Hypoglycemia

Definition

Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low.

Alternative Names

Causes

Hypoglycemia results when your body's glucose is used up too rapidly, when glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly, or when too much insulin is released into the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood glucose. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.

Hypoglycemia is relatively common in persons with diabetes. It occurs when too much insulin or diabetes medicine is taken, not enough food is eaten, or from a sudden increase in the amount of exercise without an increase in food intake.

Relative hypoglycemia is a fairly common condition in which a newborn's blood glucose is low. Babies born to mothers with diabetes may have severe hypoglycemia.

Severe hypoglycemia is a medical emergency that may result in seizures and damage to the baby's nervous system if not treated.

Severe hypoglycemia that results in unconsciousness is also called insulin shock.

Idiopathic hypoglycemia is hypoglycemia that occurs without a known cause. Persons with this type of hypoglycemia do not have diabetes.

Hypoglycemia may also be caused by:

• Insulin-secreting tumor of the pancreas
• Liver disease
• Ingestion of alcohol

It affects approximately 1 out of every 1,000 people.

References

Cryer PE, Davis SN, Shamoon H. Hypoglycemia in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003; 26(6): 1902-1912.