May 29, 1999
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Jacksonville, Florida, USA:
My son, who is 24, out of nowhere had blood sugar readings of 450 into 500. He was admitted into the hospital and insulin tratment was started. His sugars responded in the first 10 hours and went back to normal levels with the insulin. Is it normal for diabetes to onset with such high readings with no warning? Should the doctors be looking for other possible causes (i.e., infections or some sort of inbalance in the body chemistry )?
He is in the Navy and does work around different chemicals and battery acids; could these things possibly be a problem or cause a problem like this? I will state that diabetes does run in the family.
Note: he did not feel ill during this high sugar readings.
Answer:
Fortunately, it seems his diabetes was diagnosed before he became seriously ill.
With blood sugars so high, it seems unlikely that there is another diagnosis, but his doctors are the best answer for this. The ADA standards for diabetes are 200 mg/dl with symptoms of diabetes, thirst, weight loss, and increased urine.
LD
