Here you go:
Hypoglycemia is a metabolic condition that affects various functions of the body. This short letter will explain the function of hypoglycemia and how it can change the activity levels and thinkign patterns of those who suffer from it. Our bodies run mainly on one source of energy, glucose. Most of us are completely unaware of glucose levels in our blood unless we eat a high, quick acting carbohydrate meal and feel sleepy. The body is geared to deal with quick and high glucose levels by the pancreas. The pancreas, once the body sees the glucose rising too fast or potentially too high, secretes insulin, which lowers the glucose level back to normal. Unfortunately, in some individuals, this process becomes retarded, causing a variety of problems. What happens to a hypoglycemic can be summed up thus:
1. Over time, unaware of the effect high sugar and carbohydrate levels have on the body, a hypoglycemic's metabolic system, sensing a continuous level of these problems, begins to secrete excess insulin in an effort to keep everything normal.
2. This, however is not how it was meant to function, and as time goes on the release of insulin increases, making it take several hours for glucose levels to return to normal.
3. Over time, if this problem is not corrected through proper diet, hypoglycemia sets in, making treatment more difficult. Unfortunately, the majority of hypoglycemics are unaware a problem is starting to develop until they begin to experience severe symptoms. Some of there are as follows:
uncontrollable anxiety not instigated by any stimuli
shaking
heart palpitations
rapid eye blinking
excessive yawning
severe depression
catatonia
seizures
fainting spells
extreme, flu-like symptoms
swollen throat and glands
difficulty walking
difficulty concentrating
memory loss
and the list goes on
The reason for the development of these problems goes back to the functio of glucose. Though the body, mainly the muscles, can run on ketones for energy, the brain can only run on one main source of fuel efficiently, which unlike muscles it cannot store, glucose. In a hypoglycemic, as the glucose levels become more and more difficult for the body to manage, the brain has to make a choice and goes into a self-preservation mode. When the glucose consistently drops after eating and takes hours to return to normal, bodily functions begin to suffer. First, hypoglycemics usually experience mental symptoms, which is essentially the brain attempting to get the individual to eat more, thus depression and anxiety symptoms typically are the first they notice. This is also because the brain, realizing that glucose levels are too low to keep nearly everything in the body running, draws the energy from areas that are less important to survival. These are, unfortunately, areas of the brain responsible for thinking, concentrating, feeling at ease and so forth. The brain needs to keep things such as the heart running normally, so it will slow or eliminate glucose flows to areas of itself not important for general living. In turn, the body begins to experience a variety of hormonal imbalances due to the low level of glucose in the body as a whole and thus the available reserve for various functions. The adrenal glands are usually affected next, leading to frequent panic attacks as they shoot out more adrenalin than usual. This is due to the body taking a second line of defense for the low blood sugar levels. In a situation where the body is in danger, all of us experience the 'fight or flight' response, but for hypoglycemics this is unfortunately the body itself and a continuous problem that can takes months or even in some cases over a year or two to completely resolve. Increased adrenalin levels lead to anxiety and a variety of other functions shutting down over time if the problem is not treated. Unfortunately, the majority of hypoglycemics require at least 4-6 months to show enough improvement that they can safely resume normal work and activity levels without risking danger to their bodies. Thus, considering that hypoglycemia is a disease in the same vein as diabetes, just the opposite, sufferers of this condition may require extra care while on the job. Snack or meal breaks may need to be taken at exact intervals to keep the glucose level in the body stable, and occasionally they may need to take short naps or have extra days off in order to recover from the frequent adjustments and heavy glucose drops they experience as the treatment is undertaken. The irony is that although they are suffering from low sugar, sugar is not an option, because this is what caused the initial problem with the pancreas. Thus, only a higher protein diet with low carbohydrates can correct the problem, and the recovery time is typically within 4-6 months, and sometimes longer for others depending on how long they had the condition before they learned of treatment methods. However, hypoglycemia should be understood
not as a mental condition in the slightest, it's merely a response to problems within the body with mental symptoms as one of the developments. Hypoglycemics are not attempting to make excuses, but for their health they may require extra care at work in order to make certain they can still function efficiently on the job and eventually much more as their treatment is completed. Jobs where heavy physical and especially mental activity are dominant are positions where considerations may need to be made, as the brain quickly uses glucose during concentrating and mental activity. These issues above should be kept in mind for the recovering hypoglycemic on the job.
