The very first time I felt my head spin and slowly slip into unconsciousness, it wasn’t because of a boy as I had expected, and it was in the middle of a big market with my mom. We had gone shopping that Saturday morning and I hadn’t had anything to eat, of course by the time I fainted it was mid-afternoon. I had a typical case of low blood sugar; what medics would call hypoglycemia. Perhaps you’ve had a few fainting spells because of this, or you know someone who has. I’ll be sharing what could cause hypoglycemia and how you could avoid it.
Glucose is our body’s main energy current. When we eat, it gets absorbed into our blood and then insulin, a chemical substance made by our bodies, is released into the blood and aids the transport of glucose into our cells where they are needed and immediately used up or stored.
Hypoglycemia is a leading cause of loss of consciousness because our brains make use of only glucose as an energy substrate so once glucose levels are down, your brain is basically starving. This is why it’s important to have breakfast and other appropriate meals during the day. This keeps our energy levels up therefore boosting productivity.
In some cases, hypoglycemia presents with excessive sweating, disorientation and confusion. The fastest way to help somebody that you’re suspecting might be having a hypoglycemic spell is to be sure it’s hypoglycemia; ask if the person has had anything to eat that day and if they’ve complained of weakness. If positive, the fastest way to deliver that much needed sugar might not be food but rather a carbonated drink like Coke. That should do the trick, afterwards the person can have a proper meal. Or if you are still concerned, take the person to the nearest hospital.
Hypoglycemia if left unattended to can be deadly!
Reference: Medscape.com
By OmoobaJesu Adetunji
