Controlling Diabetic Ketoacidosis
People are mostly unaware of a potentially life-taking condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis. Don’t be fooled by the word ‘diabetic’ in the name! Though diabetics are prime targets of this condition, so also are they who have undergone severe dehydration for whatever reason, as well as those who have had massive viral or bacterial infections. These three categories form the high-risk population vulnerable to diabetic ketoacidosis.
This condition is related to the metabolic functions of the body. Food is digested to produce glucose, a form of sugar. Glucose is used by the muscles directly to carry out our basic functions. Glucose which is not needed immediately is converted to and stored as fat. Whenever the glucose levels dwindle, the body takes recourse to the stored energy reserves within our body, that is, the fats, reconverting them back to glucose, that is energy.
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.
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.
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.
The extremely abnormal blood chemistry can affect the brain. The person with this condition can become severely disoriented.
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!
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