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Hypoglycemia is a condition that affects and alters the lives of many people around the world today. In 1938, American surgeon Allen Whipple defined hypoglycemia by the following triad: typical signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia; documented low glucose level; and correction of signs and symptoms with normalization of glucose levels.( O’Shaughnessey,2012) In simple terms, it is a condition of the body that occurs when the blood sugar in a person’s body is too low. The term hypo meaning low, and glycemia or glucose relating to sugar, allows the person to know just what the word means. Another thing that could cause hypoglycemia is when there is too much insulin released into the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood. Low blood sugar is most commonly seen in people with diabetes who are taking insulin or other medicines to control their diabetes. (A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia,2011)People find that when they first realize that they may have diabetes, that they are dizzy or tired and have no energy whatsoever.
Many more people now than in years past are having issues with diabetes. The disease itself can be hereditary, which means that children whose parents or grandparents have diabetes have a greater chance of having it as well. Babies who are born to mothers with diabetes may have severe drops in blood sugar.( A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia,2011) Low blood pressure can lead to many different things including feinting and seizures. Hypoglycemia is mostly found in patients that have type one diabetes. A person with type one diabetes will find that they will have episodes of low blood sugar at least one to two times per week. These episodes can be fixed by having the person fix their levels of blood sugar with food that is higher in sugars that will give energy and raise the levels. When a person raises their blood sugar with foods they should still try to avoid eating too much sugar which would lead to hyperglycemia, which as the name states is a high blood sugar. There are still ways thatcan try to help prevent a person from having issues with hypoglycemia. The clinical approach to preventing hypoglycemia while improving glycemic control includes acknowledging the issue, applying the principles of intensive glycemic therapy, and considering the potential risk factors for iatrogenic hypoglycemia.(O’Shaughnessey,2012)
Hypoglycemia is not always a condition that happens with someone who has diabetes. There are many other cases of people that have hypoglycemia that have never had any symptoms of diabetes. HYPOGLYCAEMIA IS MOST commonly associated with diabetes (Cryer 2004), although it also occurs for various reasons in people who do not have diabetes. This condition may be termed reactive hypoglycaemia or fasting hypoglycaemia, both of which can be determined by laboratory test results.(Wilson, 2011) Many people that have episodes of any type of hypoglycemia are admitted to the hospital because in extreme cases it can become life threatening. Once people are admitted into the hospital they must be constantly monitored for their blood glucose levels to be sure that they stay at safe levels for the person to be alert and not have the chance of a seizure or feinting. More than likely the person will not be put into intensive care, but anything is possible. Hypoglycemia has the potential to be verydangerous and people should always be aware of the signs and symptoms.
References
O’Shaughnessey, C., & H. (2012). Hypoglycemia. Primary Care Reports, 18(5), 49-63.
Wilson, V. (2011). Non-diabetic hypoglycaemia: causes and pathophysiology. Nursing Standard, 25(46), 35-39.
A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia. (2011). Hypoglycemia insulin shock; low blood sugar. In U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from
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