The Lowdown On 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 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.
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.
Skin dryness, elevated temperature, flushed or pale appearance.
Blurred 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 best advice that one can give to a person suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis is to control the blood sugar level by carefully monitoring it. In diabetic ketoacidosis the blood glucose is in a deficiency situation, so you might need to up the amount of glucose by taking glucose supplements. Remain properly hydrated by taking rehydration salts. Remember that this is going to take time, but persistence will pay off in the end.
