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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo diagnose hypoglycemia, your doctor will use Whipple's triad, a diagnostic approach named after the American surgeon Allen Whipple. Whipple's triad includes the following factors:
- Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. You may not exhibit signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia during your initial visit with your doctor. In this case, your doctor may have you fast overnight. This will allow hypoglycemic symptoms to occur so that he or she can make a diagnosis. It's also possible that you'll need to undergo an extended fast in a hospital setting. Or, if your symptoms occur after a meal, your doctor will want to test your glucose levels after a meal.
- Documentation of low blood glucose when the signs and symptoms occur. Your doctor will draw a sample of your blood to be analyzed in the laboratory.
- Disappearance of the signs and symptoms. The third part of the diagnostic triad involves whether your signs and symptoms go away when blood glucose levels are raised.
You'll likely need a physical examination and a review of your medical history with your doctor. He or she will want to determine what medications you use, whether you drink alcohol excessively and whether you have a critical illness. This will help your doctor confirm whether you have hypoglycemia and determine the likely cause.
