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" What is it? Hypoglycemia\u2014abnormally low levels of glucose (blood sugar)\u2014is one of the most common problems associated with diabetes. Glucose is the body&amp;#039;s primary energy source for nearly every activity, and if blood sugar levels fall, all of the body&amp;#039;s functions can be impaired. Why does it happen? Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose. After you eat, glucose is absorbed into your bloodstream and carried to cells, where it&amp;#039;s used for energy. Hypoglycemia results when your body&amp;#039;s glucose is used too quickly, or when it&amp;#039;s released into the bloodstream too slowly. What are the signs? The only way to know for sure if you&amp;#039;re experiencing an episode is to test your blood glucose levels. However, these are some common symptoms: -Hunger -Nervousness and shakiness -Perspiration -Rapid heart rate -Dizziness or light-headedness -Confusion -Vision problems -Difficulty speaking -Feeling anxious or weak -Irritability Are you at risk? Your body needs insulin to use glucose. As a result, people with type 1 diabetes (the body makes too little insulin) or type 2 diabetes (the body can&amp;#039;t use the insulin it has) are at high risk for the condition. Diabetes-related nerve damage can make it difficult to tell if you are experiencing an episode\u2014a problem called hypoglycemia unawareness. Although it&amp;#039;s rare, nondiabetics, including women in early pregnancy and people suffering from medical conditions, can develop hypoglycemia. Excessive drinking or too much strenuous exercise also increases your risk. What can you do? Hypoglycemics should always have a sugary snack on hand, such as juice, hard candies or raisins. If blood sugar levels drop, your symptoms should improve after eating. Recheck glucose levels about 15 minutes after your snack; if they don&amp;#039;t improve, eat another snack. If levels are still low, call 911 or go to the emergency room. Otherwise, follow your snack with a small meal. Did you know? \u25CF Each person&amp;#039;s symptoms of hypoglycemia can change over time. Check your blood sugar often, even if you don&amp;#039;t feel an episode coming on. \u25CF A woman&amp;#039;s blood sugar can rise several days before menstruation and then crash for a few days coinciding with the onset of bleeding. \u25CF The term &amp;quot;insulin shock&amp;quot; describes severe hypoglycemia that may result in lost consciousness or coma. \u25CF &amp;quot;You can avoid hypoglycemic episodes by using your blood sugar levels to guide your food intake.&amp;quot; \u2014Robert M. Cohen, M.D., associate professor of medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Want to know more? Visit the American Diabetes Association website at diabetes.org or call 800-342-2383. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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