Adult-onset Diabetes – Complications – Short Term

16 May, 2009 No Comment

What are the complications of Adult-onset diabetes in the short term?

The complications of adult-onset diabetes can either be short term or long term. The complications of short term require your immediate attention and treatment. Otherwise it could cause coma and epileptic attacks. The following are the short term complications.

Hyperglycemia or High blood sugar level

The blood sugar level of a person can increase due to various reasons such as overeating, sickness or not taking proper medications for lowering your blood glucose level. This requires frequent checking of your blood glucose level; further you must also look for symptoms of high sugar in your blood wherein you feel like urinating frequently, feel thirsty, blurred vision, dry mouth, nausea and tiredness.

People affected by hyperglycemia need changes in their diet, medicines or both diet and medicine. If your blood glucose level exceeds 250 mg/DL, there is a possibility that you might have been affected by hyperosmolar syndrome which is fatal. The blood at this time would become syrupy and thick due to high sugar levels.

Diabetic acidosis
The cells in a diabetic patient get starved of energy and this will break down the body fat thereby producing ketones which are toxic acids. If your blood glucose level exceeds 250 mg/DL, it is essential that you look for symptoms such as appetite, fever, fruity breath smell, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting. There are OTC kits available in drug stores which you can use to check your urine ketones. In the event of you having excess urine ketones you must consult a doctor immediately.

Hypoglycemia or Low Blood Sugar
If your blood glucose level reduces below a certain level it causes a condition known as hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. The fall in blood glucose level can occur due to any of the following reasons.
1. Skipping meal/ meals
2. Excess exercising
3. Excess intake of glucose-lowering medications
4. Insulin therapy.

This condition can be avoided by checking blood glucose level regularly and also looking for early hypoglycemia signs such as dizziness, hunger, nausea, shakiness, sweating and weakness. If not treated you may have further symptoms such as confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech.

Low blood sugar development in the night might cause sweat-soaking of your pajamas or headache. Because of the rebounding effect that occurs naturally after low blood sugar, the blood sugar in the morning will be very high.

If you find that you suddenly have hypoglycemia symptoms, take something which could increase your sugar level immediately. Such things are fruit juice, hard candy, glucose tablets or any other sugar source. If you become unconscious you should be given an injection of glucagon which is a hormone for stimulating sugar release into your blood.