Hypoglycemia And Diabetes

Hypoglycemia means that the blood sugar level is too low. All the organs of the body need to function and the brains is a constant supply of sugar even vital sugar. A blood glucose value below 3.8 millimoles per liter (mmol / L) is considered hypoglycaemia.

Hypoglycemia in diabetic patients

Diabetics use drugs or insulin in order to ensure that the blood sugar level does not become too high. These medications can cause hypoglycaemia. This may occur if the dosage of the medication or insulin is too high, if the patient eat too little, or by any other disturbance of the balance, such as in case of illness. Can cause hypoglycemia. Too considerable efforts

Hypoglycaemia leads to all sorts of unpleasant and sometimes harmful effects. Many symptoms of hypoglycemia are caused by hormones produced by the body to raise, mainly adrenaline and cortisol blood glucose. A fast and powerful heartbeat, trembling, sweating and a feeling of weakness are signs that the body is trying to raise blood glucose. Sometimes the hormones mentioned can not avoid the blood sugar drops further. Eventually, the blood sugar level may then be so low that the brains do not function properly. Then one can be confused and / or irritated reaction and even become unconscious.

Such symptoms may resemble those of intoxication, but have thus certainly not be confused. At the time of a severe hypoglycemia, one can often no longer eat or drink in order to take itself. Glucose in Then there actually are two possibilities: either there is a glucose solution is injected directly into the bloodstream (intravenously) (which can only be provided by qualified medical personnel and should be done), or glucagon can be administered. This hormone is also normally produced by the body, but in diabetic patients, the glucagon response often disrupted or absent.

Glucagon is a special version available which can be injected. By a trained and experienced seemed Often, for example, the partner of a diabetic patient will be trained to provide it. Injection in emergencies The glucagon is injected into the gluteus maximus and ensures that the information stored in the liver glucose stores, which is the body to store for emergency use, suddenly largely or is released. Within approximately 15-20 minutes the first improvement will be visible, and after about 30 minutes the patient belongs again to be good. Approachable Also in this case it remains useful, so necessary to consult a doctor.

There is currently working on an artificial pancreas in Netherlands for diabetespatients, this has both an insulin and a glucogonpomp. A sensor measures theblood glucose value and an algorithm calculated how much subcutaneous insulin or glucagon the body needs to obtain normal blood sugar levels. This allows theartificial pancreas compared to regular insulin pumps also prevent a hypo and thefunctioning of the artificial pancreas more in line with the human body. The human body also uses both hormones to regulate the blood sugar levels in theblood.

Hypoglycemia And Diabetes


Hypoglycaemia in non-diabetic patients

Hypoglycaemia in non-diabetic patients is a rare phenomenon. It can be an expression of an internal disease, such as

insulinoma, an insulin-producing tumor of the pancreas
adrenal insufficiency, lack of hormones made by the adrenal cortex by as Addison's disease
sepsis
large malignant neoplasms (cancer)
inborn errors of metabolism
dumping syndrome after surgery of the gastrointestinal tract

Hypoglycemia is sometimes seen when using certain (medicines), such as:

salicylates, such as aspirin
haloperidol
quinine
alcohol

Newborns can develop hypoglycaemia if the mother had diabetes during pregnancy. The body of the child is set to a large amount of glucose from the mother. This glucose is suddenly no longer invoked after the birth of the child, causing relatively too much insulin and hypoglycemia can occur.

Even after long fasting, such as anorexia nervosa hypoglycaemia may occur. One of the most common causes of hypoglycemia in non-diabetic is secretly administered by the patient's own insulin, hypoglycaemia factitia called.

Hypoglycemia after meals

Some people experience symptoms such as weakness, trembling, heart palpitations or sweating after meals. This phenomenon is called reactivehypoglycemia (other names include: hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia,hyperinsulinism functional, essential functional dysinsulinisme, hypoglycemicfatigue, insulinogene relative hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia. The complaints arecaused by the body with too high insulin output responds to the intake ofcarbohydrates (mainly fast). As a result, patients at these drops after eating acarbohydrate-rich meal the blood sugar level too fast and that leads to thecomplaints.

In the 1960s it was supposed that reactive hypoglycemia occurred frequently andeven now there are alternative doctors who frequently make the diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia seems little to occur, and can be established on the basis of the complaints by an internist in combination with an oral glucose tolerance test. There is discussion in the medical world about this condition and not every doctor is convinced of the existence of this disease.

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