HYPOGLYCEMIA (LOW BLOOD SUGAR)
Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a disorder of blood sugar metabolism. 'Functional hypoglycemia' is a condition where the blood sugar levels f all and this makes the body utilize the stored fat and protein to provide energy for the normal metabolisms and functions to take place. Hypoglycemia can occur in any of the following condition when a diabetic takes too much of insulin or drugs or if he has missed, delayed or skipped a meal; when the person does an unexpected or unusual exercise; when in a normal individual there is an oversecretion of insulin by the pancreas; some disturbance in the carbohydrate and protein metabolisms; poor adrenal function; when he/she goes on a crash diet; when the person takes a lot of alcohol or in cases of gastroparesis or other endocrine disorders. But hypoglycemia can also present with symptoms like dullness, lethargy, weakness, hunger, anxiety, inability to concentrate, confusion, dizziness, incoherent speech, incoordination, irritability, nervousness, sweating, trembling, fainting, mood swings, headache, hypotension, palpitations of the heart, hypothermia, nausea and muscle cramps.
Most hypoglycemic patients feel hungry and the patient has no difficulty in recognizing the symptoms and can thus take appropriate action and eat frequently to get over the feeling of weakness; but sometimes the warning symptoms are not perceived by the person easily and then if appropriate action is not taken, then unconsciousness or an emergency situation (like coma, convulsions, brain damage, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischaemia and stroke) can occur. In cases of severe hypoglycemia immediate medical assistance is absolutely necessary.
HOME REMEDIES
1. For a fast relief suck a sugar candy or take a teaspoonful of honey or a glass of milk. But for a long-term benefit, take a protein rich diet (fish, poultry, cheese, eggs and milk) along with a fiber-rich carbohydrate diet and avoid taking refined carbohydrates, sugar, tea, coffee, alcohol garlic and onions. Eat smaller meals but more often.
2. The ideal diet for low blood sugar should be based on three basic food groups, namely, grains, seeds and nuts, vegetables and fruits, supplemented by milk and milk products and vegetable oils. All refined and processed foods should be completely eliminated from the diet.
3. Take in a lot of cheese, peanuts, popcorn and crackers.
4. Give the person lime juice with a piece of pecacuan (hing) added to it twice daily. Two small apples with their peels should be taken after each meal for treating this condition.
5. Increase the intake of brown rice, whole grain bread, beans, lentils (masoor), peas and pasta.
6. Take in a lot of fruits, either raw or in the form of fresh juices, especially grapes.
7. Eating raw nuts and seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
8. Add three drops of oil of sassafras in one tablespoon of fruit juice twice daily for a few weeks.
9. The vitamins found effective in the treatment of low blood sugar are Vitamins C, E and B complex.
