You don't understand why you are losing weight so quickly, you skin is always hot to the touch and dry to the point its is scaly or flaky. Maybe you have noticed your hear start racing for no understandable reason?

If you are diabetic there is a pretty good chance you are in DKA or Diabetic Ketoacidosis. Other symptoms will include unquenchable thirst, very strong odor when you urinate and frequent urination. and a fruity odor to your breathe. You need to seek medical attention right away and here is what has happened.

With diabetics it is not uncommon for the pancreas to still be creating insulin but not enough to fuel the cells in your body. Over time the pancreas may reduce the insulin it creates or stop making it all together. Either this has occurred or you have not been watching your diet and taking your medications properly.

In either case the body do not have enough insulin to break down sugars and feed the cells. Your body send out a signal that the cells are getting fed to create the energy your body needs. The liver kick off a release of sugar because the body does not know the sugar is there it just knows it needs more for the cells. This creates the frequent urination and dry mouth as your body is dehydrating.

Still the cells are not getting the fuel they need to energize your body. As a final defense mechanism your body will start taking stored fat deposits and breaking them down into fuel for the cells to keep going. You will notice it over a very short period of time with rapid weight loss.

When I slipped into DKA I lost 50 pounds over a 3 week period of time. My body was a skeleton and you could see the bones in my face, my back, my rib cage, basically everywhere. All the fat had been converted to fuel and my body was in critical mode. The final stage for me was a rapid heart beat that would not go away and a trip to the emergency room where I stayed in the hospital for a week to stabilize my blood sugar and adjust medication to get me back on track.

There is one thing you can do to prevent slipping in to DKA. Test your blood sugar and test it often. As diabetics we all know we need to test but almost all new diabetics go through a phase where you start to get comfortable with your diet and medication. We start feeling pretty good for long periods of time and our tests stay in range.

Without fail we start reducing the amount of testing we do until it's only once in awhile. High blood sugar is a silent killer because it damages the body over long periods of time and if a diabetic is not paying attention and testing on a regular basis the damage can be done without even knowing it has occurred.

The best thing about my stay in the hospital with DKA was the fantastic diabetes education I received and understanding that it does not matter if my blood sugar levels stay in range for years, diabetes is a constantly changing disease and I must continue to test every single day.

After I got out of the hospital everyone wanted to know what had happened and when I said I had DKA you know what question I got? What is DKA? Well now you know a little about it and if you or anyone you know is displaying the symptoms above please get to the doctor or hospital. your life could truly depend upon it.

If you are a diabetic or you know one, it is important that you receive some diabetic help in the way of education. There are many things that can happen and we have to be prepared for them and work towards preventive measures.

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Dealing with diabetes is a lifelong commitment that involves major changes in one's lifestyle. The knowledge about this disease is pretty much incomplete, new things come up rather so quickly in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. It is therefore highly important for a diabetic or people who live with diabetics to undergo diabetes continuing education to be informed and be aware of the dynamics of this serious illness.

Thanks to the worldwide campaign regarding diabetes, awareness of the disease has increased immensely over the past few years. Unfortunately, there is still no established cure for diabetes. What people who are afflicted with the condition can do, however, is to manage the disease especially with the great advancements that have been witnessed with the care and treatment of diabetics.

Management of diabetes primarily involves learning how to cope with this disease in daily life not only for the sufferer but for people close to him or her as well. It is a continuing task that greatly affects a lifetime. Therefore diabetics and their families are in great need of being up to date with the latest information.

Where to Get Diabetes Continuing Education

People now are gaining better and better access to information from many sources. However, the most important source of diabetes continuing education is the diabetic's doctor. Normally a diabetes specialist is someone who is certified by the board in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. Such specialists are the foremost sources of information about diabetes as they have been trained to zero in on the disease. The diabetes specialist would provide the essential general instructions on how to manage the disease.

Apart from managing the disease itself, a diabetic should also know how to manage specific conditions that may develop because of and together with diabetes.

There are various professionals who can provide specific education - these may include general practitioners, internists, allopathic physicians, certified nurses, geriatric medicine specialists, vascular surgeons, urologists, transplant surgeons, nutritionists or registered dietitians, prosthetists, preventive medicine specialists, podiatrists, pediatricians, osteopathic physicians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and nursing practitioners.

These professionals may address specific concerns about diabetes, which may be essential for the success of the diabetes continuing education.

What Should Diabetes Continuing Education Cover

The primary concern of diabetic patients is managing blood glucose levels. This concerns the patient's medication, diet, lifestyle, weight maintenance, and physical activity. A good diabetes information program should cover these aspects of diabetes management.

Diabetes management is something that is not easily done without the help of medication. Depending on the severity of the illness, a patient might need to take some pills or even some regular insulin shots to normalize their glucose levels. Proper diabetes education should lead patients into the right medical care and at the same time, steer them away from medications that may cause more harm than good.

Learning About Diets

Medication alone will not manage diabetes well, changes in diet would have to be made. Some people might cringe at the sound of diet, but it may actually be easier than most people think. As most people know, the diabetic's diet would entail the reduction of intake of sugary items. But apart from restrictions, it also involves the introduction of healthy foods such as vegetables, non-sugary fruits, lean meats and whole grains. These are important parts of diabetes continuing education.

Lifestyle Changes

Apart from medication and diet, the diabetic patient should also make some modifications with lifestyle. Diabetes can greatly affect one's daily life and it is important to know how to cope with daily living with the disease at hand. Diabetics are known to have unpredictable energy levels and this can greatly affect the their work, physical endurance, abilities, and sexual performance. A good diabetes continuing education should instruct the patient how to deal with different life situations knowing that the disease might have some effect on them.

Physical Exercise

Maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in regular physical activity are also important in managing diabetes. Obesity has been seen to be strongly linked to diabetes and related conditions and it important for a diabetic to maintain normal weight. Physical activity is essential for maintaining healthy weight and also for regulating blood sugar. A diabetes information program should help patients understand these important matters and how to bring them about.

Diabetes continuing education is necessary for diabetics to be able to cope up with life despite their disease. Fortunately, good education can now be obtained through various channels. It is only up to the diabetic patient to take advantage of these channels to know the important matters regarding this disease.

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