Hypoglycemia Survey Results

Section 2 - Symptoms
Part 2.1 -
Intro / Cardio-Vascular / Ears / Eating Habits-Weight / Emotional-Mood


HYPOGLYCEMIA SURVEY            
SECTION 2 - SYMPTOMS            
PART 2.1 Intro / Cardio-Vascular / Ears / Eating Habits-Weight / Emotional-Mood            
             
Version 0.3            
14 Aug.1998            
Status: Corrected (to be reviewed)            
Copyright (C) 1998 Hypoglycemia Survey Team            
Http://huizen.dds.nl/~hypo/survey            
             
Number of respondents to the Symptoms Section # Active        
Part 2.1 - Intro / Cardio-Vascular / Ears / Eating Habits / Emotional 939 880        
Part 2.2 - Endocrine / Energy / Eyes / Gastro-Intestinal 938 886        
Part 2.3 - Head / Immune System / Med History / Mental Functioning 934 880        
Part 2.4 - Mouth-Throat / Musculo-Skeletal / Neurological 934 871        
Part 2.5 - Reproductive-Urinary / Respiratory 932 854        
Part 2.6 - Skin / Symptom Relief / Temperament 932 885        
             
Number of active respondents to Part 2.1 880          
Intro 880          
Cardio-Vascular 761          
Ears 690          
Eating Habits / Weight 863          
Emotional / Mood 842          
             
             
0. Intro            
             
2-1 Do you think you have hypoglycemia? # %        
Yes, reactive 676 77%        
Yes, fasting 222 25%        
No 39 4%        
             
2-2 Who diagnosed your hypoglycemia? # %        
Medical doctor / physician / general practitioner 391 44%        
Self-diagnosis 230 26%        
No diagnosis 158 18%        
Internist / endocrinologist 75 9%        
Alternative medicine 14 2%        
Dietitian / nutritional councellor 11 1%        
Psychologist / psychiatrist 1 0%        
TOTAL 880          
             
2-3a What is your most serious symptom? # %        
(excluded symptoms that have another cause than hypoglycemia)            
Fatigue (incl. exhaustion, tiredness, lethargy) 163 27%        
Dizziness (incl. lightheadedness, sleepiness) 103 17%        
Headache (incl. migraine) 77 13%        
Shaking 72 12%        
Weakness (incl. Faintness) 47 8%        
Irritability (incl. Moodiness) 40 7%        
Fainting (incl. passing out, fainting) 28 5%        
Nausea (incl. vomiting) 20 3%        
Depression 18 3%        
Confusion 12 2%        
Hunger 8 1%        
Anxiety 8 1%        
TOTAL 596          
             
2-3b How often do you experience this symptom? # %        
1 x per month 35 5%        
2 x per month 26 3%        
1 x per week 36 5%        
2 x per week 47 6%        
3 x per week 64 8%        
3 - 6 x per week 50 7%        
1 x per day 129 17%        
2 x per day 89 12%        
4 x per day 22 3%        
5 x per day 11 1%        
Continuously 195 26%        
Don't know 56 7%        
TOTAL 760          
             
2-3c Do you experience it at a particular time? # %        
Afternoon 236 44%        
Morning 183 34%        
Evening 67 12%        
Premenstrual 27 5%        
Night 21 4%        
Weekend 6 1%        
TOTAL 540          
             
2-3d Are your symptoms relieved by food or dietary changes? # %        
Always 260 32%        
Mostly 255 31%        
Sometimes 193 24%        
No/never 66 8%        
Don't know 43 5%        
TOTAL 817          
             
2-3e When do these symptoms occur? # %        
After missing a meal/snack 166 21%        
Few hours after eating 148 19%        
Quickly after eating 128 16%        
After not following diet 78 10%        
After a hypo crash 61 8%        
Other 60 8%        
Don't know 57 7%        
After cheating 25 3%        
During the night while sleeping 22 3%        
After physical activity 20 3%        
After mental work 9 1%        
Following exercise 8 1%        
TOTAL 782          
             
2-3f How many hours after eating or activity do these symptoms occur? # %        
1 hour 174 31%        
2 158 28%        
3 121 21%        
4 55 10%        
5 33 6%        
6 10 2%        
7 5 1%        
8 3 1%        
10 hours 9 2%        
TOTAL 568          
             
