Hypoglycemia

In Western medicine, hypoglycemia is defined as a state where blood glucose levels fall below a specific threshold, generally considered below 70 mg/dL (Cryer, 2012, Endocrine Reviews). Such a decline in glucose, the body's primary energy source, can severely impair both mental and physical functions, with extreme cases potentially leading to seizures or loss of consciousness (McAulay et al., 2001, Diabetes Care). Contrarily, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) interprets hypoglycemia as a "consumptive disease," attributing it to deficiencies in organ systems or inadequate levels of blood and Qi—especially in the spleen and stomach, which are crucial for transforming and transporting fluids (Chen et al., 2016, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences). These two perspectives offer unique diagnostic and therapeutic angles to understand and manage hypoglycemia.