There is a very famous quote that “Health is like wealth” If your health is good, you can work and earn wealth, but if your health is poor, you will not be able to work.
Therefore maintaining health is as important as earning money. Human health depends on the type of diet they take and their surroundings.
Eating everything is good, but there should be some limits, and the quality of the food should be good.
Both Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia terms are related to the blood sugar levels of our body. These are the medical terms mainly associated with diabetic patients.
Diabetes is a disease that is caused by the increased level of blood sugar or blood glucose in the human body.
Key Takeaways
- Hypoglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels are abnormally low.
- Hyperglycemia is a condition where blood sugar levels are abnormally high.
- Hypoglycemia can cause shakiness, dizziness, and confusion, while hyperglycemia can cause increased thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue.
Hypoglycemia vs Hyperglycemia
Hypoglycemia is when the blood sugar level drops below the normal range, which is defined as a blood glucose level below 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Hyperglycemia is when the blood sugar level rises above the normal range, which is defined as a blood glucose level above 125 mg/dL.
Hypoglycemia is a body condition in which the blood sugar level is continuously decreasing. This causes blur vision and weakness in some persons associated with diabetes.
Blood sugar, also called glucose, is generated in our body to provide us with energy and is mainly extracted from sweet products by our body organs.
Hyperglycemia is a very serious condition that causes diseases like metabolic syndrome, dementia, heart problems, and many kidney-related problems.
During this condition, the blood flows in the body increases and damages the arteries by blocking them, which prevents blood flow to the heart.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hypoglycemia | Hyperglycemia |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hypoglycemia refers to a deficiency of glucose or sugar in the bloodstream. And the blood sugar level drops less than seventy milligrams per deciliter. | Hyperglycemia is a term used to refer to an excess of glucose or sugar level in the bloodstream. |
| Caused by | Hypoglycemia is caused by non-compliance or function failure of anti-glycemic agents. | Hyperglycemia is caused by excessive intake of anti-glycemic agents more than the recommended dose. |
| Diseases caused | Hypoglycemia condition can cause diseases like hepatitis, kidney problems, diabetes and pituitary gland disorders, etc. | Hyperglycemia condition can cause diseases like heart problems, kidney problems, retinal diseases, etc. |
| Symptoms | The symptoms related to Hypoglycemia are low blood pressure, shallow breathing, headache, dizziness, and rapid loss of consciousness. | The symptoms related to Hyperglycemia are nausea, abdominal pain, unconsciousness and an excessive urge to urinate, etc. |
| Medication | The medication for the Hypoglycemic person includes glucose tablets, glucose gel, and fruit juices, etc. | The medication for Hyperglycemic persons includes electrolyte replacement, insulin therapy, etc. |
What is Hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia is a body state in which the body’s normal sugar level decreases abnormally. Sugar in our body provides us with energy, called glucose.
This energy helps our body organs to function properly and energetically. A decrease in the level of sugar in the body may cause unconsciousness.
Mostly this deficiency is seen in patients with diabetes, but in some rare cases, normal people can also have this condition of lower sugar levels in the bloodstream.
This deficiency requires immediate treatment, like taking drinks high in sugar or glucose and eating tablets prescribed by doctors.
Hypoglycemia, if not treated properly or in time, can worsen the person’s health conditions and can cause abnormal brain functioning, visual impairment, retinal problems, etc.
What is Hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia can only be caused in a person affected by diabetes. But normal people with bad food habits or high sugar intake habits can get affected by hyperglycemia easily.
And in a diabetic patient, this condition can get more dangerous if not treated properly with insulin treatments.
This condition cannot be neglected as it can cause a coma, a sleeping condition that stays for a long period or can become a lifetime condition.
Also, if not in a very serious state, this condition can stay for a long time, causing infections in the kidneys, eye problems, dysfunction in many organs, etc.
The symptoms of Hyperglycemia can be seen if the blood sugar level increases more than 170 to 200 milligrams per deciliter in a human body, and these symptoms are slowly caused;
therefore, a person must keep a check on his or her blood sugar levels.
Main Differences Between Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia refers to a deficiency of glucose or sugar in the blood. And the blood sugar level drops to less than seventy milligrams per deciliter. On the other hand, Hyperglycemia is a term used to refer to an increase of glucose or sugar levels in the bloodstream.
- The medication for Hyperglycemic persons includes electrolyte replacement, insulin therapy, etc. In contrast, the medication for the Hypoglycemic person includes glucose tablets, glucose gel, and fruit juices, etc.
- Hyperglycemia is caused by excessive intake of anti-glycemic agents more than the recommended dose. Whereas, Hypoglycemia is caused by non-compliance or function failure of anti-glycemic agents.
- Hyperglycemia can cause complications like a hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state. Whereas, Hypoglycemia can cause complications like diabetic ketoacidosis.
- The symptoms seen in Hypoglycemia patients are low blood pressure, shallow breathing, headache, dizziness, and rapid loss of consciousness. While the symptoms seen in Hyperglycemia patients are nausea, abdominal pain, unconsciousness, an excessive urge to urinate, etc.
- https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/17/7/734.short
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749070405701548
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
Understanding the difference between these two medical terms can be very helpful for diabetic patients, as well as educating the public. This post gives a deep insight into it all.
This article just a very good explanation. Thank you for the information!
The information given here is quite informative and can be crucial for anyone dealing with diabetes or knowing someone who does.
It is great to understand in detail what hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia refer to, this is well written and understandable.
This post gives a detailed idea of what hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are, and the complications resulting from them. It helps in raising awareness and learning, which is highly helpful.
It is such a good thing to know about these medical terms for better understanding about one’s health. It helps in many things even if you are just a normal person in society.