Diabetic Coma: What you should know?
Have been recently diagnosed with diabetes? Still not able to come to terms with this chronic ailment that you know you have no escape from? Does the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this killer disease leave you sleepless?
The more you know about your problem, the better you are at handling it. So why not understand it better so that you are better equipped to deal with it?
Let me begin with a little basic about Diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disorder which impairs the insulin levels (a hormone necessary for blood sugar regulation) in the body or the way in which the body utilizes it.
It is a condition where the blood sugar levels are raised in blood as a result of the absence or decreased levels of insulin in the blood- type I diabetes or the way the body cells respond to normal levels of insulin-diabetes type 2.
The most salient symptoms of diabetes are polyphagia (increased hunger), polydypsia (increased thirst) and polyuria (increased urination). Some patients may also have diabetes symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, malaise, fatigue, or unexplained body pains.
Having this disorder in the family puts one at a higher risk, as also being obese or having an underlying medical condition like hypertension or cardiac complaints.
Left untreated or unattended to, it can lead to severe complications like diabetic coma, diabetic retinopathy (affection of the eye), diabetic neuropathy (affections of the nerves, diabetic nephropathy (diabetic renal disease), and diabetic foot (as a result of a non-healing ulcer). In some cases, it can also lead to depression or Alzheimer's disease.
Diabetic Coma: What you should know?
Diabetic Coma is one of the serious complications of uncontrolled diabetes. It results in a state of unconsciousness arising out of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) or hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels).
When does it occur?
It happens mainly due to the following reasons:
Diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome:
This is a condition where the sugar levels can go as high as 600mg/dl. The level of ketones (by products of fatty acid breakdown) in urine goes down and results in accumulation in blood leading to thickening of blood. This usually occurs in diabetes type 2.
Diabetic ketoacidosis :
This is a condition seen usually in type 1 diabetes. It occurs in sugar levels ranging from 250 mg/dl or lower. Body starts using fatty acids instead of glucose for fuel resulting in excessive ketones in the blood and urine.
How does it present?
Prolonged diabetes can lead to diabetic coma without presenting with any of the classical symptoms of diabetes. You need to keep a check on your sugar levels as both high and low blood sugar levels can result in diabetic coma.
Hyperglycaemia:
Diabetes symptoms like tiredness, abdominal pain, drowsiness, rapid pulse, unsteady gait, shortness of breath are indicative of hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar levels).
Hypoglycaemia:
Weakness, tiredness, nervousness, light headedness, confusion, fast breathing, anxiety, profuse sweating, dizziness are some of the diabetes symptoms indicating hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels) in the body.
Can it be treated?
Diabetic Coma is a life-threatening condition that requires hospitalization and immediate medical attention. Immediate care usually helps reverse the condition, while neglecting or delaying treatment may result in permanent brain damage or even death.
Diabetes treatment depends on the underlying cause but basically involves normalizing the sugar levels and the electrolyte imbalance.
In case of hypoglycaemia being the cause, the sugar levels are brought up by administering glucagon a hormone that helps counteract the actions of insulin and increase the low sugar levels. In case of ketoacidotic coma, administering sodium and potassium and intravenous fluids also help. In diabetic coma caused due to hyperglycaemia, bringing down the sugar levels as also improving hydration helps recovery.
The best way to deal with diabetic coma is to prevent it. And how can it be done? Simple! Once you take care of your diabetes you minimize the risk of developing complications too.
While conventional anti-diabetic medications pose a lot of side-effects like liver and renal toxicity, homeopathy medicines for diabetes help control blood sugar levels effectively in a safe and natural way.
Homeopathy medicines for diabetes restore the normal functioning of the pancreas thereby improving insulin secretion in case of type 1 diabetes and in case of diabetes type 2 help reduce insulin resistance.
A change in diet and regime along with homeopathy treatment for diabetes on a regular basis will help you control your diabetes effectively.
So instead of worrying about what could really happen in the future because of this chronic disease, why not focus on keeping it under check with homeopathy? After all, as the saying goes - Prevention is better than cure!
