Signs of Hypoglycemia:
Revealing the Frustrating Effects
on Memory

By M. Chris Wolf, PH.D.

If you have diabetes, you need to learn to recognize the signs of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is the condition of having too little blood sugar in your body.

Usually, your body will regulate the amount of blood sugar as it uses insulin to absorb and react with it, but if you don't eat enough food or if you have low insulin levels, or even if you simply use too much energy, you can suffer hypoglycemia.

This condition can be fatal if left unattended. Untreated, there can be long-term health complications. Hypoglycemia can cause many physical and mental side effects.

Consider a natural remedy:

Physical Signs of Hypoglycemia

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestion and Kidney Diseases, the physical signs of hypoglycemia vary depending on the severity of the condition and the amount of time it has existed.

At first, you may feel weak, lethargic, and sluggish as though you had not eaten. This is because your body lacks the energy to function. You might also experience shaking, chills, poor muscle coordination or a tingling sensation in your limbs. If you experience tingling in your limbs, it is a sign of poor or impaired circulation and should be addressed immediately (NIDDK, 2008).

Short Term Memory Loss

One of the most frustrating mental signs of hypoglycemia is a loss in short-term memory. When your brain undergoes a prolonged lack of sugar for energy, it cannot sustain neurons, and the neurons begin to die off.

When this happens, the neural pathways that form memories are destroyed and the part of the brain that retains memories no longer exists. Although the brain will eventually create new neurons, the existing pathways have to be rebuilt.

Luckily, the damage is not permanent as long as hypoglycemia is not severe and prolonged. If it is, the damage is irreversible according to current medical knowledge.

What You Can Do

You can prevent hypoglycemia and short-term memory loss by carefully watching what you eat and providing regular stimulation for your brain. Follow your doctor's recommendations for proper diet and exercise.

The more you do for your brain, the stronger its neural connections will be and the less susceptible they are to damage. Make use of your short-term memory whenever possible; for instance, memorize a phone number instead of putting it in your cell phone.

Force your brain to do mental math instead of using a calculator. Try reading a book upside down; this forces your brain to draw different connections instead of exercising the same ones constantly. The more neural pathways you have, the more easily your brain can create mental associations.

Consider a natural remedy:

Reference

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestion and Kidney Diseases. Hypoglycemia Information. October 2008.

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