Severe Low Blood Sugar Is Real
What Is Low Blood Sugar?
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, is when the amount of sugar in your blood drops below a certain blood sugar level. For most people, low blood sugar is below 3.9 mmol/L (millimoles of sugar per liter of blood) or 70 mg/dL (milligrams of sugar per deciliter of blood).
Non-severe Vs Severe Low Blood Sugar
Click to learn more about severe low blood sugar
Have you ever…
- …felt hungry, sweaty, or dizzy while on a walk with a friend, and needed to stop for a snack to feel better?
- …felt shaky during a meeting, but were able to find some juice or food which helped you recover?
The common part of these situations is being able to treat yourself-which makes a low blood sugar event non-severe.
What is non-severe low blood sugar (non-severe hypoglycemia)
Non-severe low blood sugar is when your blood sugar is low, but you can still make decisions and act to treat it.
Have you ever…
- …needed help from a family member to get juice out of the refrigerator but it was hard finding the words to ask?
- …felt confused, clumsy, or weak due to low blood sugar, and were unable to think clearly or help yourself?
Both of these situations describe severe low blood sugar. If you are thinking, “Yes, that has happened to me”, you are not the only one.
Being unable to treat yourself is what makes a low blood sugar event severe
What is severe low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia)?
Severe low blood sugar is when you have low blood sugar and you can’t act to treat it. For example, this could be when you can’t stand up, so you need someone to bring you some juice or candy.
What are the Early Warning Signs and Symptoms of Severe Low Blood Sugar?
If left untreated, severe low blood sugar can cause serious harm, such as accidents or physical injury.
This is why is’s important to recognize early warning signs, including:
Common Early Warning Signs
Trembling
Pounding Heart
Sweating
Anxiety
Hunger
When you don’t have enough sugar in your blood, all parts of your body can be affected, including your brain. Symptoms that can happen when your brain doesn’t get enough blood sugar include:
Common Symptoms Caused by Lack of
Enough Blood sugar in the Brain
Difficulty concentrating
Confusion
Weakness
Drowziness or dizziness
Vision changes
Difficulty speaking
Take a moment to think about the signs and symptoms that you may have experienced, which may or may not be the same as those listed above.
Some people may have multiple signs or symptoms, while others may have minimal or no signs or symptoms until it becomes an emergency. In some cases, especially in people who are unaware their blood sugar is dropping low, caregivers or loved ones may spot signs and symptoms before the person having them does.
Signs and symptoms can also be different between one severe low blood sugar event to another – you may feel confused during one severe low and irritable during a different low.
Remember
A severe low blood sugar event is characterized by needing help from someone else to recover and is not associated with a specific blood sugar level. If you or a loved one with diabetes experience a low blood sugar event, be sure to let your healthcare provider know – they can help with your action plan!
Review Your Knowledge
Learn More About Severe Low Blood Sugar
References
- 1International Hypoglycaemia Study Group. Diabetes Care. 2017;40:155-157.
- 2International Hypoglycaemia Study Group. What is hypoglycaemia? https://ihsgonline.com/what-is-hypoglycaemia/. Accessed November 1, 2021
- 3American Diabetes Associated Workgroup on Hypoglycemia. Diabetes Care. 2005;28(5):1245-1249.
- 4Edridge CL, et al. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(6):e0126427.
- 5American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(1):S73-S84.
- 6Edelman SV. Diabetes Educ. 2014;40(3):269-279.
- 7Frier BM. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014;10(12):711-722.
- 8International Hypoglycaemia Study Group. Diagnosis of hypoglycaemia. https://ihsgonline.com/diagnosis/. Accessed November 1, 2021.
