Hi friends! It’s been a busy time for me- after coming back from ADA Scientific Sessions and my cousins wedding I jumped right into helping with diabetes camp! Stay tuned for a post on ADA takeaways and Diabetes Camp but for now, enjoy these DKA Awareness Week Resources!

I was so excited to be asked by Beyond Type 1 to write a couple pieces for DKA Awareness Week 2019! I, fortunately, have never been in DKA (knock on wood), but I advocate for DKA Awareness to promote safety and prevent further loss of lives from a preventable component of living with diabetes. I have a couple friends who were diagnosed with T1D as adults and nearly lost their lives to DKA after (non-diabetes) healthcare providers missed the signs of adult-onset T1D. This seems to happen to many patients I’ve cared for as well. In fact, a large study in the UK found that 42% of T1D cases were diagnosed between ages 31-60! Takeaway- onset of T1D can occur at any age.

So, here we go. Here are the warning signs of diabetes (pre-DKA)!

• Thirst
• Frequent urination
• In babies and toddlers, heavy diapers
• In children with no previous concerns, sudden bedwetting- happened to me!
• Weight loss (despite an increased appetite)- happened to me!
• Decreased energy level
• Blurry vision
• Resource from Beyond Type 1

And the warning signs of DKA:

Early symptoms

• High levels of ketones in urine
• Very high blood glucose levels
• Frequent urination
• Dehydration
• Extreme thirst

More extreme warning signs

• Constant fatigue
• Flushed skin
• Nausea or stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Fruity smell on the breath
• Disorientation
• Resource from Beyond Type 1

And for further resources…

• All about Ketones and DKA
• Testing and Managing Ketones (I wrote this!)
• Ketone Meters
• Ketones vs Ketosis vs DKA (I wrote this!)
• Ketones- The 6 Must Knows
• DKA Story- Neil Greathouse
• DKA Story- Jillian Rippolone
• DKA Story- Michelle Lord