Tuesday, May 4, 2010

How Does Low Blood Sugar Affect You

How Does Low Blood Sugar Affect You?


Introduction


When many people think of sugar, they think of the harmful things that too much sugar can cause, such as obesity. However, sugar is an important aspect of your diet that helps the body function. Sugar is responsible for making an important product called glucose that is used to create energy. Without it, your body slowly becomes hypoglycemic, and if your blood sugar levels remain too low for too long, you will not survive.


Epinephrine


The first signs of low blood-sugar levels occur largely because of a hormone called epinephrine. Epinephrine is released by the adrenal glands, located above your kidneys. This release occurs once your blood sugar drops below normal and causes increased anxiety, stress, trembling and irritability. It also increases your heart rate significantly. These are all the beginning signs of hypoglycemia due to low blood sugar.


Glucose Deprivation


If your body is without adequate amounts of glucose for an extended period, you can experience headaches, and difficulty concentrating and staying focused. Eventually, if left untreated for too long, glucose deprivation can cause seizures, coma and even death.

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