Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a condition in which there is an abnormally low level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Reactive hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar drops to abnormally low levels two to five hours aftere eating a meal. Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia include sweating, tremors, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, and hunger. Most often, this results from the oversecretion of insulin by the pancreas. Insulin facilitates the transport of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, especially those of muscle and fatty tissue, and causes glucose to be synthesized in the liver.

A person suffering from hypoglycemia may display any or all of the following symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, heart palpitations, nausea, blurred vision, an inability to concentrate, lightheadedness, headache, irritability, fainting spells, depression, anxiety, cravings for sweets, confusion, night sweats, weakness in the legs, swollen feet, a feeling of tightness in the chest, constant hunger, pain in various parts of the body (especially the eyes), nervous habits, mental disturbances, and insomnia. People with hypoglycemia can become very aggressive and lose their tempers easily. Any or all of these symptoms may occur a few hours after eating sweets or fats. High stress levels are believed to be a contributing factor in the increasing incidence of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can be inherited, but most often it is precipitated by an inadequate diet.