Your doctor will prick your finger and use a blood glucose meter to get a reading. One important test is a blood glucose reading. If severe or frequent hypoglycemia is suspected, your doctor may run blood tests. It’s important to keep a food diary and make note of your symptoms so your doctor can see the timing. In most cases, reactive hypoglycemia is diagnosed based on your symptoms. This is the threshold for hypoglycemia, according to the American Diabetes Association. You may start feeling the effects of a sugar crash when your glucose reading reaches 70 mg/dL or lower. When you have hypoglycemia, you have too much insulin circulating in the blood. Still, insulin problems aren’t exclusive to diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make insulin at all. In type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t have enough insulin to regulate blood glucose. Insulin issues are the hallmarks of diabetes. In order to deliver glucose to the muscles and cells in your body, as well as maintain proper levels of glucose in the bloodstream, your body relies on a hormone called insulin. Your brain also depends on glucose as its primary fuel source, which explains the weakness and irritability that often occur during sugar crashes. Glucose is important because it’s your body’s main source of fuel. You can get glucose from any source of carbohydrates, including fruits, vegetables, and grains.
Glucose is procured from the foods that you eat, not just sugary foods. All cases of hypoglycemia are related to low blood sugar, or glucose, in the body. Still, it’s possible to have hypoglycemia without having diabetes. Most people with frequent sugar crashes either have diabetes or prediabetes. The other type is fasting hypoglycemia.Īccording to the Hormone Health Network, having hypoglycemia without having diabetes is relatively rare. Here are six dietitian-approved ways to avoid a sugar crash.Reactive hypoglycemia is one of the two types of non-diabetes-related hypoglycemia. When the stomach empties at a slower, steadier rate, your body converts the food into glucose more gradually, preventing a more dramatic blood sugar spike, says Samantha Cochrane, LD, registered dietitian nutritionist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Overall, it's best to change your eating habits in order to promote slower digestion. However, the basic premise of eating the right foods and portions applies to everyone who is trying to avoid a sugar crash. Note: The majority of research on blood sugar maintenance involves people with diabetes. It's unclear what causes sugar crashes after a carb-heavy meal, but there are proven ways to help avoid it. However, anyone can experience the uncomfortable side effects of reactive hypoglycemia. Consuming a lot of sugar or processed carbs in a short period of time will raise your blood sugar, and can later result in a sugar crash.ĭiabetes are prone to these types of blood sugar crashes - especially if they're not getting the right medication dose. Medical term: Glucose is a simple sugar that your body produces from breaking down carbohydrates for energy. Reactive hypoglycemia is when sugar levels in the blood, aka glucose levels, dip below normal two to four hours after eating. If yes, you've likely experienced what's called reactive hypoglycemia, or more commonly known as a sugar crash. Ever felt shaky, weak, and nauseous after eating a lot of carbs or sugar?