Information for the public
High blood glucose (hyperglycaemia) in type 2 diabetes
When your blood glucose levels are too high, this is called hyperglycaemia. High blood glucose levels can cause problems such as making you thirsty or making it hard to concentrate. If your blood glucose levels are too high for a long time, this can cause other problems (such as eye, gum and kidney damage).
Younger children can find out more about hyperglycaemia on the Diabetes UK website.
Diabetic ketoacidosis
If your diabetes management is not going well (for example, if you have high blood glucose levels) there's a small chance that you could get a very serious illness called diabetic ketoacidosis (or DKA for short).
If you have high blood glucose levels and any of these problems, you might have diabetic ketoacidosis:
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feeling or being sick (nausea and vomiting)
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pains in your stomach
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feeling out of breath
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feeling dehydrated (your body does not have enough water in it)
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finding it hard to stay awake.
If you think you have diabetic ketoacidosis you should contact your diabetes team straight away.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious illness and needs to be treated in hospital.
Questions to ask about diabetic ketoacidosis
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Could you tell me more about how to tell if I have diabetic ketoacidosis?
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Can you give me any written information? What websites are helpful?