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What can happen when blood glucose falls below normal levels?
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Vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet.
When blood glucose falls below normal levels, the condition is known as hypoglycemia. The body’s response typically follows a characteristic pattern of symptoms based on the severity of the glucose drop:
- Mild Hypoglycemia: When blood glucose concentrations drop below 55 mg per 100 ml (3 mmol/l), the body activates the sympathetic nervous system. This results in symptoms such as hunger, fatigue, tremor, a rapid pulse, and anxiety.1
- Severe Hypoglycemia: When concentrations fall below 45 mg per 100 ml (2.5 mmol/l), the brain suffers from glucose deprivation, leading to neuroglycopenic symptoms. These include blurred vision, impaired thinking and consciousness, confusion, seizures, and coma.1
These symptoms are nonspecific and are generally only attributed to hypoglycemia if they are relieved by the administration of glucose. While often associated with diabetes mellitus treatment, hypoglycemia can also result from other metabolic disorders or medical procedures like gastrectomy.1