Pseudohypoglycemia is a possible complication of diabetes . It takes place when a person ’s organic structure reacts to medically normal blood glucose ( sugar ) floor as if they were too low .
Diabetes fall out when the consistency does not farm enough of , or respond enough to , a hormone called insulin . This hormone allows cells to remove glucose from the bloodstream . Problems with insulin can lead to systematically raised parentage sugar levels , or hyperglycemia .
To treat it , doctor often prescribe auxiliary insulin to avail people regain restraint of their blood pelf levels . However , this may lead to overcorrection . This refers to when blood sugar levels drop too low , or hypoglycaemia . Effective diabetes management involves keep blood glucose levels between hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia .
However , a person may have a ramification call pseudohypoglycemia . This can cause them to experience hypoglycaemia symptom even if they have clinically normal blood glucose stage .
What is pseudohypoglycemia?
Pseudohypoglycemiaoccurs when a soul withdiabetesexperiences symptoms ofhypoglycemia , or low blood sugar , but a blood glucose test shows their levels as being within ahealthy stove . Health experts may also refer to this as comparative hypoglycemia .
A normal rake glucose range is typically between70 and 100 milligram per deciliter ( mg / dL ) . However , people with diabetes may have readings that are consistently mellow than 126 mg / dL.
When blood sugar levels dropbelow 70 mg / dL , it is known as hypoglycemia . This may materialize in response to dietetical unbalance , fasting periods , conduct too much insulin to treat diabetes , or mistiming a dose of insulin . It can also occur due to the extent and timing of workout .
With a pseudohypoglycemia sequence , the common hypoglycaemia response occurs at a high blood glucose level than would stipulate as hypoglycemia in most hoi polloi . This may be because a person with uncontrolled diabetes has an mediocre parentage glucose level that is much eminent than normal and their physical structure need to line up to the newfangled , lower level .
Some wellness expert also consider another definition of pseudohypoglycemia . A2019 chaptersuggests that another character of pseudohypoglycemia is when a individual has a blood glucose level of under 70 milligram / deciliter but experiences no hypoglycemia symptoms . If a person is unable to recognize the warning signs of a hypoglycemic installment , it is known as hypoglycaemic unknowingness .
How does it differ from hypoglycemia?
The main difference between pseudohypoglycemia and hypoglycemia is that hypoglycemia cite to the torso ’s response when blood sugar stage plunge below 70 mg / dL. A plebeian misconception is that hypoglycemia mention alone to low pedigree wampum level . However , it isthe combinationof humiliated rakehell moolah and the presence of clinical symptoms .
Pseudoglycemia happens when the soundbox ’s responsedoes not alignwith the person ’s blood glucose level . Either a soul develop low stemma glucose without symptoms or has hypoglycemia symptoms while in a normal line of descent glucose range .
Possible causes of pseudohypoglycemia
The master causa of pseudohypoglycemia is uncontrolled diabetes . Pseudohypoglycemia is common in people with diabetes and a critical illness , consort to a2022 review .
A2023 papersuggests that diabetes may negatively strike the ability of the cheek in the brain to detect glucose levels . Over time , the brain becomes conversant with eminent blood glucose levels , so it may trigger a response to forestall what it perceives to be low blood glucose levels in a person with normal or even high-pitched blood glucose grade .
Impaired blood glucose sensitiveness in multitude with diabetes may hap due to :
Does pseudohypoglycemia relate to neuropsychiatric conditions?
According to a2022 reexamination , pseudohypoglycemia may have links to an increased peril of delirium in people staying in the intensive aid building block ( ICU ) with a critical illness and diabetes . The review also suggest a link between how the dead body processes glucose and cognitive function in masses withAlzheimer ’s disease .
Conditions that affect memory , such as Alzheimer ’s disease , may affecta somebody ’s power to check diabetes successfully . People with neuropsychiatric conditions such as these may unintentionally blank out to take their medications , which can impress their long - condition blood glucose mastery , or utilize insulin more than once , which can advertize their rake lolly level down too far .
Depression , memory board problems , and impaired attention are also hallmarks of gloomy stock glucose levels . In addition , hypoglycaemia can also cause unconsciousness , capture , and even coma , consort to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) . Any symptom of hypoglycaemia can occur during pseudohypoglycemia .
Symptoms of pseudohypoglycemia
Pseudohypoglycemia symptoms are the same as hypoglycaemia symptoms . Thesemay admit :
Undersome definition , people with pseudohypoglycemia will not show any symptoms but may have a stock glucose storey below 70 mg / dL. A doctor will post out a different pedigree test to reassert hypoglycemia .
Can people without diabetes experience pseudohypoglycemia?
A2023 case reportcites other experimental condition besides diabetes that can contribute to pseudohypoglycemia . These include :
It can also occur as a side effect aftertreating low levelsof certain blanched blood cellular phone after chemotherapy .
The case report authors paint a picture that conditions such as PAD stimulate rake to move more slowly through the physical structure , meaning that nearby tissues have more chance to absorb descent glucose .
This may lead to downhearted blood line glucose tightness in tissues farthest from the core , including the fingertip , where many people take blood glucose recital from . These reduced concentrations can lead to falsely low blood glucose indication , which can describe for the deficiency of symptom .
Management of pseudohypoglycemia
Pseudohypoglycemiadoes not needa specific treatment . In fact , by mimicking true hypoglycemia , it can do knockout complicatedness if a aesculapian professional tries to even off it by reducing stemma glucose levels too far .
The least grave blood glucose range for a soul in the ICU with a critical illnessremains controversial , as high blood glucose horizontal surface can also induce knottiness . dilute blood glucose stratum too precipitously may increase the endangerment of pseudohypoglycemia and mortality .
An ICU squad may control diabetes with continuous insulin infusion and monitoring instead of intermittent dosage . This may aid make the mortal ’s rake glucose levels easy to hold .
Summary
Pseudohypoglycemia is when a person know hypoglycemia symptom when their blood glucose layer are within a healthy mountain range . Some health experts also call it pseudohypoglycemia when a individual does not have symptom when their blood glucose level is below 70 mg / dL.
Pseudohypoglycemia is more mutual in those with diabetes . However , people without diabetes can also experience it .
The complication might occur due to diabetes impair the brain ’s ability to detect and respond to downhearted pedigree sugar levels . It may also come about in some individuals with higher fasting blood sugar levels when they miss but continue within a suitable range .
