The Monitor Newspaper: Having type 1 diabetes leads to a potentially dangerous condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
In this regard, researcher Johann Warsal, a professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, explained that diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when cells (starved for glucose) burn fat to produce energy, according to express. To know the role of blood sugar in the body, it is the energy gained from foods that the cells of the body need to function, and for the cells to absorb glucose, the hormone insulin must perform its function to the fullest.
Insulin is the key that unlocks the doors to the cells, enabling glucose to enter. Without an adequate and effective supply of insulin, cells cannot get enough energy to function. And when cells switch to burning fats to produce energy, the resulting side effect is a buildup of ketones, which can be very dangerous, as high levels can lead to coma and even death.
The researchers pointed out that the only way to avoid diabetic ketoacidosis in patients with type 1 diabetes, is to start insulin therapy urgently. Just as diabetes affects adults, children have a share as well. The Gothenburg research team surveyed the caregivers of 237 children and adolescents (under 19 years old) who were admitted to hospital with new type 1 diabetes between 2015 and 2017.
The research team indicated that up to 43 percent of these children were not referred immediately to the pediatric emergency department, indicating that the doctor was significantly delayed, and symptoms may include the following:
extreme thirst
Excessive urination, especially at night
Feeling more tired than usual
Unexplained weight loss.
Really thirsty
Genital itching or thrush
Wounds take longer to heal
– blurred vision
Increased hunger.