Reactive hypoglycemia: What causes it?

Definition           Symptoms             Treatment

There are different kinds of reactive hypoglycemia:

1) Alimentary Hypoglycemia (consequence of dumping syndrome; it occurs in about 15% of people who have had stomach surgery) 

2) Pre-diabetes 

3) Hormonal Hypoglycemia (due to lack of some hormones; i.e., hypothyroidism) 

4) Helicobacter Pylori -induced gastritis (some reports suggest this bacteria may contribute to the occurrence of reactive hypoglycemia) 

5) Congenital enzyme deficiencies (hereditary fructose intolerance, galactosemia, and leucine sensitivity of childhood) 

6) Idiopathic reactive hypoglycemia 

7) Late Hypoglycemia (Occult Diabetes; characterized by a delay in early insulin release from pancreatic B cells, resulting in initial exaggeration of hyperglycemia during a glucose tolerance test) 

To check if there is real hypoglycemia when symptoms occur, you can have an OGTT or even more accurate for this kind of diagnosis, a "breakfast test".  Then, additional tests may be applied to see if there is another disease (i.e. hypothyroidism) causing the reactive hypoglycemia.