I am 46 years old, I have had diabetes since I was 18, and I take insulin. People who have diabetes and suffer from comas, due to not eating enough sugars — how does this affect their health? How can someone with diabetes follow a suitable diet so that no comas occur?

Diabetic coma results when the brain does not have enough glucose to use as fuel. It is dangerous to have comas because of the loss of consciousness and seizures that may occur without warning. This makes driving, walking in traffic, standing on ladders, or using power equipment very dangerous, as well. Comas and severe low sugars can occur because of a relative excess of insulin for the amount of food around. Not enough food with usual insulin, irregular eating times, too much insulin, or problems with nausea and vomiting can all cause low sugars.

You would have to see your doctor to be able to tell the appropriate intervention to avoid the severe low sugars. The more of them you have, the fewer symptoms of low sugars you have. This is not desirable because you want to have those symptoms to warn yourself of a possible low sugar and allow you to do something to avoid them.

JTL