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Hypoglycemia is a medical term for "low blood sugar". The brain requires large amounts of glucose, and when it goes below a certain point, a hypoglycemic episode occurs. This can become almost any symptom up to and including coma and even death. In most cases, such a hypoglycemic episode only causes drowsiness or sleepiness, but fainting and passing out is not unknown. Also, as a result of a hypoglycemia episode, both adrenalin and testosterone may be released (in men primarily) causing undifferentitated rage in some men/boys. This may also be part of the current "road rage" problem as well as childhood tantrums. spouse abuse, bar fights, etc.
This same hypoglycemia episode may cause panic attacks, and even be the base cause of phobias. It seems that if the blood sugar goes very low, and the body response is too slow, the person either may pass out or "nearly pass out". If the person happens to be driving over a bridge, this might cause a driving phobia connected with bridges. I've seen several such cases.
Glucose is the form of sugar in the blood. This has been transformed in the digestive process from other sugars and starches into glucose then passed into the bloodstream.
Hypoglycemia is usually caused by too much insulin driving too much glucose into the body cells, which depletes the supply of glucose available to the brain (and other areas).
Since glucose is as necessary to proper brain function as is oxygen, there are many different symptoms possible. These can range from a simple yawn about a half hour to an hour after eating, to a full-blown anxiety attack, or even a real depression (the term "sugar blues" has a basis in real fact), or even death for diabetics, or almost anything in between. Sometimes, allergies can cause similar symptoms, or even cause an hypoglycemic episode!
In non-diabetic persons, too much insulin can be the result of a sugar overload, and this can cause hypoglycemia. To some "sensitive persons", this can be as simple as eating a doughnut or drinking a full glass of orange juice on an empty stomach. (Happened to me!) The response to low sugar/glucose is individual, and everyone reacts slightly differently. Also, one person can eat a dozen doughnuts one time with no bad effects, and have a hypoglycemic episode from just one doughnut at another time.
Let's look at a simple example which will help clear up some of the confusion surrounding this subject. If a normal (whatever that is) person eats an apple, he/she will gain approximately the equivalent of 3 teaspoons of sugar. It will take about 3 hours to digest the apple in the following way:
1. As sugar is absorbed in the mouth, in the stomach, and the small intestine, the amounts are measured and the brain determines how much insulin to release into the blood. For simplicity, let's call this process a "sugarstat". We don't fully understand how it works, but we do know the effects.
2. From millions of years of evolution, the sugarstat "knows" that with the amount of sugar absorbed over a certain time it needs,and releases that amount of insulin accordingly.
3. Now, it takes 3-4 hours for all the sugar to be digested from the apple fiber as it passes thru the digestive system. It's a downward curve, and the insulin released also has a similar downward curve, and it lasts about the same 3 hours in the blood, as it's used.
So, eating an apple has an immediate effect of raising glucose (blood sugar) somewhat, and this "blip" is fast compensated for by insulin release, and from that point the incoming sugar is pretty well balanced by insulin release over the three or so hours of digestion. In effect, there is very little change in blood sugar, and that's what nature intended - the sugarstat is working as designed.
The situation is drastically different if we "pre-digest" the same apple by squeezing it in a cider press. In effect, all we have removed is the fiber, and retained all the sugar, vitamins/minerals, etc. (A glass of apple juice might contain the juice from 10 apples or 30 teaspoons of sugar). Now, there is much more sugar absorbed very fast, and the sugarstat is "fooled" into releasing many times the amount of insulin actually needed as a result.
(Remember that for millions of years of evolution, we didn't have cider presses, let alone the "designer" apples of today.)
This "overdose" of insulin drives blood sugar into body cells at a furious rate, and even though the blip is now much larger, it quickly lowers it.
The sugarstat has released enough insulin for 3 hours of digestion, but all the sugar is actually digested and within the bloodstream within minutes. This results in way too much insulin (hyperinsulinism), since enough insulin has been released for three hours of this same amount of intake. The sugarstat has been "fooled", by not evolving far enough to handle our "modern" food processing.
