What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?
Can I check myself for hypoglycemia?
Many people who have never experienced hypoglycemia may not be able to imagine what hypoglycemia symptoms are like and cannot self-check.
In this article, we will explain how to check the symptoms of hypoglycemia and how to deal with it.
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Symptoms of hypoglycemia
Symptoms of hypoglycemia vary from person to person. The appearance and severity of symptoms vary from person to person and can change over time.
In order to check the symptoms of hypoglycemia, it is necessary to fully understand what symptoms there are in advance.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia are:
[Symptoms seen in hypoglycemia]
・Palpitation
·sweating
・Weakness
·headache
·sleepiness
・Mental symptoms
・ Decreased level of consciousness
Such
Hypoglycemia symptoms by blood sugar level
Depending on the blood sugar level in the body, the symptoms that come out will change.
The so-called hypoglycemic state is defined as a state of less than 70mg/dl.
When the blood sugar level reaches about 55 mg/dl, adrenaline begins to be secreted and sympathetic symptoms begin to appear. Sympathetic symptoms are symptoms that are seen when the sympathetic nervous system of the autonomic nervous system works excessively. Typical symptoms include palpitations, sweating, and tremors.
At around 50 mg/dl, symptoms of the central nervous system begin to appear. CNS symptoms are symptoms that occur when brain function begins to decline. Specific symptoms include drowsiness and weakness.
At around 30 mg/dl, brain function declines, and convulsions, loss of consciousness, transient hemiplegia, and coma symptoms are observed.
If the blood sugar level drops and the brain function declines, there is a possibility of death.
As hypoglycemia progresses, you may become so immobile that it becomes difficult to recover on your own. The condition in which you need help to recover is called severe hypoglycemia.
Severe hypoglycemia can lead to death, and even if you survive, it can leave you with brain damage. If it becomes severe, it is a very scary condition because it is possible that you may not be able to take glucose through your mouth.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to check regularly for hypoglycemia symptoms.
When you want to check and pay attention to hypoglycemia symptoms frequently
People with diabetes are at risk of hypoglycemia if there is something unexpected about their diet, such as "I couldn't eat" or "I didn't eat enough".
Also, during intense exercise, there is a risk of hypoglycemia even if there is a temporary lack of energy.
You need to be careful when the amount of energy you normally take in is low or when the energy consumption is high.
In addition, some people have low blood sugar symptoms due to stress, so it is necessary to pay attention to their mental state.
Fear of severe hypoglycemia
Severe hypoglycemia can lead to brain damage, heart failure, and even death. There is also an increased risk of developing dementia.
Some people who develop hypoglycemia are unaware of it and may not notice it until it becomes severe.
Because people are unaware of mild hypoglycemia, they do not notice it until it becomes so low that they cannot manage it themselves.
Therefore, even if you have glucose, you will not be able to take it out yourself. People who are unaware of early hypoglycemia are 6 to 17 times more likely to develop severe hypoglycemia.
In addition, car accidents due to hypoglycemia have been reported, so it can be said that people who have hypoglycemia without realizing it need to be especially careful.
How to deal with hypoglycemia
Coping methods for hypoglycemia are divided into two patterns: "when you can take in sugar by yourself" and "when you cannot take in sugar by yourself".
If you can take sugar by mouth
Even if you need help from someone else, if you can take sugar by mouth, you will take sugar by mouth. You can take sugar, but the ideal is glucose.
Soft drinks also contain glucose, so that's fine.
If it is difficult to take sugar by mouth on your own, call an ambulance immediately and have the person transported to a medical institution. This is an emergency as it can be life threatening.
From 2020, you can now choose a nasal spray called Nasal Glucagon.
Nasal glucagon is a single-use nasal spray that contains a single dose of sugar called glucagon powder.
It can be stored at room temperature and is easy to use. Just apply the glucagon nasal spray to your nose and push the piston. The powder is released into the nose and the glucagon is absorbed through the nasal mucosa. Family members can administer the drug, so be sure to check with your family about how to use it in advance.
In the past, injections were prescribed by family members as a first aid treatment for severe hypoglycemia.
However, it seems that many doctors did not prescribe it because the drug needs to be adjusted before the injection. Since nasal drops only need to be pushed by the piston, the hurdles for administration by family members will be low.
summary
In this article, I explained the symptoms of hypoglycemia, when to check frequently, and severe hypoglycemia.
Severe hypoglycemia can be fatal,It may cause brain damage and increase the risk of developing dementia.In any case, it is possible to leave symptoms that cannot be cured, so it is necessary to be careful not to develop severe hypoglycemia on a daily basis.
If you have severe hypoglycemia, you need to have a good discussion with your family so that they can help you as soon as possible.
Also, just wearing a card that shows that you have diabetes may change how you respond in an emergency.
In order to reduce the risk as much as possible, it is important to carry out regular checks and emergency measures.
References
・Tetsuya Ohira, et al. “Trends in domestic and international research on blood sugar fluctuations and psychiatric symptoms.” Holistic Medicine 20.1 (2022): 25-30.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ifcm/20/1/20_25/_pdf/-char/ja
・Nanwa, et al. “Pathology and treatment of hypoglycemia associated with diabetes treatment.” Therapeutic Research 43.2 (2022): 127.
http://therres.jp/3topics/images/feature/20220228115118.pdf
Supervision: Dr. Yasushi Tsuda