Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, occurs when blood glucose levels fall below normal. The causes can vary depending on whether a person has diabetes or not.
Causes of Low Blood Sugar in People with Diabetes
- Taking too much diabetes medication, especially insulin or drugs like sulfonylureas and glinides.
- Skipping or delaying meals.
- Eating less carbohydrate-containing food than usual (e.g., bread, pasta, fruit).
- Increased physical activity, especially if unplanned or intense.
- Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach or binge drinking.
These factors can disrupt the balance between glucose intake and insulin, causing blood sugar to drop too low
Causes of Low Blood Sugar Without Diabetes
Although less common, hypoglycemia can occur in people without diabetes due to:
- Reactive hypoglycemia: an overproduction of insulin after large carbohydrate meals.
- Fasting or prolonged lack of food intake.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Certain medical conditions such as Addison’s disease, insulinomas (pancreatic tumors that secrete excess insulin), liver, kidney, or heart problems.
- Hormonal deficiencies affecting blood sugar regulation.
- Effects of some medications, including quinine and others.
- Post-gastric bypass surgery causing dumping syndrome, which leads to excess insulin release after meals.
- Critical illness, malnutrition, or severe infections.
These causes lead to an imbalance between glucose production, utilization, and insulin levels
In summary, low blood sugar results from either excessive insulin or similar medication effects, insufficient food intake, increased physical activity, alcohol effects, or underlying medical conditions that disrupt normal glucose regulation
