DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis)

One of the most common problems diabetics have is Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This is a serious problem among diabetics, but yet not many people know what it is. DKA happens when a diabetic is not getting enough insulin. If your blood sugar levels are running on the higher side, that's when you want to be careful and test for ketones. To do this at home, you pee on what's called Ketostix. The stick will start off tan. The darker the stick turns after you pee on it, the more ketones you have.The colors the stick could turn are anywhere from light pink to dark purple. The lighter the color, the better.
If you figure out that you have ketones, pay close attention to your body. Just because you have ketones, doesn't mean you are in DKA. If you figure out you do have ketones, drink plenty of fluids and get as much insulin as you can. This will decrease your chance of going into DKA.
The signs of DKA are:

excessive thirst or drinking lots of fluid,

• frequent urination,

• general weakness,

• vomiting,

• loss of appetite,

• confusion,

• abdominal pain,

• shortness of breath,

• a generally ill appearance,
  
• dry skin,
  
• dry mouth,
  
• increased heart rate,
  
• low blood pressure,
  
• increased rate of breathing, and
  
• a distinctive fruity odor on the breath

If you think you are going into DKA, or if you think a loved one is going into DKA you need to get checked out by a doctor immediately. DKA is nothing to play around with. It can cause someone to go into a coma, or even die.

Below, is a picture of a ketostix that someone has peed on. If you look at the chart on the bottle, you can see how the colors get darker. Also, above the colors it says negative, trace, small, moderate, and large. That can kind of give you an idea of how high your ketones are.