How To Lower Your Blood Sugar When It's Really High
This article is written for type 2 diabetics who need help coming down from a very high blood sugar during a single, isolated high blood sugar event. If you want to try an stabilize your baseline, consider signing up for my Baseline Blood Sugar Challenge course. THIS ARTICLE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR REAL MEDICAL ADVICE. If you're a type 2 diabetic and your blood sugar is high right now (greater than 300mg/dL for at least 6 hours), the first thing you should do is call your doctor. So, if you haven't called anyone for help yet, please stop reading this article and call your doctor. If your doctor is able to help, then you need not read on. Also, if you are having symptoms of Diabetic Ketoacidosis, stop reading this article and go to the hospital immediately. Diabetic Ketoacidosis can kill you if left untreated. But. If you're in a situation where your blood sugar has been high for an extended period of time, you could perhaps consider taking the following steps to solve your blood sugar problem. Disclaimer: This is friendly, non-medical advice from a random diabetic person you don't even know, which is a very (very) poor substitute for real, actual medical advice. Use at your own risk. First, you should try and lower your blood sugar without injectable insulin by completing the following steps: 1. Check your blood sugar. Write down the time and your blood sugar level. 2. Drink water (this doesn't actually lower blood sugar, but it helps flush sugar and ketones from your body, if you have them). Continue drinking water, but please don't make yourself sick. 3. Move. As in, walk. Walk around the block or walk in place or haul your ass up and down the stairs for 30-60 minutes. Walking helps your cells become less insulin resistant, which is what you need right now. Do N Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) happens when your blood sugar is high and your insulin level is low. This imbalance in the body causes a build-up of ketones. Ketones are toxic. If DKA isn’t treated, it can lead to diabetic coma and even death. DKA mainly affects people who have type 1 diabetes. But it can also happen with other types of diabetes, including type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (during pregnancy). DKA is a very serious condition. If you have diabetes and think you may have DKA, contact your doctor or get to a hospital right away. The first symptoms to appear are usually: frequent urination. The next stage of DKA symptoms include: vomiting (usually more than once) confusion or trouble concentrating a fruity odor on the breath. The main cause of DKA is not enough insulin. A lack of insulin means sugar can’t get into your cells. Your cells need sugar for energy. This causes your body’s glucose levels to rise. To get energy, the body starts to burn fat. This process causes ketones to build up. Ketones can poison the body. High blood glucose levels can also cause you to urinate often. This leads to a lack of fluids in the body (dehydration). DKA can be caused by missing an insulin dose, eating poorly, or feeling stressed. An infection or other illness (such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection) can also lead to DKA. If you have signs of infection (fever, cough, or sore throat), contact your doctor. You will want to make sure you are getting the right treatment. For some people, DKA may be the first sign that they have diabetes. When you are sick, you need to watch your blood sugar level very closely so that it doesn’t get too high or too low. Ask your doctor what your critical blood sugar level is. Most patients should watch their glucose levels c Continue reading >>
> Hyperglycemia And Diabetic Ketoacidosis
When blood glucose levels (also called blood sugar levels) are too high, it's called hyperglycemia. Glucose is a sugar that comes from foods, and is formed and stored inside the body. It's the main source of energy for the body's cells and is carried to each through the bloodstream. But even though we need glucose for energy, too much glucose in the blood can be unhealthy. Hyperglycemia is the hallmark of diabetes — it happens when the body either can't make insulin (type 1 diabetes) or can't respond to insulin properly (type 2 diabetes). The body needs insulin so glucose in the blood can enter the cells to be used for energy. In people who have developed diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood, resulting in hyperglycemia. If it's not treated, hyperglycemia can cause serious health problems. Too much sugar in the bloodstream for long periods of time can damage the vessels that supply blood to vital organs. And, too much sugar in the bloodstream can cause other types of damage to body tissues, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems in people with diabetes. These problems don't usually show up in kids or teens with diabetes who have had the disease for only a few years. However, they can happen in adulthood in some people, particularly if they haven't managed or controlled their diabetes properly. Blood sugar levels are considered high when they're above someone's target range. The diabetes health care team will let you know what your child's target blood sugar levels are, which will vary based on factors like your child's age. A major goal in controlling diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels as close to the desired range as possible. It's a three-way balancing act of: diabetes medicines (such as in Continue reading >>
How Do You Determine When Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis Serious Enough To Seek Professional Medical Assistance?
