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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Early warning signs
Early signs and symptoms of diabetic hypoglycemia include:
- Shakiness
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Hunger
- Irritability or moodiness
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Headache
- Pounding heartbeat
Nighttime symptoms
Diabetic hypoglycemia can also occur while you sleep. Signs and symptoms include:
- Damp sheets or bed clothes due to perspiration
- Nightmares
- Tiredness, irritability or confusion upon waking
Severe symptoms
If early symptoms of diabetic hypoglycemia go untreated, signs and symptoms of severe hypoglycemia can occur. These include:
- Clumsiness or jerky movements
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
- Blurry or double vision
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Convulsions or seizures
- Unconsciousness
Take your symptoms seriously. Diabetic hypoglycemia can increase the risk of serious — even deadly — accidents. Left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and loss of consciousness.
Tell family, friends and co-workers what symptoms to look for and what to do in case you're not able to treat hypoglycemia yourself.
Not everyone has the same symptoms or the same symptoms each time, so it's important to monitor your blood sugar levels regularly and keep track of how you're feeling when you do have low blood sugar. Some people don't experience any early symptoms. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness.
When to see a doctor
Call 911 or emergency medical assistance if:
- Early signs of hypoglycemia don't improve with eating or taking glucose tablets
- Someone you know who has diabetes loses consciousness and a glucagon injection isn't available
Also, if you experience symptoms of hypoglycemia several times a week, see your doctor. You may need to change your medication dosage, change the type of medication you take or make other adjustments to your diabetes treatment program.
- Cryer PE. Glucose homeostasis and hypoglycemia. In: Kronenberg HM, et al. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Saunders; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/172399185-6/0/1555/204.html?tocnode=54108916&fromURL=204.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2911-3..50035-2_3179. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
- McCulloch DK. Management of hypoglycemia during treatment of diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
- Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
- Hypoglycemia. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia/hypoglycemia.pdf. Accessed Nov. 19, 2009.
- A1C. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/. Accessed Dec. 2, 2009.
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