HYPOGLYCEMIA CAN BE MISDIAGNOSED
“Hypoglycemia” means that the concentration of sugar in the blood has fallen to less than 45 mg per 100 cc. Blood sugar levels this low adversely affect the brain, causing jitteriness, weakness, lightheadedness, bizarre behavior, episodes of memory loss, and if the hypoglycemia is sufficiently severe and long-lasting, convulsions, brain damage, coma, and even death.
Since we are all occasionally tired and forgetful, hypoglycemia tends to be diagnosed too often in people who do not really have low blood sugar concentrations, the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (60:844) reports. This is potentially very dangerous because overdiagnosing hypoglycemia may result in some other more serious condition being overlooked. Thus, in order to be certain of the diagnosis, the doctor must obtain a sample of blood from the patient and demonstrate that the blood sugar is low at a time when there are appropriate symptoms. He must also be able to abolish the symptoms by giving the patient sugar.
Hypoglycemia has many possible causes. “Mild” cases, which can be quickly corrected with a sugary drink, occur an hour or so after alcoholic drinks or certain medications (especially sulfa-containing ones), or in some people, even after food. “Severe” cases, which are not so easy to correct, may be due to tumors of the liver or pancreas, diabetes, or other serious illness. It is therefore important for the doctor to find out the exact cause in every case. Only in this way can he make sure that a serious disease (e.g., cancer) that needs treatment without delay is not being overlooked.
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