| 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, fatigue, sweating, clamminess, fast heart rate, 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, fatigue, sweating, clamminess, fast heart rate, 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] |
