxiety, hunger, nausea, pins and needles sensation, difficulty talking, confusion, unusual behavior, lightheadedness, pale skin color, seizures[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Complications | Loss of consciousness, death |
| Usual onset | Rapid[1] |
| Causes | Medications (insulin, glinides and sulfonylureas), sepsis, kidney failure, certain tumors, liver disease[1][6] |
| Diagnostic method | Whipple's triad: Symptoms of hypoglycemia, serum blood glucose level <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), and resolution of symptoms when blood glucose returns to normal[2] |
| Treatment | Eating foods high in simple sugars |
| Medication | Glucose, glucagon[1] |
| Frequency | In type 1 diabetics, mild hypoglycemia occurs twice per week on average, and severe hypoglycemia occurs once per year.[3] |
| Deaths | In type 1 diabetics, 6–10% will die of hypoglycemia.[3] |
