Acetone breath is a major and important diagnostic indicator of elevated sugar levels in diabetics, i.e. people being treated for diabetes. At this time, it is suspected even without any other professional examination.
However, in addition to diabetes, it is possible that the cause lies elsewhere.
Parents, when this problem occurs in their children, are naturally worried about the disease. It may or may not be diabetes. At this point, it is most important to also note other accompanying symptoms and further refer to a doctor who will make a specific diagnosis.
The main question is: Does the smell of acetone from the mouth caused by diabetes? Is there another disease behind the strange smell? Could it occur with dehydration? What other causes can it have?
Acetone breath in diabetes
Diabetes, or diabetes mellitus, occurs when blood sugar levels are too high.
However, a one-time increase is not taken into account, hyperglycemia is detected repeatedly and in certain values.
Normally, glucose is moved from the blood into the cells with the help of insulin. Which is a hormone produced by the cells of the pancreas (among other digestive juices and enzymes).
Diabetes occurs when not enough insulin is produced or when insulin production is completely stopped.
Insulin production takes place in the islets of Langerhans, i.e. in the beta cells of the pancreas.
Sugar builds up in the blood, causing hyperglycaemia as it does not reach the cells. At the same time, if the body cannot process the sugar, it uses fat as an energy source.
When fats are burned, ketones, or ketone bodies, accumulate in the body to an increased extent as a result of their metabolism.
Ketone bodies: acetoacetate, acetone and β-hydroxybutyrate.
Thus, elevated ketone bodies with transfer of volatile acetone into the breath may signal the sugar utilization problem just described due to lack of insulin.
Question:
What is the correct blood sugar level, i.e. glycaemia?
Glycaemic values:
- normoglycaemia = normal level referred to as the norm = 3,3 až 5,5 mmol / litre
- hypoglycaemia = low blood sugar is below 2.8 mmol / litre
- hyperglycaemia = high sugar levels above 5.5 mmol/litre
Learn more in these articles:
The risk is if this condition develops further into ketoacidosis. The thing is that ketone bodies are acids and they contribute to the output of acidity thus lowering the pH of the blood.
Even a relatively small drop in blood pH potentially threatens a person's health and life.
Because even a small deviation from normal blood pH = a serious problem.
If you are interested, you can also find an article on pH and increased acidity.
It uses some facts in order to dispel the myth of an acidic bod supposedly caused by improper lifestyle and diet.
Is the claim of overcrowding true or nonsense? Don't be fooled.
Professionally, this problem is also called diabetic ketoacidosis with the abbreviation DKA. It is caused by a lack of insulin, an accumulation of sugar and ketone bodies in the blood.
Does your urin have an odd smell?
In addition to the sweet, fruity, fruity to acetone breath, the presence of ketone bodies is also increased in the urine. Which is referred to as ketonuria. Also the urine in this case smells of acetone.
Both conditions can also be detected at home with home testing.
Diabetics have a glucose meter at home.
+ Urine test strips with ketone bodies assessment.
These can be purchased at the pharmacy.
It is important and significant that a person with diabetes should also pay attention to the accompanying signs, namely:
- sweet, fruity breath and the smell of acetone
- increased thirst
- frequent urination
- fatigue and weakness
- changes in breathing, especially shortness of breath or shortness of breath and feeling short of breath
- weight loss
- loss of appetite
- nausea and vomiting
- abdominal pain
- behavioural changes, confusion to disorientation
- loss of perspiration
IMPORTANT:
If medical problems related to the smell of acetone and ketoacidosis are not addressed in time or are neglected: hyperglycaemic coma (ketoacidotic coma) to death is imminent.
The opposite of a hyperglycaemic coma is a hypoglycaemic coma, i.e. from a lack of sugar in the blood.
Question: How do you know the difference?
Table: The main difference between hypo/hyper-glycemia + first aid
| Hypoglycaemia | Hyperglycaemia |
- pale and sweaty skin
- bad breath is rare
- frequent hunger pangs
- behavioural changes, irritation, nervousness, aggression
- rapid, sudden onset of heaviness and losing consciousness
- within minutes to hours
- sometimes the progression is so abrupt,
that there is no time for symptoms
and the person suddenly loses consciousness
| - red and dry skin
- smell of acetone from the mouth and urine
- frequent drinking and urination
- behavioural changes may be similar,
as with low sugar - slow onset of problems
- lasts for days to a week
- indigestion can also be prevented
|
| First aid in the field without a detected glycemia can be drinking sweet water, syrup, sweetened tea, giving sugar, chocolate, preferably honey. As long as one is conscious and can cooperate. If the person is unconscious, a little honey can be gently applied to the mucous membranes of the mouth, gums and the inside of the cheeks (buccal mucosa) with a finger. It is important to take care to avoid aspiration, i.e. inhalation of food and foreign objects. Place the person in a stable position and call for professional help, checking the quality and presence of breathing. Professional assistance - without a glucometer, can administer glucose intravenously (into the vein). Giving a small amount of glucose in hypoglycaemia will help and not hurt in hyperglycaemia. Professional help with measuring the value of glycaemia proceeds according to the detected condition. After glucose administration in hypoglycaemia, the person regains consciousness and regains consciousness. This is a significant diagnostic difference of the two conditions.
