Diabetic ketoacidosis is a little known medical condition. Apart from those who have this condition, and their friends and family, the general populace is fairly ignorant of the severe implications of this condition. If the condition is untreated for too long, it may prove fatal. Type 1 diabetics are prone to suffer this condition. But this condition can just as easily occur in a non-diabetic person. The picture that emerges from studies of this condition shows that persons who have suffered severe dehydration or bacterial infection and viral attacks are susceptible to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is an extremely critical metabolic condition. Normal metabolism breaks the food into the basic form of sugar called glucose. The glucose is used as an energy source for the muscles. Unused glucose is converted to fats and stored for future use in the adipose tissue found all over the body. If the body's energy requirements cannot be met by the glucose circulating in the blood, the fats are converted back to glucose, and this reconverted glucose is used to meet the energy demands of the body.
The presence of the fatty acid in the blood changes the chemistry of the blood and makes it more acidic than it ought to be. This condition is called ketoacidosis. The body is sufficiently competent to eliminate the excess ketones from the blood on a regular basis. If the ketoacidosis goes beyond the normal level and if it is chronic, then the normal blood chemistry is altered to such an extent that normal life becomes impossible for the sufferer. The high-risk categories are more likely to get diabetic ketoacidosis, but the other catgories are vulnerable to this condition nonetheless.
In brief, the condition itself is not so much the danger as the delay in treatment is. Why is there this delay? Because the symptoms become evident only after the condition is firmly entrenched. The particular symptoms one should look out for are enumerated below.
Lip and skin dryness, heightened skin temperature, abnormal skin tone such as paleness or flushed appearance, are directly related to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Another telltale sign is impaired vision. A person with diabetic ketoacidosis experiences severe blurring of vision.
The breath can acquire a peculiar odor best described as sickly "sweet smelling".
Listless behavior.
Diabetic ketoacidosis severely reduces the appetite. Sometimes, a person will not be able to keep the food down, bringing it up almost immediately after eating it.
Mental confusion and lack of comprehension.
Careful monitoring of the blood glucose is the only effective way to control diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetics who require insulin shots should be extremely regular in taking them. Dehydration must be countered by taking rehydration salts. Supplementary glucose should be taken if the glucose level drops sharply below the minimum level. Everything must be done under proper medical supervision, that goes without saying for such a serious, and possibly fatal, condition! The treatment is not an overnight cure, but it is the only effective one. Take care!
Diabetic ketoacidosis is an extremely critical metabolic condition. Normal metabolism breaks the food into the basic form of sugar called glucose. The glucose is used as an energy source for the muscles. Unused glucose is converted to fats and stored for future use in the adipose tissue found all over the body. If the body's energy requirements cannot be met by the glucose circulating in the blood, the fats are converted back to glucose, and this reconverted glucose is used to meet the energy demands of the body.
The presence of the fatty acid in the blood changes the chemistry of the blood and makes it more acidic than it ought to be. This condition is called ketoacidosis. The body is sufficiently competent to eliminate the excess ketones from the blood on a regular basis. If the ketoacidosis goes beyond the normal level and if it is chronic, then the normal blood chemistry is altered to such an extent that normal life becomes impossible for the sufferer. The high-risk categories are more likely to get diabetic ketoacidosis, but the other catgories are vulnerable to this condition nonetheless.
In brief, the condition itself is not so much the danger as the delay in treatment is. Why is there this delay? Because the symptoms become evident only after the condition is firmly entrenched. The particular symptoms one should look out for are enumerated below.
Lip and skin dryness, heightened skin temperature, abnormal skin tone such as paleness or flushed appearance, are directly related to diabetic ketoacidosis.
Another telltale sign is impaired vision. A person with diabetic ketoacidosis experiences severe blurring of vision.
The breath can acquire a peculiar odor best described as sickly "sweet smelling".
Listless behavior.
Diabetic ketoacidosis severely reduces the appetite. Sometimes, a person will not be able to keep the food down, bringing it up almost immediately after eating it.
Mental confusion and lack of comprehension.
Careful monitoring of the blood glucose is the only effective way to control diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetics who require insulin shots should be extremely regular in taking them. Dehydration must be countered by taking rehydration salts. Supplementary glucose should be taken if the glucose level drops sharply below the minimum level. Everything must be done under proper medical supervision, that goes without saying for such a serious, and possibly fatal, condition! The treatment is not an overnight cure, but it is the only effective one. Take care!
About the Author:
There are a couple of things everyone needs to have to help control their diabetes. The first is a good supply of diabetic testing supplies and the other is a healthy diabetic diet plan. Go to www.Diabetes-Diabetic-Diet-Plans.com to read more about this disease and methods to control it.
