Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when blood sugar level is too low.The American Diabetes Association considers that there is hypoglycemia in the diabetic patient when blood glucose levels are less than 70 mg/dl.In a healthy person without diabetes, these values ​​would have to be less than 55 mg/dl to be considered hypoglycemia.

As Dr. Carlos Miranda, responsible for the Diabetes Group of the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG), explains to Infosalus, the decrease in sugar or hypoglycemia is a controversial issue since the general population considers that it is facing a situationof this type when it has symptoms that do not actually correspond to the condition.

"If these people who claim to suffer a decrease in sugar and that consequently choose to take something sugary to feel better they would go through adequate analytics, the test would show that they do not suffer such a sugar downhill," Miranda explains.

The family doctor points out that it is true that there are cases in which if it has been many hours without trying food and exercising a decrease in sugar can occur but they are rare cases."The usual thing is the case of relative hypoglycemia in which when blood glucose measurements are made it is confirmed that they are not such," says Miranda.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia are sweating, drowsiness, general discomfort, weakness and in the most serious even loss of knowledge.Although Miranda points out, these hypoglycemia are rarely presented in non -diabetic people and when this occurs the family doctor derives the patient to an endocrine.

The specialist then evaluates the possibility that the person suffers from some type of pancreatic imbalance or pancreatic insufficiency, a very different condition from diabetes.

Diabetic population

In diabetics, hypoglycemia are associated with the use of medication."Good control of disease and blood glucose avoid or delay the appearance of diabetic complications in the different organs and systems of the body," says the doctor.

Hypoglycemia can occur in patients who use insulin and in those who suffer from type 2 diabetes and use oral drugs.Specifically, these sugar drops are more associated with the oldest drugs, the so -called sulfonylureas, the most recent drugs improve these possible adverse reactions.

The possible complications of these hypoglycemia depend on the patient, gravity and their recurrence, so they have become a line of research in the field of diabetes that indicates that they constitute a factor that intervenes in the vital prognosis of patients.

There is no fixed guideline in regard to the reasons that can lead to a decrease in sugar, although it is true that drugs play an important role they also make a correct use of treatments and proper follow -up of the diet, factorsin which a good education in the disease and its control is key.

How to act in a hypoglycemia?

The symptoms of hypoglycemia can vary from one diabetic patient to another and it is those that identify the individual alarm signs.However, Miranda points out that it is in the older ones in which there are the most risks because they are the most difficulties to identify hypoglycemia.

When hypoglycemia can be managed by the diabetic patient, rapid absorption carbohydrates should be taken that translate into the following alternatives: 15 grams of glucose, two envelopes or three teaspoons of dissolved sugar in water, a drink like juice or sugary soda, a tablespoon of honey, fruit or about three cookies.

In the case ofSerious hypoglycemia is necessary for another person to help the patient recover, either a relative or by going to a health center.In these cases, a glucagon injection is used that patients should have prepared at home.Fast absorption carbohydrates are administered and moved to the patient's health center to pass through a review that detects possible complications of the sugar down.