A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Insulin shock; Low blood sugar
Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low.
Blood sugar below 70 mg/dL is considered low. Blood sugar at or below this level can harm you.
Hypoglycemia occurs when:
Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar. It is produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.
The most common causes of low blood sugar in people with diabetes are:
If you have diabetes and are taking any of the following diabetes medications, you have a risk for low blood sugar:
A newborn's blood sugar can become low. Babies who are born to mothers with diabetes may have severe drops in blood sugar.
Hypoglycemia in people who do not have diabetes may be caused by:
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes--2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34 Supl 1:S11-S61.
Cryer PE. Glucose homeostasis and hypoglycemia. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR. Kronenberg: Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 33.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885