Symptoms of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

What Are the Symptoms of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

As diabetic, being aware of your body’s needs and condition is imperative. For example, you need to be aware of the symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis for proper treatment and diagnosis. These signs can develop quickly and may even be develop within 24 hours. Among the most noted signs to watch out for are excessive thirst, nausea and vomiting, frequent urination, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, weakness or fatigue, fruity-scented breath and confusion. However, there are more detailed signs of diabetic ketoacidosis that can be established by means of home blood and urine testing kits. Among these symptoms are high ketone level in your urine and high blood sugar level. Please do not take the signs diabetic ketoacidosis lightly because it can lead to death if left untreated. The moment you suspect that you are suffering from any sign of ketoacidosis, you need to act immediately by talking to your healthcare professional.

What is diabetic ketoacidosis?

Basically, DKA is an acute complication of diabetes mellitus where the products of fat breakdown are transformed into ketones which can be fatal, if left untreated, since it results to an increase in blood acidity. To be well informed about the condition, you need to recognize its cause. Primarily, the condition is caused by cessation of insulin therapy. It can also be due to physical and emotional pressure. When you are experiencing these, your body may produce or use less insulin while it augments the level of glucagon. When this takes place, the amount of circulating insulin and glucagon will trigger the breakdown of fats that on return will be transported down to the liver. This breakdown of fats will result to an increase of fatty acids in the blood. The liver on the other hand will change these fatty acids to ketone bodies which results in the acidity of the blood and lead to diabetic ketoacidosis.

Immediate action is called for when you suspect you are suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, call your doctor if you have very high blood sugars. Now, if you are suffering from diabetes and you start to develop a fever or even just start vomiting, your doctor should be consulted right away. It is always important that patients suffering from diabetes be brought to the hospital if they feel or look sick, suffering from dehydration, or tend to be extremely weak.

Always remember that you can save or lose a life in just a matter of second, do not take the risk. It is better to act right away even on mere suspicion even if only a single symptoms of diabetic ketoacidis is seen. The doctors will provide detailed instructions that you will need to follow carefully, to avoid further complications.