|
With prolonged ketoacidosis, it is also possible to smell body odour.
Also from this point of view, it is necessary to adhere to the treatment plan, the administration of prescribed drugs and adherence to a diabetic diet.
However, despite adherence to treatment, it happens that the glycaemic value drops or rises excessively. In case of increasing glycaemic values, do not forget to consult a doctor.
See a doctor if:
- the glycaemic value remains above 16 mmol/l
- you measure ketones in your urine
- more health problems occur:
- abdominal pain
- fatigue
- nausea
- vomiting
- shortness of breath
- excessive thirst and frequent urination
- the smell of acetone, the fragrant and sweet smell of fruit
The smell of acetone due to other causes
Diabetes is not the only case in which the smell of acetone can be smelled.
1. Malnourishment is counted among the significant factors
Starvation is similar, it's about the body not getting enough sugar and using fat for energy.
Starvation can be forced and deliberate during food shortages or hunger strikes, fasts, aggressive reduction diets. But it is also a possibility that it occurs as a symptom of disease.
Similarly with keto diet.
It is a diet with restriction of sugars, i.e. a low carb diet, also called a ketogenic diet, or simply keto.
A low or insufficient supply of sugars forces the body to obtain energy from fats. The goal should be to reduce the ratio of fats in the body and therefore weight loss.
The affected person receives higher amounts of fat and protein.
Read also:
Essential nutrients in the human diet: what are proteins, sugars, fats?
However, a byproduct is the increased production of ketone bodies, which manifests itself in a sweet, fruity to acetone breath.
Of course, a certain amount of ketone bodies are formed in every person even under normal conditions, but in this case it is an excessive phenomenon.
2. Alcoholic ketoacidosis
Alcohol and its excessive intake can cause the same problem. The problem is the link between daily drinking and starvation.
Alcoholism as a problem for the individual and society.
3. Other causes
Acetone breath also occurs for other conditions.
For example:
Fructose intolerance, or hereditary fructose intolerance. This is a congenital and inherited form of fructose metabolism disorder.
FRuctose is a fruit sugar contained in fruits and some vegetables. It manifests itself at an early age when raw materials containing it are introduced into the diet.
Symptoms include vomiting, indigestion, abdominal pain and cramps, lethargy, increased irritability, mental changes.
Furthermore, it may also be:
- poisoning by chemicals such as isopropyl alcohol, salicylates
- congenital metabolic diseases
- and other conditions associated with absolute or relative insulin deficiency, failure or inadequate synthesis of insulin that may be caused by:
- injury
- pregnancy - gestational diabetes/ketosis
- gastroenteritis - inflammation of the stomach and intestine
- cardiac failure - heart failure
- renal impairment
- metabolic failure
- electrolyte disturbances, water management and other acid-base conditions
- brain swelling
Bad breath in children
Parents. Of course, they are worried about their children. Naturally, bad breath changes as a result of eating food, fruit or vegetables. An example is onions or garlic.
Bubt, what if the child has acetone breath?
It is important to follow up to see if the child has any other ongoing difficulties, i.e. abdominal pain, nausea and lack of appetite.
Dry skin is another sign. Does the child drink and urinate too much?
Thus, both bad breath and smelly urine can be observed when the condition decompensates.
Frequent infections of the mouth, gums and skin, and impaired wound healing are also typical in people with diabetes. The reason for this is reduced immunity (immunity).
These manifestations can lead to a diagnosis of type I diabetes mellitus. In this case, timely professional examination is necessary.
And what about bad breath without an underlying illness?
However, sometimes it is possible that the child does not drink enough fluid. Dehydration is dangerous in children and therefore an adequate drinking regime is important, especially in hot weather.
Czech
English
Deutsch
Serbian
Spanish
Portugese
Bulgarian
Dutch
Finnish
French
Greek
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Latvian
Lithuanian
Polish
Romanian
Russian
Slovenian
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
Estonian
Norwegian
Korean
