10 Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) Symptoms
Article Sources
- 1. 'Type 1 Diabetes.' Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Mar. 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-1-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20353011
- 2. 'DKA (Ketoacidosis) & Ketones.' DKA (Ketoacidosis) & Ketones | ADA, [www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/dka-ketoacidosis-ketones.](http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/dka-ketoacidosis-ketones.)
- 3. Gallo de Moraes, Alice, and Salim Surani. 'Effects of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in the Respiratory System.' World Journal of Diabetes, Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 15 Jan. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6347653
Nausea and Stomach Pain
Toxic levels of ketones turn the blood acidic. This, in return, causes feelings of sickness, which can progress to vomiting, further dehydrating and weakening the person experiencing DKA. Alongside being sick, people may experience abdominal pain.
While it's not exactly clear why ketoacidosis causes stomach pain, it's thought to be linked to the way the build-up of ketones seriously alters the normal chemistry of the blood. This in turn affects the function of the body's organs, causing intense stomach pain.
Advertisement
