Hypoglycemia - Blood Sugar Problems
Some people experience excessive reductions in blood sugar by insulin. This creates a unique set of symptoms which can interfere with normal activity. Hypoglycemia will usually present with 2 phases of symptoms; one from the low blood sugar and a second from the hormonal compensation which attempts to correct the problem.
The symptoms from low blood sugar are primarily the result of impairment of function of the brain. The brain is unique in that unlike other cells in the body such as muscle cells, it can only use sugar to produce energy. As would be expected, the symptoms of low blood sugar all reflect declining brain cell activity. These may include:
| Lightheadedness | Mental confusion |
| Faintness | Sleepiness |
| Blacking out | …and others |
If brain cell energy declines too much, the person may lose consciousness. To prevent this we have counter-regulatory mechanisms to raise blood sugar levels. This involves the release of a hormone from the adrenal gland called epinephrine or adrenalin. This causes the liver to convert amino acids (protein) from muscle into glucose and release it into the circulation to raise blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, epinephrine is also a response hormone to stress, and it raises blood pressure pulse, induces sweating and a general feeling of shakiness. This second phase of hypoglycemia often goes on for several hours after the initial hypoglycemic symptoms.
Both the natural tendency and often medical advice for an acute episode of hypoglycemia often makes the problem worse over time. While eating something sweet will relieve the immediate symptoms, it generally causes progressively greater insulin response which only sets up the next cycle of excessive blood sugar reductions by high insulin levels. A more functional approach is to consume a low glycemic load diet which minimizes the insulin spikes that induce hypoglycemia in the first place. Imbalances of several micronutrients may also contribute to hypoglycemia, and these should be evaluated in the initial work-up.
There is some suggestion that the repeated cycles of high insulin response that induce hypoglycemia may eventually lead to a decline in cellular response to insulin, or “insulin resistance”. The importance of this is that insulin resistance is a mechanism of early diabetes; it may cause weight gain that is difficult to treat, and it may cause imbalances in blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Although this is a late potential progression of hypoglycemia, it has serious health implications that are best avoided. Early nutritional analysis and intervention is the best approach to hypoglycemia.