Millions of people have diabetes and there are two ways of entering into a coma if you're one of them. If your blood sugar gets too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia) it can cause a diabetic to lose consciousness.
There are two conditions that can cause a diabetic coma in hyperglycemic cases, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and diabetic hyperocmolar syndrome (DHS). Blood sugar over 780 milligrams per deciliter is considered too high.
DKA usually is only a risk for type 1 diabetes, symptoms include: dry mouth, frequent urination, fatigue, dry skin, vomiting, abdominal pain, or a sweet fruity odor on your breath. DKA occurs when muscle cells take energy from fat, a process that forms acids known as ketones. Lack of insulin in the blood is a key factor in your muscles acting this way. Skipping an insulin shot could result in DKA.
DHS is more common in type 2 diabetes cases. Symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst, and dry mouth. It can occur from: eating too much, infrequent exercise, physical or emotional stress, or not enough insulin. It can also be brought on by outside factors such as: infection, illness, alcohol or drug abuse, or dehydration. In DHS a diabetic's blood becomes think and syrupy. Your body's cell cannot process that much sugar so it tries to flush it out by using up all the bodies water. Your body tries to pee all the sugar out and dehydration can occur.
There is only one diabetic coma cause in low blood sugar cases, and a hypoglycemic coma will probably not kill you like a hyperglycemic coma will. Hypoglycemic symptoms include: shakiness, tiredness, sweatiness, hunger, chills, and irritability. Quick treatments can include eating a sugar product, or sugar itself, even some juices can help. Your brain requires glucose to function and without it is will shut down, inducing a coma. A level below 60 milligrams per deciliter is considered too low.
For more information on diabetes here's a link to the American Diabetes Association.
