Hypoglycemia in the elderly: Causes and treatment

The article was written by a doctor, Emergency Resuscitation Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Hypoglycemia in the elderly is one of the diseases that need special attention, because in the elderly, it is easy to lower blood sugar and the symptoms of hypoglycemia are not as typical as in young people.
Common symptoms of hypoglycemia are: irritability, hunger, anxiety, cold hands and feet sweating, rapid heart rate, rapid breathing. If severe hypoglycemia changes consciousness, the patient has manifestations such as anxiety agitation, confusion, lethargy, coma, convulsions..
Symptoms of hypoglycemia are mainly neurological symptoms. Therefore, it is easy to miss the diagnosis when there are stroke-like symptoms. Cognitive impairment
Pre-existing medical conditions, especially dementia, make patients not self-aware of symptoms of hypoglycemia.

2.1 Due to increased use of sugar by the liver
In the elderly, the liver's glucose stores decrease, the liver's mobilization capacity is no longer flexible, especially when away from meals, so when the need for sugar increases suddenly Sudden colds such as sudden cold, sudden exertion without warm-up for the body to adapt can also lead to hypoglycemia in the elderly.
2.2 Hypoglycemia due to reduced liver storage
In the elderly, the total amount of sugar in the liver remains low immediately after eating, so it is easy to lower blood sugar if not given regularly, especially when there are chronic diseases such as liver failure that the elderly often anorexia, poor appetite.
2.3 Other causes
Elderly people with diabetes using a diet that is too strict, lacking in glucose is also the cause of hypoglycemia. Due to the patient's excessive use of hypoglycemic drugs without close monitoring is also the cause of hypoglycemia. Elderly people often do not comply with the treatment prescribed by the doctor. Brain cells only use sugar for energy, so when hypoglycemia occurs, neurological symptoms will immediately manifest depending on the degree of hypoglycemia, but symptoms appear from mild to severe. In the elderly, symptoms are often more severe than in people. children with the same degree of hypoglycemia.

When low blood sugar is mild, it is necessary to immediately add easily absorbed sugars such as cakes, candy, milk, juice, sugar water ....
When severe hypoglycemia needs to urgently take the patient to the hospital for treatment. Infusion of sugar into the blood quickly, if left for a long time, can cause dangerous hypoglycaemic complications.
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