While neither condition is good, low blood sugar can be immediately life-threatening. Many cells in your body store fuel for times when blood sugar is low. For example, muscle cells store a form of sugar called glycogen. When blood sugar gets too low, muscle cells can continue functioning by converting their stored glycogen to sugar. This is much like eating canned food from the pantry when snowed in during a blizzard. For a while, canned beans and tuna fish will suffice until the snow clears and access to food becomes available again. However, for those who do not have a stocked pantry a blizzard is much more serious. The cells in our brains do not store fuel for such situations, and depend on steady access to fuel in the blood to survive. When blood sugar levels drop too low, brain cells do not get enough fuel and begin to starve. At this point, the brain cannot function normally, and confusion, disorientation and unconsciousness occur. If the situation does not improve quickly brain cells, and the person, may die.
While neither condition is good, low blood sugar can be immediately life-threatening. Many cells in your body store fuel for times when blood sugar is low. For example, muscle cells store a form of sugar called glycogen. When blood sugar gets too low, muscle cells can continue functioning by converting their stored glycogen to sugar. This is much like eating canned food from the pantry when snowed in during a blizzard. For a while, canned beans and tuna fish will suffice until the snow clears and access to food becomes available again. However, for those who do not have a stocked pantry a blizzard is much more serious. The cells in our brains do not store fuel for such situations, and depend on steady access to fuel in the blood to survive. When blood sugar levels drop too low, brain cells do not get enough fuel and begin to starve. At this point, the brain cannot function normally, and confusion, disorientation and unconsciousness occur. If the situation does not improve quickly brain cells, and the person, may die.