| You have type 2 diabetes and you haven't been following your treatment plan. It's been a while since you've checked your blood sugar. You feel sluggish and weak and wonder if you're catching the flu. A family member suggests you check your blood sugar. So you dig out your blood sugar testing supplies, test yourself and discover your blood sugar is 780 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). What do you do?
| Diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome (DHS): What happens? | | | When your blood sugar reaches an extremely high level, your blood actually becomes thick and syrupy. This condition, called diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome (DHS), may occur with a blood sugar level of 600 mg/dL or higher. Your body's cells can't absorb this much blood sugar, so the sugar passes from your blood into your urine. This triggers a filtering process that draws tremendous amounts of fluid from your body and produces dehydration.
DHS is most common in older people with type 2 diabetes, especially people who don't monitor their blood sugar or who don't know they have diabetes. It can also occur in people with diabetes who are taking high-dose corticosteroids or drugs that increase urination, such as water pills (diuretics). Other conditions that can bring on DHS are: - Infection, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection
- Illness
- Stress
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
- Drug abuse
- Hot weather combined with not drinking enough water in older adults
Diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome may take days or even weeks to develop. Signs and symptoms are: - Blood sugar level higher than 600 mg/dL
- Excessive thirst
- Dry, parched mouth
- Increased urination
- Warm, dry skin with no sweating
- Fever higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit
- Weakness
- Leg cramps
- Sleepiness
- Confusion
- Rapid pulse
- Convulsions
- Coma
You can ward off DHS by checking your blood sugar regularly and learning to recognize and treat early symptoms of high blood sugar.
If you experience any of these symptoms, check your blood sugar level. If it's 600 mg/dL or higher, see a doctor right away to avoid life-threatening complications, such as convulsions and coma. This is an emergency situation. Have someone else drive. Emergency treatment can correct the problem within hours. Doctors may give you intravenous fluids to restore water to your tissues, and short-acting insulin to help your tissue cells absorb glucose. Without prompt treatment, the condition can be fatal.
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