What Is Hypoglycemia?

By Moses Wright

Hypoglycemia is a tendency for the body to have abnormally low levels of glucose in the blood. The low level of sugar in the blood causes a wide range of symptoms including the swings and fatigue.

The condition of hypoglycemia refers to the body's tendency to secrete too much insulin. When there is too much insulin in the blood, the level of glucose in the blood plummets to the point where it is abnormally low. The reduced level of glucose in the blood limits the amount of glucose that cells have available for energy.

The cells of the body use glucose for energy, so not having enough glucose negatively impacts several body systems. Hypoglycemia causes psychological, cognitive, and physical symptoms.

Insomnia, dizziness, heart palpitations, faintness, and cold hands and feet can be caused by hypoglycemia. Other symptoms of hypoglycemia include sudden hunger, frequent cravings for sweets, headaches, allergies, and blurred vision.

Mental confusion and forgetfulness can be caused by hypoglycemia. The psychological symptoms of hypoglycemia are crying spells, phobias, nervousness, promise controlling temper, depression, and mood swings.

After diagnosis of hypoglycemia, the physician may ask for the person to meet with a dietitian or nutritionist to devise a diet for hypoglycemia management for the patient. A hypoglycemia diet often includes eating six small meals or three small meals and two snacks.

Some food seems cause more problems for people with hypoglycemia. The physician may suggest that the person avoids foods that are often problematic for people with hypoglycemia. Most of the foods that cause the most problems have large amounts of sugar or white flour in them.

A hypoglycemia diet may put emphasis on eating a variety of beneficial foods including whole grains, lean meats, vegetables, and some fruits. Some physicians and nutritionists may recommend that the patient avoids fruit, especially dried fruit or large portions of fruit. The person with hypoglycemia may be asked to avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol since they can worsen the symptoms.

People with hypoglycemia should always eat breakfast and avoid skipping meals in general. Some people with hypoglycemia find it helpful to keep a small snack with them, especially if they think that their meals may be delayed. The person may find that with a few adjustments to their diet, the hypoglycemia becomes much more manageable and the symptoms are reduced. - 29887

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