This excess insulin "drives" all the glucose it can find in the blood into the body cells (its job). This results in a shsortage of glucose to the brain.
Now, since the brain MUST have glucose as well as oxygen, for fuel, several body mechanisms go into action to raise the glucose. (Few people realize that without BOTH glucose AND oxygen, brain cells start to die in about 4 minutes).
Body hyperinsulinism defenses are adrenalin release, and the release of stored glucose for emergencies (the flight/fight response), and the release of some fats and sex hormones that can be converted to glucose.
From the above scenario, it can be seen that hypoglycemia isn't really an actual disease, but in fact, it is actually normal to we humans, even though the effects are individual and vary greatly. It's our modern sugary diet full of processed or pre-digested food that's really to blame.
These body defenses against low blood sugar also cause some very different symptoms in different individuals. Usually, this is about 3+ hours after eating a sugary processed meal.
One symptom that is not uncommon in women is an panaic/anxiety attack, or even fainting. Men sometimes might experience these symptoms, but not as often.
An anxiety attack caused by a hypoglycemia episode while driving might result in a phobia of driving, or if driving in a tunnel, a phobia about that, or if on a bridge, a phobia about that. In practice, I've seen all three of these phobias generated by hypoglycemic episodes!
Men have another common symptom. The combination of testosterone and adrenalin may trigger "undifferentiated" anger in a man. He will have a "rational" reason for the anger, but bystanders can't understand how he got so angry for "no real reason". Men who change personality dramatically while drinking are of this type. There is a Personality Test called the MMPI that shows this type clearly as "pseudoschizophrenic".
I once helped to save a marriage by simply advising the husband to eat a handful of peanuts and raisins every two hours after lunch. (He was her boss, and at 3PM, she couldn't do anything right according to him - his lunch included a candy bar and a soda!!)
Anyone who has a sugar handling problem might be well advised to carry a bag of peanuts and raisins around, and make sure that they eat a handfull every two hours or so. (ratio of about 5 peanuts to 1 raisin). The raisins will provide glucose within a relatively short time, and the peanuts will provide protein and fats that can be converted into glucose over a longer time. This was what I usually advised hypoglycemic sensitive persons to do, and it works well. Really sensitive persons should know to eat 6-8 small meals every day. A meal might be a hard-boiled egg, or half an apple, etc.
On the usual Glucose Tolerance Test (for diabetes or hypoglycemia), the subject is given a measured dose of glucose in a sickenly sweet soda type of drink, and measurements are made before this drink, 1/2 hour after drinking, at one hour, and then every hour until either 5 or 6 hours have passed.
This test is more often done wrong than perhaps any other medical test used. These are the common mistakes made by medical practicioners and hospitals:
1. They just give the standard 10 oz bottle to anyone, and it's way too much for a child or a small person. There is a weight/volume slide rule that should be used, but usually isn't. At 6' tall and 200 pounds, I should take only 7 ounces!
2. The measurements are too mechanical. I (and most other knowledgeable practicioners) believe that the patient should be advised strongly to let the person (usually a nurse) giving the glucose test know if they experience any symptoms at all from yawning to headaches, etc.
3. Between 3 and 4 hours of the test is the most likely time for most persons to experience hypoglycemia, even passing out in some cases. If no symptoms are noticed, it is a good idea to test at the 3 1/2 hour mark.
4. When the test is concluded, do NOT let the patient leave the clinic, office, or hospital, until they have been given food, preferably fast digesting food. I often used a small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, in season, and out of season the handful of peanuts and raisins. Many persons have left a clinic/office and passed out on the street, or perhaps had an auto accident.
The above applies primarily to GTT's where diabetes is not a factor. A fasting glucose test will find diabetes instead, and is much safer.
In Orlando, where I checked on all the hospitals, and several MD's offices, I found none that did all the above correctly, and most made all the above mistakes. Be advised.
I hope this helps you in your quest for better health.
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