Type 2 Diabetes Hypoglycemia Hypoglycemia Guide Hypoglycemia Guide Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment How Hypoglycemia Is Diagnosed By Mary Shomon Mary Shomon Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Mary Shomon is a writer and hormonal health and thyroid advocate. She is the author of "The Thyroid Diet Revolution." Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 25, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Danielle Weiss, MD Medically reviewed by Danielle Weiss, MD LinkedIn Dr. Danielle Weiss is the founder of the Center for Hormonal Health and Well-Being, a personalized, proactive, patient-centered medical practice with a unique focus on integrative endocrinology. She enjoys giving lectures and writing articles for both the lay public and medical audiences. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Self-Checks/At-Home Testing Labs and Tests Differential Diagnoses Frequently Asked Questions Next in Hypoglycemia Guide Discover How Hypoglycemia Is Properly Treated Diagnosing hypoglycemia when you have diabetes is simple: If your blood sugar is <70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or below as determined by your blood glucose meter, you need to treat it immediately with fast-acting carbohydrates. The American Diabetes Association defines severe hypoglycemia as a blood sugar level that's less than 54 mg/dL. If you don't have diabetes, hypoglycemia is defined as a blood sugar level of 55 mg/dL or less. If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, your healthcare provider will need to figure out the cause, starting with a blood test. Similar to when you have a fever, having low blood sugar is not a disease, it's a condition that indicates that something else is going on in your body. Verywell / Laura Porter Self-Checks/At-Home Testing If you're a person with diabetes, especially when you're newly diagnosed and beginning treatment, you will likely encounter episodes of hypoglycemia on occasion. Check your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter if you begin to experience any of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia: ShakinessIrritabilityConfusionTachycardia (elevated heart rate)Hunger If your blood sugar reading is 70 mg/dL or below, you will need to treat it right away with fast-acting carbohydrates such as three to four glucose tablets, half a banana, or a granola bar. Labs and Tests If you do not have diabetes, schedule a visit with your healthcare provider if you keep having symptoms of hypoglycemia. Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam, medical history, and ask you questions about your symptoms. Blood Tests Your healthcare provider will need to see if your blood glucose level is low when you're having symptoms. If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia after you eat, your healthcare provider may have you come back after a meal to check your blood glucose. You may also need to have your blood drawn and sent to the lab to analyze your insulin levels and/or other substances in your blood. Glucose enters cells with help from insulin and glucose transporters. If you do have hypoglycemia, the cause can be as simple as a medication you're taking that can lead to low blood sugar, like the antibiotic Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim), beta blockers, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or Haldol (haloperidol), or the result of an alcohol binge. If it's not due to medications or alcohol, your healthcare provider may do additional testing to find out what the underlying cause is, such as a hormonal deficiency or an illness like kidney disease or hepatitis. Differential Diagnoses If you don't have diabetes and you have symptoms of hypoglycemia yet your blood sugar levels are normal, there's something else going on. In fact, there's a long list of conditions that your symptoms could be attributed to. The most common non-diabetes causes include: Liver, kidney, or cardiac disease Malnutrition Hormonal deficienciesMedication side effectsA metabolic disorder like hyperthyroidism Your healthcare provider may do additional testing to look for the cause of your symptoms depending on what they are and your family and medical history. If you have diabetes and your blood glucose levels are too low, but you have few or no symptoms, it is probably due to hypoglycemia unawareness. When you have repeated episodes of hypoglycemia, you can stop showing symptoms. In this case, the hypoglycemia commonly happens at night when you're unaware that your glucose levels have dropped. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, starting continuous glucose monitoring, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, and/or automated insulin delivery soon after your diagnosis can be beneficial, depending on your needs and preferences. A continuous glucose monitor can be helpful to detect hypoglycemia, especially at night, because it alerts you when your levels get too high or too low. Your healthcare provider will also work with you to get your levels under control so this stops happening. Even two to three weeks of avoiding hypoglycemia can restore your body's awareness. Frequently Asked Questions Could I be diagnosed with hypoglycemia if I am not diabetic? Yes, but it is rare. In these instances, you may have low blood sugar for several reasons:Pre-diabetesStomach surgery complicationsA rare enzyme deficiencyMedication side effectExcess alcohol consumptionLiver, heart, or kidney diseaseHormone imbalanceTumors that produce insulin or similar hormones What type of healthcare provider can I see to test for hypoglycemia? Your primary care healthcare provider can check your blood sugar levels and may refer you to a specialist. An endocrinologist usually diagnoses and treats hypoglycemia and other hormone-related diseases, including diabetes. Can I test myself for hypoglycemia at home? Yes. You can check to see if your diabetes medication raises your risk of hypoglycemia or to see if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to low blood sugar. You can purchase an over-the-counter testing kit, which requires you to do a finger prick to obtain a blood droplet. This is placed on a test strip, which offers a digital reading of your blood sugar level. Discover How Hypoglycemia Is Properly Treated Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! We know healthy eating is key to help manage diabetes, but that doesn't make it easy. Our free nutrition guide is here to help. Sign up and receive your free copy! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 8 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Diabetes Association. 6. Glycemic targets: Standards of medical care in diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S83-S96. doi:10.2337/dc22-S006 Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al., eds. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-. Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, et al. Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: a practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Genet Med. 2014;16(11):e1. doi:10.1038/gim.2014.128 Martín-Timón I, Del Cañizo-Gómez FJ. Mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness and implications in diabetic patients. World J Diabetes. 2015;6(7):912-926. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i7.912 American Diabetes Association. 7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Medical Care inDiabetes—2022. Diabetes Care. 2022;45(Suppl 1):S97-S112. doi:10.2337/dc22-S007 Eckert-Norton M, Kirk S. Non-diabetic hypoglycemia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98(10):39A-40A. doi:10.1210/jc.2013-v98i10.39A American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. Get the lowdown: What is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)? MedlinePlus. Home blood sugar testing. Additional Reading Service FJ, Cryer PE, Vella A. Hypoglycemia in adults: Clinical manifestations, definition, and causes.