If you have DKA, you should seek medical assistance. There is no “safe level.” It is potentially dangerous, and even if you don’t have any immediate perception of damage, over time the acidity of the acidosis can, over time, do a lot of damage to your body. How do you know if you have it? If you have high blood sugar readings and ketones are present in your urine, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. If the amount of ketones is “large”, it is a medical emergency, regardless of how you feel or what other symptoms you have. You test for ketones by using Ketostix. Dip the tip in fresh urine caught for the purpose, The tip will turn colors, indicating the presence of urine. The color will indicate the amount of ketones, with the most intense colors meaning the highest levels. Check the expiration date on the Ketostix. If you do not test for ketones frequently, they may expire before they are used up and you should not rely on them. They may be better than nothing if that is all you have. As a diabetic or the caregiver of a diabetic, you should have Ketostix on hand. The doctor can tell you at what blood sugar reading you should check for ketones. It might be something like above 300, which means that whenever you get a reading of 300 or above, you should check for ketones. Ketones cause the urine to have an identifiable smell often described as fruity or acetone-like. If you can smell that, your level of ketones is high enough that you should see a doctor, regardless of whether you have any Ketostix. Wikipedia has an article about diabetic ketoacidosis. Continue reading >>
What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious condition characterized by high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), low insulin, and the presence of moderate to large amounts of ketones in the blood. It's a medical emergency that requires treatment in a hospital. If not treated in a timely fashion, ketoacidosis can lead to coma and death. While diabetic ketoacidosis (or DKA) is much more common among people with type 1 diabetes, it can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes, so ketone monitoring is something everyone with diabetes should understand. Diabetic Ketoacidosis Symptoms Signs and symptoms of ketoacidosis include: Thirst or a very dry mouth Frequent urination Fatigue and weakness Nausea Vomiting Dry or flushed skin Abdominal pain Deep breathing A fruity breath odor What Are Ketones? Ketones, or ketone bodies, are acidic byproducts of fat metabolism. It's normal for everyone to have a small amount of ketones in the bloodstream, and after a fast of 12 to16 hours, there may be detectable amounts in the urine. As is the case with glucose, if blood levels of ketones get too high, they spill over into the urine. An elevated level of ketones in the blood is known as ketosis. People who follow low-carbohydrate diets often speak of ketosis as a desirable state — it's evidence that their bodies are burning fat, not carbohydrate. But the level of ketosis that results from low carbohydrate consumption isn't harmful and is much lower than the level seen in diabetic ketoacidosis. When Should Ketones Be Monitored? Ketone monitoring is less of a concern for people with type 2 diabetes than for those with type 1 diabetes. This is because most people with type 2 diabetes still make some of their own insulin, making diabetic ketoacidosis less likely to develop. Nonetheless, people with type 2 d Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Patient professional reference Professional Reference articles are written by UK doctors and are based on research evidence, UK and European Guidelines. They are designed for health professionals to use. You may find the Pre-diabetes (Impaired Glucose Tolerance) article more useful, or one of our other health articles. See also the separate Childhood Ketoacidosis article. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a medical emergency with a significant morbidity and mortality. It should be diagnosed promptly and managed intensively. DKA is characterised by hyperglycaemia, acidosis and ketonaemia:[1] Ketonaemia (3 mmol/L and over), or significant ketonuria (more than 2+ on standard urine sticks). Blood glucose over 11 mmol/L or known diabetes mellitus (the degree of hyperglycaemia is not a reliable indicator of DKA and the blood glucose may rarely be normal or only slightly elevated in DKA). Bicarbonate below 15 mmol/L and/or venous pH less than 7.3. However, hyperglycaemia may not always be present and low blood ketone levels (<3 mmol/L) do not always exclude DKA.[2] Epidemiology DKA is normally seen in people with type 1 diabetes. Data from the UK National Diabetes Audit show a crude one-year incidence of 3.6% among people with type 1 diabetes. In the UK nearly 4% of people with type 1 diabetes experience DKA each year. About 6% of cases of DKA occur in adults newly presenting with type 1 diabetes. About 8% of episodes occur in hospital patients who did not primarily present with DKA.[2] However, DKA may also occur in people with type 2 diabetes, although people with type 2 diabetes are much more likely to have a hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state. Ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes tends to be more common in older, overweight, non-white people with type 2 diabetes, and DKA may be their Continue reading >>
