Dealing With Deadly Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Diabetic ketoacidosis is a silent killer on the prowl. This deadly condition upsets the blood chemistry so severely that the patient's very life is ...


Diabetic ketoacidosis is a silent killer on the prowl. This deadly condition upsets the blood chemistry so severely that the patient’s very life is threatened. Studies have shown that there are three high-risk categories of people who are more vulnerable to diabetic ketoacidosis. The first category includes those who are seriously diabetic (Type 1). The second includes those who are severely dehydrated. The third includes those who have had massive infections by bacteria or viruses. The rest of the population may not be that much at risk, but make no mistake, just about everybody is on this prowler’s hit-list. Make sure you don’t get your name up on that list!

The words ‘deadly’ and ‘killer’ are not meant to scare you, but to impress on you that diabetic ketoacidosis is really a very critical, life-threatening condition. The body gets its energy requirements from glucose, which is the result of digestion. Excess glucose is stored as fat. The fat is decomposed when the energy demand cannot be met from the glucose in the blood. The decomposition of fat results in glucose, which is used to get energy, and a fatty acid called ketone.

This reconversion releases ketones which are fatty acids, and the level of ketones in the blood exceeds the normal. This condition is called ‘ketoacidosis’. If a person’s blood is heavily infected by external organisms like bacteria or viruses, then ketoacidosis is more likely to occur. A person suffering from severe dehydration is also prone to ketoacidosis. Diabetics are more likely to develop ketoacidosis.

The main reason that diabetic ketoacidosis goes undetected and untreated for too long is that the symptoms of this condition become evident only when the condition has reached a critical level. So it is wiser to detect the telltale signs of this condition as early as possible. These are:

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.

Diabetics with diabetic ketoacidosis emit a peculiarly sickening “sweet” odor from their breath. It seems very like the smell from a horse’s mouth which has just fed on fresh grass!

Listless behavior.

A person with diabetic ketoacidosis can’t eat. He doesn’t feel like eating at all. If he does attempt a light meal, he brings it up almost immediately, with violent retching.

The most critical manifestation of diabetic ketoacidosis is related to the thought processing capability of the brain. The person goes through spells where he is completely confused.

The only effective treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis is a prolonged one. The patient should cooperate with the doctors and take the prescribed treatment exactly as advised. The patient must avoid dehydration, taking rehydrating solutions if necessary. The blood glucose must be monitored round-the-clock to avoid it going over or below the normal limits. If these guidelines are followed, diabetic ketoacidosis can be beaten, rest assured!

There are two things everyone needs to have to assist in controlling their diabetes. The first is an ample 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.

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