Some of the most common causes of low blood sugar levels are often related to problems like diabetes and other illnesses. Additionally, some people may experience low blood sugar levels because of their diet or from drinking too much alcohol. Hypoglycemic people, while not necessarily diabetic, tend to have chronic problems with low blood sugar. There are also some medicines that are prescribed for people who suffer from diabetes that might occasionally cause problems with excessive lowering of the blood sugar. Only a doctor can effectively diagnose the root cause behind lower blood sugar levels in a person.
People who are diabetic are at risk for low blood sugar. Most people associate diabetes with high blood sugar, but low blood sugar can be a problem as well. In most cases, a person with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes might experience low blood sugar levels as a result of certain prescribed medications. Diabetics must take either medicines or receive injections to keep their insulin and glucose levels within the normal range. Depending on what a diabetic person has eaten, the medicines can cause the blood sugar to get out of whack, which often results in blood sugar levels dropping dangerously low.
There are other illnesses in addition to diabetes that might cause problems with low blood sugar levels. A person with hepatitis, tumors, or adrenal gland disorders may experience side effects relating to her condition that often include low blood sugar. When a person is hypoglycemic, his blood sugar levels regularly drop too low. This could happen because of eating too many carbohydrates at one meal or from not eating enough in general. Hypoglycemia in people who are not diabetic is typically a side effect of some other problem, like hormone imbalances or possibly the presence of a tumor somewhere in the body.
Many people temporarily experience low blood sugar levels due to certain lifestyle choices. Drinking too much alcohol can lower these levels if a person is drinking on an empty stomach. This is because the liver is having to work very hard to process the alcohol in the system, and therefore cannot keep proper control over how much glucose it releases into the bloodstream. People who fast, either for religious reasons or because they are crash dieting, also frequently develop low blood sugar. This is because they are not receiving adequate nutrition, and in most cases the symptoms will resolve themselves as soon as a person eats again.
