Know what causes low blood sugar levels in non-diabetic people

Low blood sugar levels are a problem even if you don’t have diabetes. Keeping track of your blood sugar levels is key to managing your overall health. When a person’s blood glucose levels drop below the range that is considered normal, it is known as hypoglycemia. While people with diabetes who take insulin to reduce blood sugar are more likely to experience hypoglycemia, sometimes people who don’t have diabetes might experience it too.

Studies have found that non-diabetic hypoglycemia typically results from another medical condition that impairs a person’s body’s capacity to retain or process glucose. To know more about it, Health Shots got in touch with Dr Ashutosh Shukla, Senior Director- Internal Medicine and Medical Advisor, Max Hospital Gurugram, Haryana.

What is non-diabetic hypoglycemia?

The medical term for people who experience low blood sugar levels is hypoglycemia. Non-diabetic hypoglycemia is a term used for people who experience low blood sugar levels without diabetes. This happens when your blood sugar level falls below 70 mg/dL, explains the health expert. There are two types of non-diabetic hypoglycemia in people, including:

• Reactive hypoglycemia: This usually happens after eating high-carbohydrate meals or snacks.
• Fasting hypoglycemia: This happens overnight if you don’t eat or there’s a long gap between the meals.

Symptoms of non-diabetic hypoglycemia

Someone who doesn’t have diabetes needs to be on the lookout for symptoms of low blood sugar levels. You may experience sweating, dizziness, sudden weakness, headache, and confusion are some of the initial symptoms you may experience. A severe drop in your blood sugar levels may lead to slurry speech, blurred vision, feeling like you may pass out, blackout, etc. A person whose blood sugar levels become dangerously low can faint. Timely intervention is key to making sure that the person doesn’t fall into the coma stage, avers Dr Shukla.

Also Read: Tackle low blood sugar levels with these effective ways

Causes of low blood sugar levels in non-diabetic people

There are a number of causes that can upset the insulin and glucose balance in the body. While it is a typical problem in people with diabetes, low blood sugar levels can affect anyone, even people without diabetes. Having said that, here are three common reasons for low blood sugar in a patient who is not a diabetic, as per the expert.

1. Medication

Some antibiotics can cause a fluctuation in your blood sugar levels. For instance, antibiotics such as levofloxacin and other such antibiotics can also cause low blood sugar in a patient who is not a diabetic.

2. Tumour

A sudden drop in the blood sugar levels of non-diabetic patients could be due to an insulin-secreting tumour like an insulinoma where there are some cells, especially in the pancreas which are secreting excess insulin. Since they make extra insulin, it causes their blood sugar levels to reduce.

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3. Pre-diabetes

A patient who is healthy and not a diabetic can have reactive hypoglycemia which is kind of a pre-diabetic condition just before a patient enters head diabetes. It usually affects pre-diabetic patients. It is an indication that you could be at risk of developing diabetes in the future. So, it’s important to check the blood sugar levels and consult the doctor to know the root cause.