Severe Ketoacidosis (ph ≤ 6.9) In Type 2 Diabetes: More Frequent And Less Ominous Than Previously Thought
BioMed Research International Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 134780, 5 pages 1Division of Endocrinology, Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital “Dr. José E. González”, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, 64460 Monterrey, NL, Mexico 2Knowledge and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA 3Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital “Dr. José E. González”, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, 64460 Monterrey, NL, Mexico 4Latino Diabetes Initiative, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA Academic Editor: Gianluca Bardini Copyright © 2015 René Rodríguez-Gutiérrez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening acute metabolic complication of uncontrolled diabetes. Severe cases of DKA (pH ≤ 7.00, bicarbonate level ≤ 10.0, anion gap > 12, positive ketones, and altered mental status) are commonly encountered in patients with type 1 diabetes and are thought to carry an ominous prognosis. There is not enough information on the clinical course of severely acidotic type 2 diabetes (pH ≤ 6.9) patients with DKA, possibly because this condition is rarely seen in developed countries. In this series, we present 18 patients with type 2 diabetes, DKA, and a pH ≤ 6.9 that presented to a tertiary university hospital over the past 11 years. The objective was to describe their clinical characteristics, the triggering cause, and emphasis on treatment, evolution, and outcomes. The majority of Continue reading >>
Substantial Reduction In Hospital Stay Of Children And Adolescents With Diabetic Ketoacidosis After Implementation Of Clinical Practice Guidelines In A University Hospital In Saudi Arabia
Abstract We aimed to determine the effect of Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) implementation on length of hospital stay of children and adolescents with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This was a 6-year (2008-2014) case-control retrospective study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, that compared patients with DKA managed using CPG with those treated before CPG implementation. There were 63 episodes of DKA in 41 patients managed using CPG compared with 40 episodes in 33 patients treated before implementation of CPG. Baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar (age, sex, newly diagnosed patients, recurrent DKA, DKA severity, and mean glycosylated hemoglobin). The mean length of hospital stay (±SD) was 68.6 ± 53.1 hours after implementation of CPG compared with 107.4 ± 65.6 hours before implementation (P < .001). The reduction in length of hospital stay equals to 1700 bed days saved per year per 1000 patients. Implementation of CPG for DKA decreased the length of hospital stay. 1 INTRODUCTION Type 1 diabetes (T1D), the third leading chronic disease in children and adolescents, is a major health problem.[1, 2] There is an alarming increase in the world-wide incidence of T1D.[1, 2] In Saudi Arabia alone, it is estimated to be 27.5 per 100 000 individuals per year.[3] Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the main acute complication of T1D.[4, 5] It is caused by reduced insulin levels, decreased glucose utilization, increased gluconeogenesis, and elevated counter-regulatory hormones including, glucagon, cortisol, and catecholamines. The incidence of DKA is 13.6 and 14.9 per 1000 patients with T1D per year in the UK and Swedenm respectively.[6, 7] The rate of hospital admission of diabetic patients with DKA has increased by about 30% in the last decade i Continue reading >>
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- Improved pregnancy outcomes in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes but substantial clinic-to-clinic variations: a prospective nationwide study
- Disparities in Diabetes Deaths Among Children and Adolescents United States, 20002014
When You Are Diabetic And Have Very High Blood Glucose Levels, Why Do They Tell You To Go To The Hospital Instead Of Just Giving Yourself More Insulin?
Even though Diabetic is not a serious condition, but ignoring the diabetic can lead to many complicated health conditions. Apart from the medication, proper diabetic treatment and care also should be taken wisely. Visiting a Diabetic care Hospital gives proper care and treatment as every individual needs unique treatment & care. Diabetic treatment is dependent on individual. Also Diabetic Hospital will be having most efficient team for diabetes management including dieticians, physiotherapists, psychotherapists and top diabetologists at Kochi who are dedicated to provide high quality medical care. Continue reading >>
Do Amish Go To Hospital When They Get Sick?
