- Diabetics must test their blood sugar levels throughout the day.drawing blood image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
Low blood sugar levels, also known as hypoglycemia, normally occurs in diabetics but can also occur in normal individuals. The normal level of glucose in the blood is 70 to 110 milligrams per deciliter according to The Merck Manual Online Medical Dictionary. This glucose level may fall in diabetics because of medication. Hypoglycemia can occur in non-diabetics because of fasting, tumors, hormone or enzyme deficiencies or disease reports the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC). The Merck Manual adds that reactions to carbohydrates and stomach surgeries can also trigger low blood sugar levels. - A number of diabetic medications can cause hypoglycemia.special syringe for insuline injections image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
Some medications or combinations of medications that diabetics take increase the production of insulin. Insulin helps the body use and store glucose. Sometimes, this increase in insulin causes low blood sugar levels in diabetics. Medications that increase insulin production include chlorpropaminde, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide, nateglinide, repaglinide, sitagliptin, tolazamide and tobutamide. When metformin or glimepiride are used in combination with other medications, they can cause low blood sugar levels. Injectable Pramlintide and Exentatide can cause hypoglycemia when used with other medications or injectable insulin. - Strenuous physical activity can cause low blood sugar levels.marathon image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
Failure to follow a proper eating plan can cause diabetics to experience hypoglycemia. Skipping meals or snacks, eating inadequate portions, or waiting too long to eat can cause low blood sugar levels.
Strenuous physical activity can also deplete blood sugar levels in diabetics up to 24 hours afterward. Drinking alcohol can cause hypoglycemia one to two days later in diabetics, especially if consumed on an empty stomach. - Some non-diabetics have reactive hypoglycemia.bread 3 image by Lee O'Dell from Fotolia.com
Reactive hypoglycemia or postprandial hypoglycemia occurs about four hours after eating, especially if that meal contains a large amount of carbohydrates. In some people, the body produces too much insulin in reaction to eating.
Surgeries that remove portions of the stomach can contribute to hypoglycemia as can lack of enzymes and hormones that aid in digestion.
Mayo Clinic's Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell reports that the causes of reactive hypoglycemia are unclear. Some researchers theorize that some people are hyper-sensitive to epinephrine-release and others believe that they have a glucagon deficiency. Glucagon signals the liver to break down stored glucose when blood sugar levels are low. Epinephrine is also involved in regulating blood sugar levels.
Some people have hyperinsulemia explains Dr. Collazo-Clavell. This condition involves excess insulin production by the pancreas that leads to hypoglycemia. - Alcoholism can cause fasting hypoglycemia.Bottle with alcohol and wine-glasses image by Oleg Guryanov from Fotolia.com
Fasting hypoglycemia is also known as postabsorptive hypoglycemia. Going without food for a long time or engaging in prolonged strenuous exercise can cause low blood sugar levels but usually don't cause hypoglycemia in healthy people. Fasting hypoglycemia is related to underlying disease.
People who drink large amounts of alcohol without eating block the release of stored sugar from the liver. People with liver disease don't store enough sugar in the liver and children with enzyme or hormonal dysfunction can develop fasting hypoglycemia.
A pancreatic tumor can cause excess insulin production that leads to fasting hypoglycemia and certain autoimmune disorders can cause low blood sugar levels. Diseases of the adrenal or pituitary glands can cause hypoglycemia and cancer, heart disease, kidney disease or shock can cause hypoglycemia.
Salicylates such as aspirin can cause fasting hypoglycemia, as can sulfa medication, petamidine and quinine.
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