25 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Hypoglycemia

Safety Tip
People with hypoglycemia need to be extra careful, and should check their blood sugar before activities like driving, as a sudden attack may cause blurred vision and confusion.

In case of hypoglycemia, we know it is one of the conditions related to diabetes. In simple terms, it can be described as a condition where there is extremely low sugar in the blood, which may hamper effective functioning of the body. The most common causes of hypoglycemia include the treatment of diabetes. However, there are many other causes for low blood sugar levels. So, a non-diabetic person too can be diagnosed with hypoglycemia.

Being well-informed and learning about your condition in the first place is very important. The more knowledge you have regarding hypoglycemia, the easier it becomes to deal with it. The first step to being well-informed and maintaining calm is taking the opinion and advice of your doctor. However, this too gets confusing for most people, as they do not know which questions need to be asked on priority, and what all is going to help them deal with their condition.

Questions Regarding the Condition
? What are the possible causes for this condition?

? Do I have diabetes, because of hypoglycemia?

? What are the complications associated with hypoglycemia?

? Are there any severe risks with this condition?

Questions Regarding Treatment and Medication
? What are the tests that I need to take?

? What are the treatment options available? Are there any risks associated with the same?

? What is the best treatment suited for my case?

? Is there any medication I should avoid?

? How often will I need to check my blood?

? How often should I come for regular checkups?

? How long would I be taking medication for this condition?

? Are there any side effects of my medications?

? What are the emergency supplies/treatment for hypoglycemia?

? Should I see a specialist for my condition?

Questions Regarding General Health
? Do I need to lose weight?

? What is the best way to avoid complications and keep blood glucose in check?

? When can I get back to normal activities?

? Should I start a special exercise program for hypoglycemia?

? What special care or routine should I follow?

? In case of an emergency, what steps should be taken? Whom should I contact in case of any emergency?

? What are the changes I can make in my lifestyle, that can help in improvement?

? Are there any websites or forums for assistance? What educational material is available for hypoglycemia?

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Ketotic Hypoglycemia in Children

Did You Know?
Fasting tolerance improves with an increase in body mass, which is believed to be the reason why children with ketotic hypoglycemia outgrow this condition by the time they turn 8 to 9 years old.

Hypoglycemia refers to a blood sugar level lower than 70 mg/dL. Usually, hypoglycemia is a complication associated with diabetes. So, diabetic children and adolescents can experience hypoglycemia when they take too much of insulin or eat too little. But, ketotic hypoglycemia has not been found to be related to a specific endocrine or metabolic abnormality. It is mainly associated with low tolerance for fasting, and most children outgrow this condition before they turn 8 to 9 years old. After this age, the incidence of this type of hypoglycemia is quite rare.

What Causes Ketotic Hypoglycemia?
? Ketotic hypoglycemia, also known as 'accelerated starvation', is idiopathic in nature. In other words, its causes are not known with certainty. Basically, children with this condition have a low tolerance for fasting.

? One possible cause is a defect in gluconeogenesis, or generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources that mainly takes place in the liver. Another suspected cause is inadequate glycogen stores.

? Ketotic hypoglycemia is more common in children born small for their gestational age, and those who have a low body mass index. Therefore, it is thought that reduced muscle mass could be the reason behind impaired glucose production or gluconeogenesis by the liver, that eventually leads to hypoglycemia.

? It has been observed that children born small for their gestational age, who develop transient neonatal hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, can later on develop ketotic hypoglycemia as well. Transient neonatal hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia is characterized by an excessive production of insulin, and so it is suspected that a metabolic or endocrine problem may be associated with the problem in some patients.

? It has been observed that certain factors can trigger an episode of hypoglycemia. Some such important precipitating factors include:

? Fasting for a prolonged period
? Skipping dinner and eating too little, or low carbohydrate intake the previous night
? Illnesses like a viral infection or stomach flu

Episodes of ketotic hypoglycemia mostly occur in the mornings, usually after a prolonged period of fasting. Some of the most common symptoms that this condition can produce are:

? Sweating and pallor
? Palpitations and anxiety
? Confusion
? Headaches
? Lethargy and malaise
? Unresponsiveness
? A change in behavior
? Visual disturbances
? Slurred speech and dizziness
? Convulsions and seizures
? Abdominal discomfort
? Nausea and vomiting

Fainting or loss of consciousness, convulsions, and seizures are the signs of severe hypoglycemia, that calls for immediate medical attention.

Treating Ketotic Hypoglycemia in Children
The best way to prevent ketotic hypoglycemia is to avoid extended fasts and the habit of skipping a meal. Children with this condition should be fed small, but frequent meals and snacks, especially before going to bed. After the usual duration of sleep, they should be awakened and fed properly.

During an episode of hypoglycemia, you should immediately feed the child a source of easily-absorbed glucose, such as table sugar, candies, or fruit juice. If hypoglycemia causes vomiting, then the child should be admitted to the hospital, where the condition can be treated with the intravenous administration of saline and dextrose.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be replaced for the advice of a medical professional.

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