Blood Sugar level 45-69 mg/dL after eating - all about Reactive Hypoglycemia

After you've consumed your meal, you got your blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dL after eating (58, 57 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45. This is called Reactive Hypoglycemia, a condition in which hypoglycemia occurs four hours after having your meal. 

WHY? And get to know how to avoid having such low blood sugar after eating in the future. 

Blood Sugar level 45-69 mg/dL after eating - Causes of Reactive Hypoglycemia

The diagnosis of Reactive Hypoglycemia is done through:

- interview regarding your actual signs and symptoms

- measuring your blood sugar by drawing a blood sample from the arm and send to lab for confirmation

- clinical observation of symptoms that are being subsided after consuming something to eat/drink. 

If symptoms will disappear and blood sugar will raise up to 70 mg/dL, then Reactive Hypoglycemia is confirmed. 

There is no confirmed cause to Reactive hypoglycemia, and this is still an open discussion. 

I do not want to enter into medical research or clinical observatory statements as this will not be of any interest for you. 

I want to make you clear some points of those probable causes of low blood sugar level 45-59 mg/dL after eating like:

- increased sensitivity to epinephrine action (in some patients)

- deficiency of production/secretion of glucagon

- stomach surgeries (food passing rapidly into the small intestines). 

- rare enzyme deficiencies (e.g. hereditary fructose intolerance determined by food intolerance testing)

Blood Sugar level 45-69 mg/dL after eating - Treating Acute Episodes

Acute episodes of low blood sugar level 58, 57 ,56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45 mg/dL can be treated with eating sugary cubes/one third cup of raisins or drinking one third cup of apple juice. 

If after 15 minutes, the symptoms won't subside, then, can have another sugary food/drink until blood sugar will get back to 70 mg/dL. 

Blood Sugar level 45-69 mg/dL after eating -  Relieving and Preventing Reactive Hypoglycemia

I usually recommend my patients with risk or if diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycemia to:

- have frequent meals/snacks every three hours; the size of meal portion should be reduced too

- increase physical activity

- encourage to eat a variety of food, especially those high in fiber content and protein

- avoid/limit sugary foods especially if your stomach is empty