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High Ketones Symptoms in Diabetes

With diabetes, when there isn't enough insulin in the body, one can potentially see a rise in his blood glucose level. This is an indication that the sugar in the blood isn't getting into the cells to provide the body nourishment. To combat this, the body naturally turns to other sources of nourishment, like excess fat. This process of using fat as energy produces something called a ketone, which is released into the blood. As time goes by, more and more ketones are released into the blood, making it toxic, prompting what is often called ketoacidosis, or a high level of ketones in the blood. When this happens, the body manifests certain signs and symptoms as a reaction to this toxicity.

  1. Thirst & Urination

    • When someone is suffering from a high level of ketones in the blood, he will begin to suffer from, according to the Mayo Clinic, both excessive thirst and more frequent urination. This is largely due to the reaction the body has to the ketones. As the ketone levels rise, the body will eliminate them through urine. The more ketones, the more urine is produced. Because of this, the body will become slightly dehydrated, triggering a heightened level of thirst to balance out the hydration. It is because of this that the two symptoms always go hand in hand.

    Nausea

    • Many times, a person with a high level of ketones in the blood will start to feel nauseous. As the toxicity in the blood continues to rise, it is a natural reaction of the body to become sick, sometimes so sick that it may cause a person to vomit. If you think about a period of time when you went so long without food that it made you sick, it's a similar feeling. The body isn't being nourished, the blood is becoming toxic and it results in a fair amount of nausea.

    Loss of Appetite

    • With the toxicity occurring in the body due to ketoacidosis, a person can also experience a loss in appetite, even though the cells aren't being properly nourished. This has a lot to do with the way someone feels as the ketone levels rise. The person often becomes nauseous and just doesn't feel like eating.

    Fatigue

    • As ketone levels continue to rise, the cells of the body are not necessarily getting the proper nutrients for energy. Without the proper nutrients, the body will become more fatigued or exhausted than usual. This fatigue may be so great that it prompts a certain amount of weakness in the individual.

    Abdominal Pain

    • For some people with diabetes, the increase in ketones may cause some level of pain or discomfort within the abdominal region of the body. This pain can start off rather dull, but, as the ketones continue to rise, it can become more and more severe.

    Respiratory Disturbance

    • There is also the potential for ketoacidosis to cause a disturbance in a person's respiration. Usually, it will manifest as a shortness of breath or a sudden windedness. This may occur during physical exertion or times of rest. It all depends on the way in which the body reacts to the heightened level of ketones.

    Cognitive Disturbance

    • For some people, a high level of ketones in the blood may cause a disturbance in their cognitive ability. Most of the time, a person will become confused or uncertain of what is going on around him. Sometimes, he may speak incoherently, demonstrating confusion.

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