If You Think You Have Ketoacidosis Read This!Ketoacidosis (key-toe-ass-i-DOE-sis) is a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma (passing out for a long time) or even death. This may happen to people with type 1 diabetes. This occurs rarely in people with type 2 diabetes. Ketoacidosis is a type of metabolic acidosis which is caused by high concentrations of ketone bodies, formed by the deanimation of amino acids, and the breakdown of fatty acids.
The excess Ketones bodies can significantly acidify the blood. The presence of high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) caused by the lack of insulin can lead to further acidity in the blood. In healthy individuals this normally does not occur because the pancreas produces insulin in response to rising Ketones/blood sugar levels. This symptom means dangerously high levels of Ketones and they appear in the urine when your body doesn't have enough insulin. Ketones can poison the body. They are a warning sign that your diabetes is out of control or that you are getting sick. This is the most common in untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus, when the liver breaks down fat and proteins in response to a perceived need for respiratory substrate. It can also occur with people who are participating in hunger strikes, fasting for more than 3 days, in people with eating disorders such as anorexia or people starving to death as the body is forced to break down fat for sustenance due to the lack of outside nutrition. Ketoacidosis can be smelled on a person's breath. This is due to acetone, a direct byproduct of the spontaneous decomposition of acetoacetic acid. The smell is most often described as smelling like fruit or nail polish remover. Treatment for this symptom usually takes place in the hospital. But you can help prevent this symptom by learning the warning signs and checking your urine and blood regularly. Diabetic Ketoacidosis symptoms can develop slowly but often develop quickly, sometimes within 24 hours. You may notice: Two common types of Ketoacidosis are Diabetic and Alcoholic. In diabetic patients, this is usually accompanied by insulin deficiency, hyperglycemia, and dehydration. In type 1 diabetics the lack of insulin in the bloodstream prevents glucose absorption and can cause unchecked Ketones body production potentially leading to dangerous glucose and Ketones levels in the blood. Dehydration results following the osmotic movement of water into urine, exacerbating the acidosis. Hyperglycemia results in glucose overloading the nephron and spilling into the urine. In alcoholic ketoacidosis, alcohol causes dehydration and blocks the first step of gluconeogenesis, which is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates such as pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, and glycogenic amino acids. The body is then unable to synthesize enough glucose to meet its needs, thus creating an energy crisis resulting in fatty acid metabolism, and Ketones body formation. How do you know if you have large amounts of Ketones? A simple urine test can detect Ketones. You use a test strip, like a blood testing strip. Ask your health care provider when and how you should test for Ketones. Many experts advise to check your urine for Ketones when your blood glucose is more than 240 mg/dl. When you are ill (when you have a cold or the flu, for example), check for Ketones every 4 to 6 hours. And check every 4 to 6 hours when your blood glucose is more than 240 mg/dl. Also, check for Ketones when you think you may have any symptoms of ketoacidosis. Return to Top of Ketoacidosis
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