Diabetes mellitus is a group of disorders that affects the body’s ability to process sugars in food we eat and ends up in excessive accumulation of blood in sugar. Diabetes is an illness, which is more common in people that have conditions like obesity or overweight, but anyone can get diabetes.
If someone has a an emergency problem due to diabetes but you're undecided what caused the matter whether it's from low blood glucose or high blood glucose, treat as if he has low blood glucose; additionally, it's better to supply touch of sugar, then seeking medical treatment.
1. Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia)
This condition during which the person will have low sugar in his blood and might only happen to an individual treating his diabetes with medicines. A person’s blood glucose can drop too low if he's taking insulin or another diabetes medication and takes an excessive amount of medicine, doesn't eat adequate food, does strenuous physical activity, have long gap between meals, or drinks to much alcohol.
If anyone has low sugar in his blood, he may become clumsy, confused, nervous or irritable. He may sweat or tremble. When that happens, he must eat. If he doesn't, his condition will worsen and can develop these danger signs:
- Low blood glucose can look lots just like the person is drunk and might be overlooked as being a true emergency.
Danger signs of hypoglycemia
- Trouble walking or feeling weak
- Trouble seeing clearly
- Confusion or acting in a very strange way (you may mistake him for being drunk)
- Losing consciousness
- Seizure
If he's conscious, quickly give him sugar: drinkable, soda, candy, or a glass of water with several spoons of sugar in it'll all work. He should eat a full meal soon after similarly. If he's still confused or doesn't begin to feel better quarter-hour after you've got given sugar, get help.
If he's unconscious, place a pinch of sugar or honey under his tongue. Keep giving small amounts. It takes time for the body to soak up sugar. When he wakes up you'll give him more.
2. High blood glucose (hyperglycemia)
A person with diabetes can have an excessive amount of sugar in his blood if he eats an excessive amount of food, is a smaller amount active than usual, accompanied by a serious illness or infection, doesn't take his diabetes medicine, or gets dehydrated. This may happen to an individual whether or not he doesn't yet know he has diabetes.
Get help for these signs;-
- Feeling thirsty and drinking lot of water
- Frequent urination
- Blurry vision
- Weight loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
If not treated, high blood glucose are often very dangerous and might cause a coma or perhaps death. you'll save a person’s life by getting help for these more dangerous signs:
Danger signs
- Fast pulse rate
- Fruity odor on breath
- Dry skin
- Low blood pressure
- Confusion
- Fast, deep breathing
- Loss of consciousness
How to treat a person with hyoerglycemia?
Take him immediately to a heart. If he's conscious, give him lots of water to drink. provides a little at a time.
If you're certain he has high blood glucose and know his insulin dose, provides a touch of insulin on the way to treatment facility. But if you're not certain, don't give insulin. Giving someone insulin after they have low blood glucose can kill them.
Further reading sources:-
- Diabetes Emergencies https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24820043/
- Treatment of Diabetic Emergencies https://www.uptodate.com/contents/diabetic-ketoacidosis-and-hyperosmolar-hyperglycemic-state-in-adults-treatment