- Is hypoglycemia without diabetes common in adults and children?
Hypoglycemia without diabetes in is uncommon and is a marker of some underlying pathology that needs to be investigated. hypoglycemia otherwise known as low blood sugar in adults is very commonly seen in patients who are fighting and active infection they are using all of that energy that sugar also known as glucose to fight an infection sometimes that infection is so overwhelming that it consumes all of the energy in one's body and can lead to acid buildup in the blood which is a sign of your body trying to make energy from it's backup energy process known as anaerobic metabolism.
in children low blood sugar or hypoglycemia without diabetes is more often than not due to some type of genetic neural hormonal adrenal axis problem and really needs to be investigated for some underlying endocrine disease
· What are the symptoms of each and which ones distinguish the two conditions?
so diabetes is excess sugar in the blood whereas hypoglycemia is insufficient sugar in the blood when there is extremes in blood sugar we see similar symptoms so these include marked lethargy or fatigue like symptoms this can lead to seizures this can lead to increase chance of infections and also we can see that in both conditions that there is an underlying cause tilting the balance of sugar in the blood to help supply the organs primarily the brain and the Heart
· How can a parent tell if their child is hypoglycemic?
Look for signs of listlessness fatigue dryness of the skin droopy eyes dryness of the mouth and at its worst seizure like activity
· When should someone see a doctor for hypoglycemic symptoms?
something to see a doctor for low blood sugar symptoms as soon as possible and your body is in a state of consumption what we call a catabolic state it is fighting something either by not making enough sugar or by something consuming all the sugar either way this is an abnormality that can lead very quickly to hospitalization
· What can cause hypoglycemia in non-diabetics?
Hormonal imbalance and endocrine tumors are the common cause of hypoglycemia non-diabetics in the pediatric population hypoglycemia in non-diabetics in the adult population is almost always due to either over treatment of certain medicines that can cause hypoglycemia or an active catabolic State such as a severe infection or severe inflammation or severe trauma to the body
· How is hypoglycemia diagnosed and diabetes ruled out?
both can be diagnosed by checking your fasting sugar level in your blood typically these can be done now as a point of care test at any doctor's office or urgent Care walk-in Center and it is such a readily available test and cheap test that when one encounters patients with severe hypoglycemia or diabetes it is usually at its worst state
· What triggers reactive hypoglycemia?
reactive hypoglycemia is classic for your body is fighting something and it needs energy and lots of it energy in the form of sugar this is commonly seen in severe infection such as septic shock or a very large burden of tumor that is consuming energy that should be used for other organs
· What is a hypoglycemia attack?
this is a sudden quick drop of blood sugar without a compensatory response from your adrenal glands to to say hey let's amp up our sugar in the blood and allow energy to help our body continue to move and our brain to function and are hard to pump
· Can non-diabetic hypoglycemia be cured?
it can be cured but the first step is diagnosis depending on the age and other comorbidities one can really figure out why a patient is undergoing multiple bouts of hypoglycemia a referral to an endocrine specialist is of the utmost importance
· What are treatment options for non-diabetic hypoglycemia?
the treatment options are number one treating the underlying cause whether it's an infection over medication or cancer we must treat the underlying cause that is consuming all the sugar in the blood
· What happens if hypoglycemia is untreated?
untreated it is like a car running out of gasoline your body will stop working and that's what you will see happening Oregon's will slowly start shutting down we see this happening in the brain with seizure like activity we see this happening in the heart with arrhythmias kidney failure dryness of the skin leading to skin infections
· Can a child grow out of hypoglycemia?
once the reason for a child to have hypoglycemia is diagnosed whether it is an endocrine tumor or infection or epilepsy then steps can be taken to counter the hypoglycemia episodes and successfully have the children grow out of these bouts
· Can non-diabetic hypoglycemia be prevented?
Standard screening prevention is all about screening screening by your pediatrician Sweden by your physician simple blood work very cheap inexpensive blood work a physical exam and a nice detailed history will lead the patient and physician to prevent hypoglycemia from occurring
· What are some natural and medicinal methods for preventing hypoglycemia (both with and without diabetes?
preventing hypoglycemia naturally is all about preventing other comorbid conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol and smoking and obesity so lifestyle modification is the best method no matter what for preventing hypoglycemia there are some medicines that can be used but those are infrequent again because hypoglycemia is typically due to some secondary cause
· What are some foods to avoid if you have hypoglycemia?
I would not avoid any food if you have hypoglycemia I would actually look for foods that have a high glycemic index or high sugar and glucose levels that is immediate energy for the body to use so that one can keep the engine going
· Can dehydration cause hypoglycemia
dehydration can absolutely cause hypoglycemia dehydration is not enough water hypoglycemia is not enough food so in severely malnourished people you see dehydration hypoglycemia linked together and treating both is treating them at the same time which is an intravenous infusion of sugar water.
