Diabetes is a medical condition in which the body either fails to produce or is unable to properly utilize the hormone insulin. There are two types of diabetes. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little to no insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas produces enough insulin but the body cannot utilize it properly. In people with Type 1 diabetes, the symptoms can start abruptly. This condition, called diabetic ketoacidosis, can cause vomiting and electrolyte problems.
The Facts
According to the Merck Manual, most people with Type 1 diabetes develop the disease before the age of 30. It is the less common form of diabetes, affecting only 10 percent of all diabetics. The symptoms of diabetes relate to the inability of the body process sugars as energy source. This leads to a high level of sugar in the blood stream. The excess sugar spills into the urine and outside the body, leading to excessive urination and thirst. People with diabetes are often hungry, because the sugar that provides energy is wasted, and often feel weak, dizzy and have nausea.
Effects
The effects of diabetic ketoacidosis can be dramatic. Since the body cannot use sugar as energy, it starts breaking down fat. The breakdown product of fat, ketones, accumulate in the body, making the blood acidic. This condition can progress rapidly with vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy and confusion, and dehydration. If untreated, diabetic ketoacidosis can progress to electrolyte imbalances that can cause heart and brain problems and lead to coma and death.
Considerations
Electrolytes are electrically charged molecules important in the body's various functions, including fluid balance, muscle movement and transmission of signals between the brain and nerves. Electrolyte imbalances are common in diabetes, especially in patients with ketoacidosis. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, sodium and potassium are the two most commonly affected electrolytes in diabetes.
Symptoms
Electrolyte imbalances can have serious health consequences. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis can have hyperkalemia, or elevated potassium level. This can cause muscle weakness, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue. Hyperkalemia can also cause abnormal heart rhythms, including ventricular fibrillation, an abnormal quivering of the heart that can be fatal. The level of sodium is usually low, a condition called hyponatremia. Symptoms of hyponatremia include vomiting, headache, confusion and lethargy, seizures and coma.
Treatment
The treatment of diabetes includes nutritional and diet modification and the use of oral or injected medicines to increase the processing of sugars in the body. People in diabetic ketoacidosis with vomiting and electrolyte imbalances need close monitoring and hospitalization. Treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis includes adequate hydration, often via the intravenous route; and slow correction of electrolyte imbalances.
