Hypoglycaemia
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HYPOGLYCAEMIA: Hypo = Low, glycos = sugar, haem = blood. Low blood sugar is a problem that many people suffer without realising it. Often it is accompanied by “hyperglycaemia” (high blood sugar) episodes, and/or “reactive hyperinsulinaemia” (over-production of insulin). Sounds complicated? Read on. When carbohydrates (starch or sugar) are taken as food or drink, it is broken down into sugars and absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. The job of insulin is to cause the resulting blood glucose to be taken up into the body cells for energy, and to be stored as glycogen, especially in the liver. In a healthy person, several factors combine to keep the blood sugar within normal limits. The pancreas has cells that produce insulin to bring blood sugar down. Steroid hormones and adrenalin cause it to go up. Many other biochemical factors influence it one way or another. If the complex balance of these factors is disturbed, the blood sugar may not be properly controlled. This occurs in Addison’s Disease (when the adrenal glands fail to produce steroid hormones normally), in diabetes mellitus, and in hypoglycaemia. In diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin to deal with a normal glucose intake, and the sufferer may have to take injections of insulin to avoid developing hypoglycaemia. In hypoglycaemia, the balance is in the other direction, and the blood sugar levels, which goes up immediately after a meal, is pushed steadily down until symptoms develop. |
In a state of hyperglycaemia, the individual feels alert, energetic, active, outgoing, and possibly tense, twitchy, sweating and anxious. In hypoglycaemia, the symptoms are fuzzy-headedness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and clumsiness. Many other complaints may develop – see below. Two major factors may cause hypoglycaemia to develop: Firstly, carbohydrate-rich foods cause a lot of glucose to enter the blood stream, and mild stimulants such as caffeine (tea, coffee) and nicotine (tobacco) stimulate the production of adrenalin, which raises the blood sugar. Persons who are addicted to carbohydrates and/or mild stimulants, or who take them several times daily, are constantly pushing their blood glucose upwards (living under stress causes chronic adrenalin production, with the same result). When they miss their “fix” of these substances, their blood glucose will go steadily down, and they may become “hypo” and develop symptoms. For most people, their longest period without food or drink is while they are asleep, which is why symptoms very commonly develop on waking, or even cause the sufferer to wake up early. Secondly, deficiencies of a number of essential nutrients may make someone more vulnerable to hypoglycaemia. Minerals (magnesium, zinc, and manganese in particular) and vitamins (especially pyridoxine and the other B Vitamins) are the most important nutrients. |