Diabetic hypoglycemia
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Diabetic hypoglycemia
Diabetic hypoglycemia (also called insulin shock or insulin reaction) is having an abnormally low amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood relative to the amount of insulin in the blood.
A person with diabetes can become hypoglycemic by taking too much insulin or diabetes medicine or by skipping meals.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include headache, hunger, weakness, sweating, anxiety, and changes in personality. If untreated, it can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, brain damage, or death.
Treatment for diabetic hypoglycemia involves eating foods that contain sugar or getting a shot of glucagon, a substance that stimulates the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Last Updated | May 25, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 25, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman |
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