hypoglycemia

[JRT]

I am 24 years old.  I have been to the doctor a few times in the last 4 years to get blood tests done and am given a clean bill of health and sent away.  I have had dizzy spells since i was 18. It starts out were i get really hot, enough to sweat, dizzy and i will black out unless i cool myself off fast. I can get dizzy if iget up and go outside right away, ( to walk dogs) and get shaky if i dont eat when im hungry.  the dizzy spells dont happen to often.  maybe a few times a week.  I am not exactly sure what hypoglycemia is but its the oly thing i could find with these symptoms.  should i go get a blood test for it and what does it mean if I have it.

[JDRF-Team-sgg]

Your symptoms sound very much like both hypoglycemia and/or low blood pressure. Yes, both of these can be identified by a doctor. Blood pressure is easy to identify, but sometimes identifying hypoglycemia is a little harder, for a blood test may not identify it if your body is not having a hypoglycemic reaction while your blood test is happening.

The best test is a glucose tolerance test, whereby the lab draws blood to find out what your normal baseline glucose level is and then has you drink a sweet solution. More blood is drawn at varying intervals to see how your body is handling the swee solution. Now, while this test can be very helpful, you must realize that it only shows how your body reacted to the sweet solution AT THAT EXACT TIME.  At another time, your body may react differently, for our bodies are complex and react to stimuli differently in different situation.

But in a nutshell, yes, you really probably should go see your doctor and have these tests done. Then you should read all you can about the best diet for people who have hypoglycemic tendencies, for dietary changes can help a lot.