“How serious is low blood sugar?”

Low blood sugars can be indications of serious underlying conditions including insulin producing tumors, adrenal insufficiency, and over medication and can result in blackouts, confusion, seizures, and death. Treatment depends on the cause, but requires immediate attention and ingestion of sugar-containing gels, drinks, and foods. Glucose given intravenously, or a glucagon injection is warranted when the patient is unconscious. Some patients may just need more frequent small meals to prevent their sugars from going low. Patients with low sugars should be evaluated by an endocrinologist.

Severe *hypoglycemia* can cause accidents, injuries, coma, and may even prove fatal. Recent studies have associated severe *hypoglycemia* as a risk factor for dementia, falls, fractures, and heart attacks.