Dealing With Deadly Diabetic Ketoacidosis


by Ned Best - Date: 2009-01-21 - Word Count: 452 Share This!

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 word 'deadly' in the title, and the word 'killer' in the first sentence are not put there 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.

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.

Diabetic ketoacidosis becomes dangerous due to delayed treatment. Most people who have diabetic ketoacidosis aren't even aware that they have it. The symptoms manifest themselves in the later stages of the condition. Recognizing them may well mean the difference between a life-critical existence and a normal one. The chief symptoms that are easily discernible are given here for your information.

• Skin dryness, elevated temperature, flushed or pale appearance.

• Blurred vision.

• Sickly sweet smelling breath.

• Listless behavior.

• Extreme nausea and complete loss of appetite.

• Mental confusion and lack of comprehension.

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!

Related Tags: diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis

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