As Michael stated, the vast majority of Amish do go to the hospital when they need to. However, they may avoid it at times using alternative treatment methods more than some of the rest of the USA. Each community has different guidelines, but there are Amish “dentists”, “Doctors” and “midwives” that are not recognized by any medical board. The Amish have a board that confers with the state authorities and give them special permission to basically have some laws not apply to them. They have a public steering committee that deals with legislators. Government I personally know of Amish “midwives” that consistently endanger women’s lives, the state board knows of it and yet doesn’t touch them because of the can of worms it will open up. Yet some do suffer from the hand of the law. Laboring to save home births But as a doula, I have accompanied several mothers to the hospital that were of the Amish faith. Most of them are vaccinated, maintain normal health visits. One women told me she really rather enjoyed it when she was pregnant as it was the only time she got to take a trip to town. (A small city 75 miles from her home, for prenatal care). She was sad to see her childbearing come to an end as it isolated her. It is fairly normal though, in certain areas, to see those of the Amish faith in the hospital. In some parts of the USA, there are special clinics devoted to those of the Amish faith because of their many genetic issues from intermarriage. Continue reading >>
What Is Diabetic Ketoacidosis?
Having diabetes means that there is too much sugar (glucose) in your blood. When you eat food, your body breaks down much of the food into glucose. Your blood carries the glucose to the cells of your body. An organ in your upper belly, called the pancreas, makes and releases a hormone called insulin when it detects glucose. Your body uses insulin to help move the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for energy. When your body does not make insulin (type 1 diabetes), or has trouble using insulin (type 2 diabetes), glucose cannot get into your cells. The glucose level in your blood goes up. Too much glucose in your blood (also called hyperglycemia or high blood sugar) can cause many problems. People with type 1 diabetes are at risk for a problem called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is very rare in people with type 2 diabetes. DKA happens when your body does not have enough insulin to move glucose into your cells, and your body begins to burn fat for energy. The burning of fats causes a build-up of dangerous levels of ketones in the blood. At the same time, sugar also builds up in the blood. DKA is an emergency that must be treated right away. If it is not treated right away, it can cause coma or death. What can I expect in the hospital? You will need to stay in the hospital in order to bring your blood sugar level under control and treat the cause of the DKA. Several things may be done while you are in the hospital to monitor, test, and treat your condition. They include: Monitoring You will be checked often by the hospital staff. You may have fingersticks to check your blood sugar regularly. This may be done as often as every hour. You will learn how to check your blood sugar level in order to manage your diabetes when you go home. A heart (cardiac) monitor may Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis: Treatment In The Intensive Care Unit Or General Medical/surgical Ward?
Go to: INTRODUCTION Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have health care costs 2.3 times higher than others without this diagnosis[1]. In a prevalence-based study, by the American Diabetes Association, in the United States in 2012, the total cost for diagnosed DM was $245 billion United States dollars, and of it, $176 billion was used for direct medical care costs[1]. In addition, and even more concerning, is the fact that hospitalizations for patients with DM have being increasing[2]. The National Surveillance of Diabetes Public Health Resources, reported that diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) admissions increased from 80000/year in 1988 to 140000/year in 2009[2]. DKA causes an acute metabolic disorder, which is primarily characterized by an increased presence of circulating ketone bodies, and the development of severe ketoacidosis in the presence of prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia, usually due to insulin deficiency[3]. It is more commonly seen in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), especially among children and young adults. Occasionally, patients with insulin resistant DM can present this complication; especially those that are noncompliant with insulin therapy or who present severe infection[3]. DKA has arbitrarily been classified by some as mild, moderate and severe, according to the initial diagnostic criteria (which includes plasma glucose, arterial pH, serum bicarbonate, urine and serum ketones, serum osmolality and anion gap; and the alteration in the mental status)[4]. Continue reading >>
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How To Treat Ketoacidosis
