A coma is a state of deep unconsciousness, the length of time a coma continues varies. Diabetics are at risk of falling into a coma if their management of food and liquid intake goes wrong. You can die from a diabetic coma, so it is vital that anyone with diabetes receives urgent medical attention if they become unconscious.
A diabetic coma can occur due to excessive loss of fluids from the body. This can happen if the diabetic person misses their insulin shot or consumes too much sugar without exercising or failing to use other diabetic medication correctly. In this situation the blood glucose levels can become dangerously high, the kidneys will attempt to regulate the blood glucose levels; the extra work done by the kidneys will result in loss of dangerously high amounts of water from the body.
Following this loss of water the body becomes locked in a vicious cycle of increasing blood glucose levels and worsening dehydration. The brain begins to shut down and the diabetic person’s condition becomes life-threatening.
Death while suffering from diabetic coma is not inevitable; the administration of intravenous fluids or other medication can restore balance in the diabetic person’s body. In order to avoid permanent damage, the diabetic person must receive the appropriate medical treatment as a matter of urgency.
There are three different comas that are associated with diabetes: the ketoacidotic coma, the hyperosmolar coma, and the hypoglycemic coma. The different types of coma are brought on by different things. For example the hypoglycemic coma is more likely to occur in a diabetic person using insulin to control blood sugar, therefore it is more likely to occur in type 1 diabetes.
To ensure that the correct medical treatment is given without delay, it is essential that the medical team know firstly that the unconscious person has diabetes and secondly whether it is type 1 or type 2 diabetes. For this reason, anyone with diabetes should wear a medical alert in the form of a bracelet or necklace at all times.
