Hypoglycemia is abnormally low glucose (blood sugar). It can occur when a person’s levels of glucose and insulin are unbalanced.

Many people with diabetes refer to hypoglycemia as an “insulin reaction.” Insulin is a hormone necessary for moving glucose from the blood to the cells of the body. Without insulin, the glucose remains in the blood and the body does not receive fuel for energy.  

Mild cases of hypoglycemia can cause dizziness or weakness. Severe cases can lead to convulsions, brain damage or diabetic coma.

Low blood sugar can happen to anyone with diabetes, especially those who take insulin or other diabetes medication (antidiabetic agents). As with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), people with diabetes can prevent hypoglycemia by following a physician-recommended diabetes management plan involving diet, exercise and medications.

Patients should determine what triggers their low blood glucose and, in consultation with their physician, adjust their diabetes management plan to remain as close as possible to their target glucose range. Despite these efforts, unexplained episodes of low blood glucose may occur.

It is essential for a person with diabetes to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia and know how to treat it. Patients can avoid the advanced symptoms and complications of hypoglycemia by frequently checking their glucose levels with a glucose meter and treating low glucose immediately.

A physician will recommend how often a patient should test and what the individual’s target glucose range should be. This range is usually based on factors such as age, the presence of diabetic complications or other medical conditions, and the patient’s tendency to have hypoglycemia unawareness – a condition in which the normal symptoms associated with hypoglycemia are not felt or noticed.

It is important to note that the treatment of hypoglycemia associated with diabetes is complex, and all recommendations for treatment must be made by the physician providing diabetic care.