Diabetes - Essentials

This is quite essential for people with Type I diabetes where there is a no insulin being produced by the body. Since there is a total lack of insulin, the body cannot use carbohydrates - its main energy source. It then tries to derive energy from the stored fat in the body. The breakdown of fat in the absence of insulin leads to the production of 'ketones' in the body, and this condition is known as ketosis. The typical symptoms of ketosis are nausea, vomiting, fruity odor of the breath and dehydration.

Ketone strips are available in a bottle which has color coding marked on it. Each color signifies the amount of ketones present. If one develops any of the symptoms described above, one can check for ketones by dipping a ketone strip in the urine and observing the change in the colored portion of the strip. The presence of ketones in urine requires immediate medical attention and the healthcare team should be informed immediately.

These strips are quite useful in children with Type I diabetes who are on multiple daily injections or on insulin pumps (in case the pump stops functioning for some reason) or during a cold or illness when the body cells utilization of insulin is speeded up. As a result, one may need to take higher dose of insulin when there is infection or if they have a fever.