Immediately drink a large amount of non-caloric or low caloric fluid. Continue to drink 8 to 12 oz. every 30 minutes. Diluted Gatorade, water with Nu-Salt™ and similar fluids are good because they help restore potassium lost because of high blood sugars. Take larger-than-normal correction boluses every 3 hours until the blood sugar is below 200 mg/dl (11 mmol) and ketones are negative. It will take much more rapid insulin than normal to bring blood sugars down when ketones are present in the urine or blood. Often, one and a half to two times the normal insulin dose for a high blood sugar will be necessary. Higher insulin doses than these will be needed if there is an infection or other major stress. If nausea becomes severe or last 4 hours or more, call your physician. If vomiting starts or you can no longer drink fluids, have a friend or family member call your physician immediately, then go directly to an emergency room for treatment. Never omit your insulin, even if you cannot eat. A reduced insulin dose might be needed, but only if your blood sugar is currently low. When high blood sugars or ketoacidosis happen, it is critical that you drink lots of fluid to prevent dehydration. Take extra amounts of Humalog, Novolog or Regular insulin to bring the blood sugars down. Children with severe ketoacidosis lose 10-15 % of their previous body weight (i.e., a 60 lb. child can lose 6 to 9 lbs. of weight) due to severe dehydration. Replacement of fluids should be monitored carefully. The dehydration is caused by excess urination due to high blood sugars and is quickly worsened when vomiting starts due to the ketoacidosis. The start of vomiting requires immediate attention at an ER or hospital where IV fluid replacement can begin. If only nausea is present and it is possible Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (dka)
Tweet Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a dangerous complication faced by people with diabetes which happens when the body starts running out of insulin. DKA is most commonly associated with type 1 diabetes, however, people with type 2 diabetes that produce very little of their own insulin may also be affected. Ketoacidosis is a serious short term complication which can result in coma or even death if it is not treated quickly. Read about Diabetes and Ketones What is diabetic ketoacidosis? DKA occurs when the body has insufficient insulin to allow enough glucose to enter cells, and so the body switches to burning fatty acids and producing acidic ketone bodies. A high level of ketone bodies in the blood can cause particularly severe illness. Symptoms of DKA Diabetic ketoacidosis may itself be the symptom of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes. Typical symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include: Vomiting Dehydration An unusual smell on the breath –sometimes compared to the smell of pear drops Deep laboured breathing (called kussmaul breathing) or hyperventilation Rapid heartbeat Confusion and disorientation Symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis usually evolve over a 24 hour period if blood glucose levels become and remain too high (hyperglycemia). Causes and risk factors for diabetic ketoacidosis As noted above, DKA is caused by the body having too little insulin to allow cells to take in glucose for energy. This may happen for a number of reasons including: Having blood glucose levels consistently over 15 mmol/l Missing insulin injections If a fault has developed in your insulin pen or insulin pump As a result of illness or infections High or prolonged levels of stress Excessive alcohol consumption DKA may also occur prior to a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Ketoacidosis can occasional Continue reading >>
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (dka): How Do You Know When It Is Time To Go To The Hospital?
I Have These Symptoms All the Time If you are diabetic, and have been for a while, you develop a different sense of what feeling "normal" is and when it is time to be concerned. However, even those of us with the most keen sense of our blood sugar levels based on symptoms we experience can become desensitized to how close we are to falling into a far more dismal situation known as Diabetic Ketoacidosis otherwise known as DKA. As described by the American Diabetes Association DKA is “a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma and even death”. The ADA goes on to explain that when your cells don’t get the level of glucose they need to produce energy, our bodies have to go elsewhere to find means, like burning fat. The problem is that when the body burns fat for energy it produces an acid called Ketones which spill into the blood stream and become very toxic to your body. A diabetic in the state of DKA is essentially being poisoned by their own body as it seeks energy it cannot get from glucose saturated blood cells as it normally would. What does Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) feel like? Does it Hurt? Being in a state of DKA, from my experience, starts of rather mundane and usual and eventually becomes quite a surreal and alarming ordeal. For me, Diabetic Ketoacidosis began on a day no different than many others I had been having lately. I had gotten sloppy with my insulin doses and hadn’t been taking my blood glucose levels nearly often enough. I would take insulin based on what carbs I thought I was eating and when I was not eating, based on how I felt. I truly doing it all wrong, not because I don’t know what I need to do but because I had fallen into a bad habit of snacking constantly which makes it difficult to test correctly and almost impossible to gi Continue reading >>
