Understanding Low Glucose Levels: Causes & What to Do

A glucose serum test determines the amount of sugar in your blood. A low glucose serum level can be a sign of a condition called hypoglycemia.

Glucose Serum Levels

• Serum is the clear part of blood that does not include any blood cells. It is mostly made up of water, but includes many different proteins and chemicals dissolved in it. One of these is glucose, the form of sugar that your body uses to fuel most of its processes.

Low Serum Glucose

• If you do not have enough sugar in your blood, your body many not be getting the fuel it needs. The part of your body that needs sugar most is the brain, so people with low serum glucose may feel tired. In severe cases, low blood sugar can result in seizures and death.

Causes

• The most common causes of low serum glucose are related to treatment of diabetes. It may, however, be caused by a variety of other, mostly rare, medical conditions. Simply going without food for a period of time is not enough to cause dangerously low glucose levels, except in cases of starvation.

Treatment

• Low glucose serum levels can be corrected by quickly taking in carbohydrates. This can be accomplished with soda, fruit juice, bread or crackers.

Prevention

• If the low glucose levels were caused by diabetes medication, the condition can be prevented by adjusting medication plans. In other cases, the condition can be prevented by regularly consuming starchy foods.