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# Diabetic Emergencies
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to process
sugars in food. Someone with diabetes can suddenly become ill if he
has too much, or too little, sugar in his blood. Diabetes is more
common in people who are overweight, but anyone can get diabetes.
The chapter on Diabetes has more information about prevention and
treatment of diabetes.
diabetes
If you know someone is having a problem due to diabetes but you are
not sure if the problem is from low blood sugar or high blood sugar,
treat as if he has low blood sugar (give a small amount of sugar),
and then take him to get medical help.
## Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
This condition can only happen to a person treating his diabetes with
medicines. A person's blood sugar can drop too low if he is taking
insulin or another diabetes medication and if he takes too much
medicine, does not eat enough food, does too much physical activity,
waits too long between meals, or drinks alcohol.
Someone with low blood sugar may become clumsy, confused, nervous or
irritable. He may sweat or tremble. When that happens, he must eat.
If he does not, his condition will worsen and will develop these
danger signs:
A man having trouble walking as a woman ignores him.
Low blood sugar can look a lot like the person is drunk and can be
overlooked as being a real emergency.
Danger signs
* Trouble walking or feeling weak
* Trouble seeing clearly
* Confusion or acting in a strange way (you may mistake him for
being drunk)
* Losing consciousness
* Seizure
Treatment
If he is conscious, quickly give him sugar: fruit juice, soda, candy,
or a glass of water with several spoons of sugar in it will all work.
He should eat a full meal soon after as well. If he is still confused
or does not begin to feel better 15 minutes after you have given
sugar, get help.
If he is unconscious, place a pinch of sugar or honey under his
tongue. Keep giving small amounts. It takes time for the body to
absorb sugar. When he wakes up you can give him more.
## High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
A person with diabetes can have too much sugar in his blood if he
eats too much food, is less active than usual, has a serious illness
or infection, does not take his diabetes medicine, or gets
dehydrated. This can happen to a person even if he does not yet know
he has diabetes. Get help for these signs:
Signs
* Feeling thirsty and drinking a lot
* Frequent urination
* Blurry vision
* Weight loss
* Nausea and vomiting
* Abdominal pain
If not treated, high blood sugar can be very dangerous and can lead
to a coma or even death. You can save a person's life by getting
help for these more dangerous signs:
Danger signs
* Fast heart rate
* Fruity odor on breath
* Dry skin
* Low blood pressure
* Confusion
* Fast, deep breathing
* Loss of consciousness
Treatment
Take him immediately to a medical center. If he is conscious, give
him plenty of water to drink. Give a little at a time.
If you are certain he has high blood sugar and know his insulin dose,
give a small amount of insulin on the way to help. But if you are
not certain, do not give insulin. Giving someone insulin when they
have low blood sugar can kill them.
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