Post Time: 2025-09-01
What's Behind Low Blood Sugar Levels? Understanding Hypoglycemia
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, is a condition where your body doesn't have enough glucose to function properly. This can happen when the body produces too much insulin or takes in too little food containing carbohydrates. Why Does It Happen? During physical activity, taking certain medications for diabetes or other medical conditions, and even some dietary habits like skipping meals without adjusting medication doses.
Symptoms of low blood sugar range from mild to severe and can be identified by the body's early warning signs such as shakiness or dizziness. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to brain damage and seizures in extreme cases. To avoid these complications, maintaining a healthy blood glucose balance is crucial.
The Hidden Causes of Blood Sugar Fluctuations
Several factors contribute to low blood sugar levels including insulin sensitivity which determines how well the body responds to insulin thereby regulating glucose uptake from food sources into cells for energy use while reducing excess glucose in bloodstream. Insulin resistance makes it harder for your muscles and liver to absorb enough glucose, causing a spike in blood sugar followed by an inevitable crash.
In addition to hormonal issues like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), low cortisol levels can also cause blood sugar fluctuations due to the body's inability to convert glycogen into glucose quickly. Other contributing factors include smoking which damages insulin receptors over time and increases risk of diabetes further adding insult with stress from chronic disease states such as kidney or heart failure raising systemic inflammation overall reducing our metabolic capabilities in processing food properly without proper fuel replenishment regularly throughout daily periods especially during periods when energy consumption exceeds output needs – like intense exercise.
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