Type 2 Diabetes: Hypoglycemia Unawareness (Low Blood Sugar Condition)
Hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes
What is hypoglycemia unawareness?
Hypoglycemia unawareness occurs when someone has low blood sugar without any symptoms, or he is unable to recognize the symptoms. In such cases, a patient could lose consciousness from low blood sugar without ever recognizing the early warning signs.
This acute complication of type 2 diabetes is more common in people who've had the condition for years and in older adults. That's because about five years after a diabetes diagnosis, the symptoms of low blood sugar tend to fade.
After 20 years with type 2 diabetes, symptoms can sometimes be too subtle to detect or may occur only after a patient's glucose level has been too low for too long, rendering him incapable of treating the condition himself.
This situation is also more likely to occur if the person in your care has neuropathy (nerve damage) or if he takes certain heart or high blood pressure medications.
How can I tell if hypoglycemia unawareness is happening?
- Often there are no symptoms of low blood sugar -- hence the name.
- Sometimes while the physical and behavioral signs of low blood sugar aren't apparent, the patient (or his caregiver) may still detect mental red flags for hypoglycemia, such as difficulty concentrating, slowed speech, slowed thinking, or lack of coordination.
