Hypoglycemia is a condition caused by an abnormally low level of blood sugar (glucose), your body's main energy source.

However, a wide variety of health conditions, many of them rare, can cause low blood sugar in people without diabetes. Like fever, hypoglycemia is merely an indicator of a health problem.

Among the underlying causes of hypoglycemia in people without diabetes are certain medications, alcohol, certain cancers, critical illnesses including kidney, liver or heart failure, hormonal deficiencies, and disorders that result in your body producing too much insulin. Insulin is the hormone secreted by your pancreas that regulates your level of blood sugar.

• Heart failure

Treatment

Treatment of hypoglycemia involves two basic approaches:

• Urgent initial treatment to raise your blood sugar level

• Treatment of the underlying condition that's causing your hypoglycemia, to prevent it from recurring

The initial treatment depends on your symptoms. It may be possible for you to take glucose tablets or eat food or candy to raise your blood sugar level. If your symptoms are more severe, impairing your ability to take sugar by mouth, you may need intravenous glucose or an injection of glucagon.

Because hypoglycemia can have so many causes, preventing recurrent hypoglycemia requires your doctor to identify the underlying condition and treat it. Depending on the underlying cause, treatment may involve:

• Tumor treatment. A tumor in your pancreas or elsewhere is usually treated by surgical removal.

• Medications. If a medication is the cause of your hypoglycemia, your doctor will likely suggest changing the medication.

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