Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a severe complication of diabetes. It happens when an absence of insulin results in doubtlessly life-threatening acidosis and imbalances of electrolytes within the blood.
Though DKA is extra frequent in individuals with kind 1 diabetes, it could actually additionally happen in these with kind 2. If there’s no insulin or not sufficient insulin, your physique begins to interrupt down fats and muscle to generate ketones for power as a substitute.
Excessive concentrations of ketones acidify the blood, which causes signs like nausea, vomiting, fruity breath, mind fog, speedy coronary heart price, and issue respiration.
Excessive blood sugar causes extreme urination and the leakage of sugar into the urine. This in flip results in lack of physique water and dehydration in addition to lack of important electrolytes, together with sodium and potassium, explains StatPearls.
Insulin can be important for guiding potassium into the physique’s cells, so with out it, potassium ranges can even rise very excessive. The extent of one other electrolyte, bicarbonate, additionally falls because the physique tries to compensate for excessively acidic blood, says the Nationwide Kidney Basis (NKF).
Based on the American Diabetes Affiliation, DKA will be lethal and is sort of all the time handled in a hospital, as complicated electrolyte imbalances can’t be managed at house. In the event you or anybody else is experiencing DKA signs, instantly communicate to a health care provider, go to the emergency room, or name 911.
