insulin shock
1
6.0
- noun
- /ˈɪnsəlin ʃɑk/
- Specialized
:
shock insulínico
- Electric therapy, insulin shock...
When you go into insulin shock, every second counts.
- When you go into insulin shock, every second counts.
Examples
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He went into insulin shock.
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When you go into insulin shock, every second counts.
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I could give her insulin shock treatment.
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I gave her insulin shock again today for the fourth time.
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But as a rule, the patient is completely normal immediately after insulin shock.
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She's been getting insulin shock treatments...
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When someone experiences insulin shock, their blood sugar drops dangerously low, putting their life at risk.
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The doctor explained how insulin shock can lead to unconsciousness if not treated quickly.
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During the emergency, the paramedics recognized the signs of insulin shock and acted immediately.
Synonyms
6
5.9
A low level of sugar in the blood that can make you feel shaky and confused
A sudden drop in blood sugar after taking too much insulin
How Severe
- Specialized
259
5.4
- Specialized
1
6.0
- Specialized
- Specialized
6
5.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'insulin' (the hormone) and 'shock' (a severe medical state) together transparently signal a serious medical emergency caused by insulin, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a dangerous reaction to insulin. However, the precise clinical sense (severe hypoglycaemia with convulsions/coma) and the technical use of 'shock' are specialized and not fully predictable from everyday knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Insulin shock comes from the literal image of too much insulin causing a sudden shock to the body, so blood sugar falls very fast and a person can faint. That's why it means the dangerous state of 'very low blood sugar' that can cause 'unconsciousness'.