What to eat for low blood sugar?

Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
Updated on September 20, 2024
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For already occurring hypoglycemia, our treatment goal is to quickly alleviate the symptoms of hypoglycemia. The primary method is to provide sugar, either through sugar water, sugary drinks, or sugar-containing fruits, bread, etc. After providing sugar, the symptoms of hypoglycemia can be quickly relieved. At the same time, to prevent hypoglycemia, we need to do the following: first, eat meals regularly every day, avoiding eating too late or not enough. Second, it is not advisable to exercise on an empty stomach; it is appropriate to eat something before exercising. Third, avoid excessive alcohol consumption, as it can inhibit the conversion of liver glycogen into glucose in the body, making it easy to develop hypoglycemia, so avoid excessive drinking. Fourth, once common symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, sweating, and other symptoms occur, we should quickly provide sugar.

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Written by Li Lang Bo
Endocrinology
1min 8sec home-news-image

Hypoglycemia is caused by what?

Hypoglycemia is most commonly seen in patients with type 2 diabetes. During the treatment of diabetes, hypoglycemia can occur due to excessive use of medication or insulin, failure to eat on time after exercise, or decreased appetite without appropriately reducing the medication. Another common cause is insulinoma, a type of tumor that secretes excessive insulin, resulting in lowered blood glucose levels. A third cause relates to the early stage of type 2 diabetes, where insulin resistance and delayed insulin peak times often lead to pre-meal hypoglycemia, especially before lunch and dinner. Lastly, hypoglycemia is also commonly observed in some young women with specific coloring, potentially due to gastrointestinal motility issues or other reasons leading to pre-meal hypoglycemia. It is also common in patients with hepatitis or cirrhosis, where the liver's ability to output glucose is diminished, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia when fasting.

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Written by Zhao Xin Lan
Endocrinology
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Does hypoglycemia spread?

Hypoglycemia is not a contagious disease, so it is not transmittable. Hypoglycemia is primarily caused by excessive secretion of insulin in the body, or by consuming too little sugary food, leading to abnormally low blood sugar levels and certain clinical symptoms such as palpitations, trembling hands, fatigue, and cold sweats. Therefore, it is caused by pathological reasons within the body itself, and not by infectious bacteria or viruses from external sources, so it is not contagious. However, when hypoglycemia occurs, it is necessary to promptly consume sugary foods to alleviate the symptoms and prevent more serious damage to the body.

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Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
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Is hypoglycemia dangerous?

For diabetic patients, hypoglycemia is defined as glucose levels less than 4 mmol/L, and for non-diabetic individuals, or healthy people, low blood sugar is characterized by levels less than 2.8 mmol/L. Hypoglycemia initially causes metabolic abnormalities in the brain since brain cells in the middle of the brain can't break down fats or proteins; they can only use the simplest sugars, which is the glucose in our blood, as their energy source. When the concentration of sugar in the blood decreases, the brain cells fail to absorb enough energy, which can lead to abnormalities in brain function, resulting in symptoms like fatigue and drowsiness. If glucose is not consumed at this point, the further deficiency in energy for brain cells may lead to coma, making hypoglycemia a very dangerous condition.

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
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Management of Hypoglycemia

The treatment of hypoglycemia mainly includes two aspects: the first is to alleviate the symptoms of hypoglycemia, and the second is to correct various underlying causes that lead to hypoglycemia. For various cases of hypoglycemia that have already occurred, rapid relief can be achieved by administering sugar water, sugary drinks, or consuming candies, cookies, bread, steamed buns, etc. If it is drug-induced hypoglycemia in diabetic patients, the relevant drugs should be discontinued promptly. If hypoglycemia occurs frequently, or even leads to coma, it is possible to investigate the primary disease, conduct a hypoglycemia test, and determine whether an insulinoma exists.

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Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
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How is hypoglycemia treated?

The treatment for hypoglycemia is relatively simple; in most cases, it involves immediate consumption of sugar water to replenish energy, which can significantly alleviate the symptoms of hypoglycemia. If it is an occasional, single occurrence of hypoglycemia, normal status can be restored after replenishing energy. However, if hypoglycemia occurs repeatedly, it is necessary to seek timely medical treatment at a hospital to rule out some common diseases that cause hypoglycemia.