             
1. Cardio-Vascular            
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Past Only    
Arteriosclerosis 10 1% 60% 30%    
Elevated cholesterol 170 19% 35% 35%    
Depressed HDL 70 8% 50% 33%    
Heart disease 24 3% 50% 42%    
High blood pressure 102 12% 41% 44%    
Elevated LDL 65 7% 38% 31%    
Low blood pressure 309 35% 51% 32%    
Mitral valve prolapse 61 7% 46% 33%    
Pernicious anemia 53 6% 38% 47%    
Pericarditis - inflammation of membrane around the heart 16 2% 25% 56%    
Elevated triglycerides 87 10% 49% 30%    
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Often (weekly) Past Only Relieved by food/diet
Chest pain/angina 208 24% 35% 38% 34% 22%
Fluctuating blood pressure 208 24% 52% 43% 30% 31%
Irregular or skipped heartbeats 301 34% 44% 50% 27% 24%
Palpitations 412 47% 61% 51% 23% 38%
Rapid or pounding heartbeat 494 56% 61% 53% 19% 38%
             
             
2. Ears            
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Past Only    
Chronic ear infections 192 22% 18% 74%    
Eustachian tubes chronically closed 84 10% 33% 42%    
Hearing loss, permanent 75 9% 16% 47%    
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Often (weekly) Past Only Relieved by food/diet
Drainage from ears 114 13% 11% 53% 39% 4%
Fluid in ears 158 18% 11% 45% 35% 4%
Itchy ears 318 36% 10% 71% 15% 3%
Prone to motion-sickness 317 36% 19% 48% 27% 11%
Ear pain 193 22% 16% 50% 54% 4%
Pressure above ears 133 15% 25% 63% 17% 8%
Tinnitus (ringing in ears) 379 43% 20% 63% 22% 8%
Stuffy/blocked ears 307 35% 13% 62% 27% 4%
Hearing loss, transient or intermittent 138 16% 24% 47% 34% 7%
             
             
3. Eating Habits / Weight            
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Past Only    
Anorexia 69 8% 12% 86%    
Loss of appetite 267 30% 52% 35%    
Binge eating/drinking 256 29% 59% 28%    
Bulimia 58 7% 19% 81%    
Compulsive eating 347 39% 63% 23%    
Difficulty gaining weight 105 12% 48% 43%    
Difficulty losing weight 446 51% 57% 19%    
Overweight 440 50% 57% 24%    
Excessive smoking 121 14% 29% 48%    
Underweight 168 19% 30% 64%    
Unexplained weight gain 200 23% 65% 21%    
Unexplained weight loss 73 8% 66% 42%    
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Often (weekly) Past Only Relieved by food/diet
Constant feeling of hunger 271 31% 58% 69% 17% 52%
Compulsive craving for sweets, colas, coffee, tea 632 72% 73% 14% 54% 77%
Frequent hunger 555 63% 69% 77% 9% 65%
Shaking or irritable when hungry 786 89% 76% 72% 8% 74%
Sudden feeling of hunger 573 65% 68% 72% 7% 68%
             
             
4. Emotional / Mood            
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Past Only    
Manic Depressive 73 8% 4% 4%    
Depression 563 64% 39% 23%    
Nervous breakdown 99 11% 5% 7%    
Fears/phobias 279 32% 18% 11%    
Schizophrenia 16 2% 1% 1%    
             
Symptom # % Hypo Related Often (weekly) Past Only Relieved by food/diet
Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness 708 80% 56% 50% 11% 45%
Odd behavior, personality change 200 23% 14% 9% 6% 9%
Unprovoked crying spells 382 43% 23% 17% 14% 15%
Feeling of going mad/insane 223 25% 12% 9% 10% 8%
Emotionality 458 52% 29% 29% 9% 18%
Negative thoughts and attitudes 383 44% 26% 29% 12% 17%
Nervousness 430 49% 26% 29% 8% 18%
Nightmares / night terrors 285 32% 14% 14% 11% 8%
Panic Attacks 353 40% 20% 15% 17% 13%
Paranoid behavior 135 15% 7% 6% 6% 5%
Suicidal thoughts 222 25% 8% 6% 16% 5%
Mood Swings 689 78% 53% 49% 11% 41%
Unsocial, antisocial, asocial behavior 325 37% 19% 21% 9% 13%
Constant worrying 455 52% 20% 32% 10% 13%
             
             
Copyright (C) 1998 Hypoglycemia Survey Team            
             
             


Last Updated on 23-8-98
By Lars Idema