hormonal and metabolic disorders
Hypoglycemia
Causes of Hypoglycemia
, see Oral Antihyperglycemic Medications ) that they take to lower the levels of glucose in their blood. Hypoglycemia is more common when intense efforts are made to keep the glucose levels in the blood as close to normal as possible, or when people who take If, after taking a dose of a medication for diabetes, a person eats less than usual or is more physically active than normal, the medication may lower the level of glucose in the blood too much. People with type 1 diabetes or people with long-standing type 2 diabetes (at least 10 years) are more prone to hypoglycemia in these situations because they may not produce enoughglucagonorepinephrineto counteract a low level of glucose in the blood. Certain medications other than those for diabetes, most notablypentamidine, used to treat a form of pneumonia that occurs most often as part of AIDS, andquinine, used to treat muscle cramps, occasionally cause hypoglycemia. or other medications that treat diabetes as part of a psychologic disorder such as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Self (previously called Munchausen syndrome). In otherwise healthy people, prolonged fasting (even up to several days) and prolonged strenuous exercise (even after a period of fasting) are unlikely to cause hypoglycemia. However, there are several diseases or conditions in which the body fails to maintain adequate levels of glucose in the blood after a period without food (fasting hypoglycemia). In people who drink heavily without eating, alcohol can block the formation of glucose in the liver. In people with advanced liver disease, such as Overview of Acute Viral Hepatitis , A rare cause of fasting hypoglycemia is an Insulinoma , which is an Hypoglycemia can occur after a person eats a meal containing a large amount of carbohydrates (reactive hypoglycemia) if the body produces moreinsulinthan is needed. However, this type of reaction is rare. In some cases, people with normal blood glucose levels experience symptoms that can be confused with hypoglycemia. After certain types of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery , such as gastric bypass surgery, sugars are absorbed very quickly, stimulating excess Rare problems with metabolism of some sugars (fructose and galactose) and amino acids (leucine) may also cause hypoglycemia if an affected person eats foods containing those substances. 