Diabetic Coma Symptoms

Diabetes is a set of diseases that affects the way in which your body utilizes the glucose. There are two types of diabetes viz. type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In these two types, the blood sugar is higher than the normal required level. There is one more type of diabetes called gestational diabetes which is developed during pregnancy. If diabetes is left untreated, it may lead to diabetic coma. It is not so, that every diabetic will suffer from diabetic coma. Diabetic coma is a serious complication in diabetes. In diabetic coma, the patient becomes unconscious due to certain complications in diabetes. Let us take a look at the diabetic coma symptoms. Before that, we will discuss the causes of diabetic coma.

Diabetic Coma Causes

Diabetic Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is itself a complication of diabetes. The human brain needs glucose to function properly. If a person is on insulin, he/she is more likely to become hypoglycemic, due to overdose or skipping meals. Insulin is externally supplied in diabetes and it is responsible for regulating the glucose levels. The glucose levels drop to an alarmingly low level. This can lead to unconscious state called diabetic coma.

Diabetic Hyperosmolar
This is a state of the body when the person having diabetes is suffering from severe hyperglycemia along with dehydration. As the sugar levels in the body increase in hyperglycemia, the body excretes this excess sugar through urine. Frequent urination may lead to dehydration, which results in thickening of the blood. If this state is not treated, it may lead to diabetic coma.

Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis is more commonly seen in type 1 diabetic patients. However, type 2 and gestational diabetic patients may also suffer from this complication. In this complication, the muscle cells in the body starve for energy. The patient's body breaks the stored fat to gain energy. Ketones are the by products of this process and are harmful to the human body. If this is left untreated, it can lead to diabetic coma.

Diabetic Coma Symptoms
The diabetic coma signs and symptoms are discussed in this section. When the sugar level in the body increases, the diabetic coma symptoms are different than that are seen when the blood sugar level lowers. Let us take a look at them.

If the blood sugar level is very high which means the diabetic patient is suffering from hyperglycemia, the symptoms are as follows;

• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath

This case can be due to the following three reasons. The first reason is due to forgotten insulin or diabetic medicines. The second reason is due to some infections like flu or pneumonia. These infections can lead to increase in the sugar levels of the body. The last possibility is that the diabetic person may have consumed a lot of sugar and glucose rich foods.

On the other hand, if the diabetic patient is suffering from hypoglycemia, the symptoms are as follows;

• Shivers and shaky nerves
• Tiredness and continuous sweating
• Increase in hunger
• Increased fatigue and confusion
• Abdominal pain
• Progressive drowsiness
• Fruity smell in the breath

The patient suffers from these symptoms because of overdose of insulin or diabetic medicines. Rigorous exercising may also lead to this state. Excessive alcoholism is another cause of diabetic coma.

These are the diabetic coma symptoms and if they are seen in any diabetic patient, it is should be taken as a medical emergency and treated immediately. It is advisable not to give the patient anything to eat or drink, as the patient may choke.