What is hypoglycemia? Glucose is a form of sugar and the main energy source of the body. Hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia occurs when the blood sugar level drops too low to supply enough energy for normal physiological activities of body cells. Carbohydrates such as sugar and starch are the main sources of glucose in our diet. In the process of digestion, glucose is absorbed into the circulation and brought to all cells of the body to provide energy for normal physiological activities. Excess glucose is stored in the liver and becomes glycogen. These processes are closely controlled by hormones in the body, so normal people's blood sugar is very stable and hypoglycemia rarely occurs. Hypoglycemia can occur in patients with diabetes and other diseases. For diabetes, because of the treatment of lowering blood sugar, hypoglycemia can happen to any patient with diabetes at any time, especially some patients who need to strictly control blood sugar, or patients whose blood sugar value fluctuates greatly. So diabetics and their relatives and friends should learn how to deal with hypoglycemia. How does the body control blood sugar? To put it simply, blood sugar is mainly controlled by hormone insulin and glucagon, and both hormones, whether too much or too little, will cause blood sugar to drop too low (hypoglycemia) or rise too high (hyperglycemia). Other hormones that can affect blood sugar level are adrenocorticoid, growth hormone and catecholamine (adrenaline and norepinephrine). The islets in the pancreas include Alpha cells and Beta cells, which can produce glucagon and insulin respectively. When blood sugar rises after a meal, beta cells will release insulin, which can help glucose enter the body cells and reduce the blood sugar level to the normal range. When the blood sugar level drops too low, the hair cells will secrete glucagon, which will stimulate the liver to release the stored liver sugar and transform it into glucose to raise the blood sugar level to the normal range. Muscle can also store some liver sugar and can also be converted into glucose. Blood sugar range The normal blood sugar range is about 60-115mg/dl; Depending on the last time an individual has eaten, blood sugar can occasionally drop below 60mg/dl or even below 50mg/dl on an empty stomach without any serious abnormality. This can be seen in healthy women, especially after long-term fasting. If the blood sugar is less than 45mg/dl, it usually represents an abnormal and serious problem. What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia? People with hypoglycemia will feel weak, sleepy, trembling, confused, hungry and dizzy. Pale skin, headache, excitement, tremor, sweating, rapid heartbeat, chills, cramps, sudden mood changes and behavioral changes, such as crying for nothing, clumsy or spasmodic activities, inability to concentrate, tingling around the mouth, etc. are all symptoms of hypoglycemia. In severe cases, the patient may lose consciousness or even be in a coma. Long-term diabetic patients may not have any alert symptoms because some functions of responding to hypoglycemia are destroyed. When hypoglycemia occurs, they will not be aware of it. When blood sugar reaches a certain level, they will immediately fall into a coma, which is a very dangerous manifestation. Hypoglycemia symptoms are sometimes mistaken for symptoms caused by situations unrelated to blood sugar, and sometimes other diseases can also cause symptoms similar to hypoglycemia. For example, unusual stress and anxiety, or shock caused by heart attacks and other diseases, can lead to the production of extra catacholamines, forming symptoms similar to those caused by hypoglycemia, but not necessarily related to blood sugar value. Causes of hypoglycemia in diabetics The most common complication of diabetics is hypoglycemia. The pathogenic cause of diabetes is that the body cannot use glucose as energy because it cannot secrete enough insulin or use insulin effectively. So that glucose can not enter cells, but accumulate in the blood, resulting in hyperglycemia. The purpose of treating diabetes is to lower its blood sugar. Depending on the severity of the disease, most diabetics will take hypoglycemic drugs or give insulin. Since insulin or oral hypoglycemic therapy is needed, hypoglycemia may occur, especially in patients who take insulin. Hypoglycemia is easy to occur, including: receiving too high dose of treatment, changing insulin absorption, not eating, delaying eating, eating too little, exercising too much, drinking too much or other reasons. Hypoglycemia treatment of diabetes patients should set the control range of blood sugar by doctors according to individual's age, cognitive ability of hypoglycemia symptoms, physical condition and other factors. The control range of blood sugar is different for everyone. For example, a certain blood sugar range is safe for a young adult without diabetes, but it may be too low for a child or an older person with other medical problems. When you feel that you have suspected hypoglycemia symptoms and you can't test your blood sugar, you'd better treat it first, but don't wait. Remember this simple rule: "When in doubt, treat it". If you don't treat mild hypoglycemia in time, you may further develop severe hypoglycemia, lose consciousness and be unable to handle it yourself. Because hypoglycemia is often consistent with symptoms, diabetics can usually feel it when their blood sugar drops. Symptoms include trembling, palpitations, sweating and hunger. They can get rid of it by eating oysters. BR> Fruit, juice or non-low calorie soda can be improved within 10- 15 minutes. Using glucose tablets or ointment (available in pharmacies) is a more convenient and rapid treatment method at present. Do not use chocolate or ice cream to treat hypoglycemia, because chocolate or ice cream contains a lot of fat, which delays the absorption of sugar. Make sure you have at least one kind of sugar with you, and it is best to have an emergency glucagon bag with you. When you have finished measuring your blood sugar and treating hypoglycemia, wait 15-20 minutes and then do it again. If your blood sugar is still low or your symptoms are not alleviated, repeat the treatment. After you feel better, make sure that you eat normal meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar level rising. Because patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus must receive insulin therapy, especially active therapy, they are most prone to severe hypoglycemia, which can lead to loss of consciousness. Some patients with long-term insulin dependence may have a phenomenon called "cognitive hypoglycemia", which means that they don't have alert symptoms when they are hypoglycemic, so they don't know that they are hypoglycemic. Severe hypoglycemia will affect the central nervous system, manifested by symptoms of central sugar deficiency, including headache, temper change, restlessness, inability to concentrate, dizziness, convulsions and unconsciousness. This situation may require the help of others to inject glucagon or send it to the hospital for emergency treatment. When dealing with this kind of hypoglycemia, doctors usually give glucose solution or glucagon injection, which can quickly relieve the symptoms of hypoglycemia and make the blood glucose rise. Diabetic patients can learn to confirm the symptoms of hypoglycemia by regularly measuring blood sugar levels, so as to avoid causing hypoglycemia and reduce the onset of hypoglycemia. In addition to carrying sugar tablets with you and it is best to have an emergency glucagon carry-on bag, wear diabetes identification objects as much as possible. Friends, relatives and even anyone should know the symptoms of hypoglycemia and how to help diabetics in an emergency. It is very important to treat hypoglycemia as soon as possible, because it will get worse and may be in a coma. If you are in a coma, your other people must give you emergency assistance, such as injecting glucagon or sending you to the hospital for emergency treatment. The blood sugar is too low to be in a coma, and what others should do includes: 1. Don't help the patient with insulin injection. 2. Don't force food or liquid into the patient's mouth. 3. Don't put your hands in the patient's mouth. 4. Keep the respiratory tract unobstructed. 6. Inject glucagon. Call an emergency number. 120 for help. Because active insulin therapy can help prevent the occurrence of diabetic complications, insulin-dependent diabetes with this therapy is adopted. In order to keep blood sugar close to the normal range and avoid hypoglycemia, it is necessary to test blood sugar regularly, have a regular diet and exercise plan, learn to identify the symptoms of hypoglycemia and follow the doctor's instructions.