What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar Levels?

Different people may feel low blood sugar levels differently. People with low blood sugar may:

• feel hungry or have "hunger pains" in their stomach
• feel shaky or like they're trembling
• have a rapid heart rate
• feel sweaty or have cold, clammy skin
• have pale, gray skin color
• have a headache
• feel moody, cranky, or irritable
• feel drowsy
• feel weak
• feel dizzy
• be unsteady or stagger when walking
• have blurred or double vision
• feel confused
• have seizures or convulsions
• lose consciousness (pass out)

If you have diabetes, try to remember how your body reacts when your blood sugar levels are low. It may help you figure out you're having a low blood sugar level more quickly the next time.
Checking for Low Blood Sugar Levels

The warning signs of hypoglycemia are the body's natural response to low blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels fall too low, the body releases the hormone adrenaline, which helps get stored glucose into the bloodstream quickly. Becoming pale, sweating, shaking, and having an increased heart rate are early signs of the adrenaline being released. If the hypoglycemia isn't treated, more severe symptoms may develop, including drowsiness, confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness.
The only way to know for sure if you're having a low blood sugar level is to test. Blood sugar levels can be tested with a glucose meter, which is a computerized device that measures and displays the amount of glucose in a blood sample. However, if you can't quickly check your blood sugar level, it's important to go ahead and treat yourself for hypoglycemia immediately to prevent symptoms from getting worse.
Sometimes a person with diabetes may have symptoms of low blood sugar levels, but blood sugar levels are not actually low. This is a called a false reaction. The hormone adrenaline (mentioned above) is not just released when blood sugar drops too low - it's also released when blood sugar levels fall quickly when they're too high. If you're having a false reaction, you might actually have blood sugar levels in a healthy range but feel as if you have low blood sugar. Testing blood sugar levels before treating yourself for hypoglycemia can help you figure out if you're having a false reaction.
Some people with diabetes don't actually notice the typical signs of low blood sugar levels. For these people it's even more important to check blood glucose levels often and take extra precautions to prevent low blood sugar (see our prevention tips below). If you're having trouble feeling the symptoms of low blood sugar, let your diabetes health care team know.