Blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.3 mmol/l) - How Dangerous is this Low?

Finding your blood sugar level 45 - 59 mg/dL (2.5-3.3 mmol/L) (ranging 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58) means it is within the Hypoglycemia range. 

When your blood sugar was tested...

Fasting

After Eating

Medication

In normal and healthy people without diabetes, this is an uncommon finding. While diabetics report frequent episodes of hypoglycemia especially in those who need to adjust the dose of medications they are currently taking to reduce blood glucose. 

We are trying to explain why Hypoglycemia happens in diabetics so often? And why it happens in healthy people too? Is there any specific condition/disease we should look for?

Furthermore, we are going to explain if you find such low blood glucose Fasting or after eating or even if you are taking any medication including hypoglycemiant or any other. 

First, let me tell something about symptoms of hypoglycemia in general:

Blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) - Symptoms

If you get blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) (ranging 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58), most probably you might be feeling the symptoms of hypoglycemia.  They include: shakiness, nervousness,  sweating, dizziness or light-headedness, hunger, sleepiness, sometimes confusion, with difficulty speaking, unusual anxiety, weakness. 

Sometimes, the drops in blood glucose can happen during the night/sleep. The most common symptoms include: having nightmares or crying sometimes; increased perspiration; when you wake up, most probably you feel extremely tired, confused or very nervous. 

Blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) - Causes

As mentioned above, they causes are different for people with Diabetes and Normal/healthy persons. 

So, for diabetics, the most common cause is the inadequate dose of hypoglycemiant drug they might be using. 

Other causes include: 

- skipped meals

- having too small meals/snacks

- drinking alcohol

- high physical activity

In healthy persons, low blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) can be caused due to:

- early pregnancy

- prolonged fasting

- long-lasting high intensity physical activity

- taking medications like beta-blocker and exercising at the same time

- aspirin use in children can cause reduction in blood sugar

- drinking alcohol raw without accompanying by any food or heavy alcohol or binge drinks especially if they are chronic users

Blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) - Treatment

Having something sweet rich in simple carbohydrate is what we recommend to people who have the symptoms of hypoglycemia. 

Diabetics are recommended to monitor their blood sugar, and if they find it as low as causing hypoglycemia symptoms, then, should keep a sweet candy with them. Once they feel they enter hypoglycemia, should have this sweet. 

Blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) - Prevention

Prevention is better than Cure. 

So, we should work hard in identifying the causes of hypoglycemia first and try to eliminate them. 

This can help prevent future hypoglycemia episodes. 

Diet changes especially consuming the meals regularly are very important in preventing hypoglycemic episodes and dropping of blood sugar level 45-69 mg/dl (2.5-3.8 mmol/l) (to 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58).