Symptoms of low blood sugar vary from person to person, but some common symptoms include:
- The trembling
- Impatience or irritability
- Confusion, anxiety or restlessness
- Increased hunger
- Sweating, chills
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Nausea
- Feeling sleepy
- Feeling weak or having no energy
- Blurred, reduced vision
- Tingling or numbness in the lips, tongue or cheeks
- Headache
- Nightmares or crying out in sleep
- Epilepsy
Grade 1 hypoglycemia is defined as a measurable glucose level lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or 3.9 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) but greater than or equal to 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L).
Grade 2 hypoglycemia is defined as a blood glucose level below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L). This level is considered the threshold for glucose or sugar deficiency in the brain, leading to neurological deficits.
If you have low blood sugar like this and no symptoms, you may have hypoglycemia without knowing it. Your treatment plan should be reviewed to prevent recurrence.
Stage 3 hypoglycemia is defined as severe hypoglycemia, characterized by changes in mental and physical function that require assistance from others to recover. In this case, you are unable to treat your blood sugar levels on your own.
This type of hypoglycemia is less common and usually affects people with type 1 diabetes. If not treated promptly, it can progress to seizures, loss of consciousness, coma, or death.
