A diabetic coma is no joking matter and should be treated as a medical emergency.

A diabetes induced coma can occur when a diabetic is not taking precautionary measures and regulating his or her diet and insulin intake. It can occur if a person's blood sugar is too low. It can also occur if their blood sugar is too high. If you're a diabetic, you know that it's extremely important to maintain a balance between a high and low blood sugar.

If you're a diabetic and your blood sugar is too low, you may experience diabetic ketoacidosis. Sugar acts as fuel for the body and when a diabetic is deprived of that sugar, their body starts breaking down fat to produce energy. This causes ketones, or acids that can cause a coma if they're left untreated.

An extreme drop in blood sugar can cause hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia deprives your brain of glucose, which it needs to function. Typically when this happens, a person passes out. You don't have to be diabetic to experience this. Extreme exercise or drinking too much alcohol can also produce this unwelcome result.

If you're a diabetic and your blood soars, you may also end up in a diabetes induced coma. This is called diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome. This causes your blood to get extremely thick, which makes it hard for sugar to pass from your blood to your urine. To make this transfer, your body starts going through a filtration process that takes fluid away from other body parts. This causes dehydration and fainting.

If any of these three instances are left unchecked, a diabetic may slip into a coma. It's extremely important to catch these things before a person's body gets to this point.

Comas don't just happen without any warning. A diabetic who's headed toward a coma will show signs that they're not feeling well. You should take not of the following signs: dry mouth, nausea, shortness of breath, vomiting, increased thirst, hunger, sweat, nervousness or irritability, lightly.

If these things are occurring, it's important to get to a doctor immediately especially if you haven't been paying attention to blood sugar regulation. A diabetic coma can result in death, so don't ignore the signs.