How Do You Feel When Your Sugar Is Low? Topic Guide

What causes diabetes, what tests diagnose it, and what is a good diabetic diet? Learn the signs of being diabetic, the treatments, and the differences between type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) can be caused by heredity, environmental factors, or ethnicity. Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent) can be caused by high blood pressure, high lipid levels, high-fat diet, high alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, ethnicity, or age.

Skip Caray, legenday Atlanta Braves baseball announcer, died of complications from diabetes. Just as athletes need to maintain top performance, diabetic people need to maintain diet, exercise, and medication to live a long and healthy life.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is caused by overmedication, use of certain medications, use of alcohol, missed meals, kidney or liver infection, and more. Common symptoms of hypoglycemia include: trembling, clammy skin, palpitations, anxiety, sweating, hunger, and irritability. Treatment of hypoglycemia in a person with diabetes is glucose (sugar). If the cause is another disease or condition, treatment will depend on the cause of the hypoglycemia.

Learn the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes symptoms include excessive thirst and urination, and dehydration. Type 2 diabetes causes and risk factors include older age, obesity, lack of exercise, family history, and excess fat around waistline. Treatments for type 2 diabetes are weight loss, a healthy diet, exercise, and medications if necessary.