What causes unconsciousness in diabetes?
Severely high blood sugar turns your blood thick and syrupy. The excess sugar passes from your blood into your urine, which triggers a filtering process that draws tremendous amounts of fluid from your body. Left untreated, this can lead to life-threatening dehydration and a diabetic coma.
What causes loss of consciousness in diabetic coma?
A diabetic coma occurs when blood sugar levels become either too low or too high. The cells in your body require glucose to function. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can make you dehydrated which can cause you to lose consciousness.
What causes unconsciousness in DKA?
Advanced diabetic ketoacidosis If it progresses and worsens without treatment it can eventually cause unconsciousness, from a combination of a very high blood sugar level, dehydration and shock, and exhaustion.
What happens to your body when you go into a diabetic coma?
A diabetic coma results from either very high or very low blood glucose levels. This is a life-threatening complication which causes the patient to fall into a state of unconsciousness. The coma is reversible if treated immediately, but if left untreated they may receive permanent brain damage or potentially die.
What is diabetic coma like?
Symptoms of hypoglycemic coma If your blood sugar levels are rapidly lowering and not responding to fast-acting glucose, such as juice, glucose tablets or gels, this is a sign that you are at immediate risk for hypoglycemic coma. The signs and symptoms of an urgent low blood sugar include: confusion. sweating.
What type of shock is diabetic shock?
Diabetic shock is not a medical term, but people often use it to describe a state of severe hypoglycemia that requires another person’s help. People with mild low blood sugar, which doctors call insulin reaction or hypoglycemia, are usually conscious and can treat themselves.
How do you treat unconscious diabetes?
If you are familiar with diabetes care, test the unconscious person’s blood sugar and follow these steps: If the blood sugar level is lower than 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), give the person an injection of glucagon. Do not try to give fluids to drink and do not give insulin to someone with low blood sugar.
What does a diabetic coma feel like?
The severe symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar that can come before a diabetic coma include vomiting, difficulty breathing, confusion, weakness, and dizziness.
What is a diabetic coma called?
The three types of diabetic coma include diabetic ketoacidosis coma, hyperosmolar coma and hypoglycaemic coma. Diabetic coma is a medical emergency and needs prompt medical treatment. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels may lead to hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia.
How do you treat a diabetic coma?
Diabetic coma requires emergency medical treatment….High blood sugar
- Intravenous fluids to restore water to your tissues.
- Potassium, sodium or phosphate supplements to help your cells function correctly.
- Insulin to help your tissues absorb the glucose in your blood.
- Treatment for any underlying infections.
What is the difference between diabetic shock and diabetic coma?
Insulin shock and diabetic coma are two terms that just don’t make sense. Insulin shock refers to the body’s reaction to too little sugar – hypoglycemia – often caused by too much insulin. Diabetic coma refers to a victim of high blood sugar – hyperglycemia – who becomes confused or unconscious.
What happens when a person goes into diabetic shock?
When a person experiences diabetic shock, or severe hypoglycemia, they may lose consciousness, have trouble speaking, and experience double vision. Early treatment is essential because blood sugar levels that stay low for too long can lead to seizures or diabetic coma.
What happens to glucagon in diabetes?
If you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make insulin or doesn’t make enough. This can change how your body makes glucagon. Usually, food gives your body the sugar and energy it needs. Glucagon levels then go down because your liver doesn’t need to make more sugar to fuel your muscles.
Is glucagon high or low in diabetes?
Often, type 2 diabetics also have elevated levels of glucagon, another hormone that is released by the pancreas. Glucagon counteracts the effects of insulin by instructing the liver to release stored glucose into the blood.
What is diabetic coma called?
Can a person come out of a diabetic coma?
How do you recover from a diabetic coma? A diabetic coma can affect a person with diabetes when they have high or low levels of blood sugar or other substances in the body. With prompt treatment, a rapid recovery is possible. However, without early treatment, it can be fatal or result in brain damage.
How do you treat diabetic coma?
Why does hyperglycemia cause coma?
A diabetic hyperosmolar coma is caused by severe dehydration and very high blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia). Events that can lead to high blood glucose levels include: forgotten diabetes medications or insulin. an infection or illness, such as the flu or pneumonia.