Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
Diagnosis of hypoglycemia is further complicated by the myriad of mental and emotional symptoms.
- difficulty concentrating
- mood changes and irritability
- anxiety and nervousness
- outbursts of temper
- disorientation
- indecisiveness
- mental confusion
- forgetfulness
It is easy to see why hypoglycemia patients are often sent for psychiatric counselling instead of treating them with diet.
Since hypoglycemia is a disorder of the body’s ability to handle sugar, it’s not surprising that many hypoglycemics also notice symptoms around food and eating.
- sudden or constant hunger
- lack of appetite
- craving for sugar
- craving for salt
- indigestion
- alcohol intolerance
The cravings for sweets are common and sometimes overpowering, and many hypoglycemics struggle with weight problems as well.
There are fairly strong links between hypoglycemia and alcohol related problems, and one study (Hypoglycemia Saunders/Ross, p. 129) suggests that alcoholism can result from unchecked hypoglycemia.
Severe hypoglycemia—seen most often in diabetics whose insulin intake has been inappropriate for their diet or exercise—is an emergency medical condition and must be treated with immediate ingestion of sugar followed by a trip to the nearest emergency room. Symptoms could include:
- convulsions/seizures
- retrograde amnesia (retrograde means moving backwards to a worse state)
- unconsciousness
- coma (This is referred to diabetic coma in diabetics, but can happen in other severe cases of hypoglycemia as well.)
- death