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REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA

Hypoglycemia and Reactive Hypoglycemia

Throughout the day, depending on multiple factors, blood sugar (also called blood glucose) levels will varys but in a normal range and you do not feel the changes in the blood. the blood sugars is higher after a meal, when the food is digested and the carbohydrates converted to sugar and this is called post meal (post prandial rise in the blood sugar. This tends to come to normal within 2 o 4 hours. In general in a normal person the blood sugar does not go low. The commonest reason for a low blood sugar is when a patient with diabetes is given given Insulin or other medications to lower a high blood sugar

The symptoms of a low blood sugar initially is very similar to anxiety which is due to the release of epinephrine ( which is released in the fight or flight reaction but if the level goes lower, the brain is starved of sugar and the more serious symptoms can occur including blurred vision confusion and even coma and death. Some of the symptoms are s below

Symptoms of low blood sugar

  • SYMPTOMS DUE TO EPINPHIRNE HORMONES (EARLY SYMPTOMS)
  • Feeling shaky
  • Being nervous or anxious
  • Sweating, chills and clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Confusion
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
  • Hunger
  • Nausea
  • Color draining from the skin (pallor)
  • SYMPTOMS DUE TO LOW SUGAR IN THE BRAIN ( MORE SEVERE SYMPTOMS)
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Feeling weak or having no energy
  • Blurred/impaired vision
  • Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue or cheeks
  • Headaches
  • Coordination problems, clumsiness
  • Nightmares or crying out during sleep
  • Rarely coma siezures and death

The only certain way to know whether a person is are experiencing low blood sugar is to check to check the blood sugar at the time of symptoms

Reactive Hypoglycemia

Reactive hypoglycemia is low blood sugar developing 2-4 hr following a high carbohydrate meal. This happens in people with prediabetes and even in normal people

This is because in prediabetes the insulin release is delayed after a meal and the low blood sugar occurs when the blood sugar is already going low after the meal as shown in the figure below

Please press the button below which shows the common symptoms

reactive hypoglycemia

DIAGNOSIS OF REACTIVE HYPOGLYCEMIA

THE CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITOR WHICH SHOW THE BLOOD SUGAR VARIATION VERY CLEARLY ADN THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A FIRM DIAGNOSIS

Treatment of Reactive Hypoglycemia

  1. To lose weight and exercise to reduce the Insulin resistance
  2. Have meals with a low glycemic index
  3. Have meals low in carbohydrates
    1. have more fat and fiber which will slow absorption of the food from the gastrointernal tract