Irritability can be an early and advanced sign of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in people with diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), low blood sugar can trigger mood changes, confusion, and even aggression, especially when blood sugar drops rapidly. If you notice sudden irritability, it’s important to check your blood sugar as this could indicate a hypoglycemic episode.

Why Does Hypoglycemia Cause Irritability?

When your blood sugar drops too low, your brain lacks the necessary glucose to function properly, leading to mood swings. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) highlights that severe hypoglycemia can also cause more dangerous symptoms, like seizures and unconsciousness, if left untreated.

Proven Holistic Self-Care Solution: Keep Healthy Snacks Handy

To prevent low blood sugar and irritability, it’s essential to be prepared with quick snacks. 

Here’s how:

• Prepare small, portable snacks like fruit, nuts, or whole-grain crackers to keep blood sugar stable.
• Carry these snacks with you during busy days or long stretches without meals.
• If you feel irritable or light-headed, check your blood sugar immediately, and eat a minimum of 15 grams of carbohydrates with a readily acting form of glucose so you stop the drop. This may include a half of a large very ripe banana, a half can ginger ale, or glucose tablets.
• If you find you do have hypoglycemia often, your medication profiles may require adjusting, it can be a sign of prediabetes, it may be that you need to eat more carbohydrates to avoid a low sugar, and of course having regular snacks  can help prevent hypoglycemia. If you are walking or moving more than normal be sure to have a snack including carbohydrates to compensate for the movements and exercise.

Having easy access to snacks helps prevent hypoglycemia and keeps you feeling balanced throughout the day.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Ac., C.H., RDH
Dr. Holistic Studies, Dr. Acupuncture
Diabetes Wellness Strategist & Coach
Creator & CEO of Holistic Diabetes Solutions
8 X International Best-Selling Author

As a woman living with diabetes for over 30 years, Dr. Cheryl understands the journey firsthand. When she was diagnosed, she received the same outdated advice her grandmother was given for over four decades, who relied primarily on medication, suffered from deteriorating health and eventually lost her life to diabetes. Fueled by this experience, Dr. Cheryl was compelled to seek a better way. Through countless research studies and trials, she developed the winning holistic approach: the Diabetes Success System which merges traditional wisdom with today’s best holistic self-care practices.  It has revolutionized diabetes management by providing a trusted way to maintain consistent and predictable healthy blood sugar levels.

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PROFESSIONAL DISCLAIMER

The material and content contained in this platform is for overall general diabetes health and education information only. It is not intended to constitute medical advice or to be a substitution for professional medical recommendations, diagnosis or treatment. All specific medical questions or changes you make to your medication and/or lifestyle should be discussed and addressed with your primary healthcare provider. Having the right mindset, doing the right movements at the right times of day, and eating foods that help keep blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation manageable can dramatically reduce your risk of the all-too-common complications of Diabetes, increase your energy levels and have you feeling your best every day.