Aggravation of Diabetes After Trauma
There are many different chronic medical conditions that people might have to manage. One of the most common disorders is diabetes. When people are involved in an accident, diabetes after trauma can become worse. Furthermore, among chronic medical conditions, diabetes is the most common. Based on statistics published by the American Diabetes Association:
- In 2015, more than 30 million people in the United States had been diagnosed with diabetes. This is close to 10 percent of the population.
- Another 7 million people were not yet officially diagnosed with diabetes.
- About a quarter of individuals over 65 in this country have been diagnosed with diabetes.
- Annually, around 1.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes.
- Diabetes is among the top 10 most common causes of death in the United States.
- More than a quarter of a million people who died had diabetes listed as a contributing factor.
These numbers show that diabetes is a severe problem in the United States. Everyone needs to understand what diabetes is, how it is impacted by a traumatic accident, and where people can seek help.
The Differences Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
There are two broad classifications of diabetes. These used to be called juvenile diabetes and adult diabetes. However, children are now being diagnosed with both types of diabetes. The two classes of diabetes are:
Type 1: In type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune process has taken place that has attacked the pancreas. As a result, the pancreas is destroyed and is unable to produce insulin. Therefore, anyone with type 1 diabetes requires insulin to survive.
Type 2: Those with type 2 diabetes have developed insulin resistance. Their pancreas might still produce insulin. However, the body does not respond appropriately. Some of these individuals require insulin, while others do not.
In both types of diabetes, people have high blood glucose levels. Treatment is needed to keep blood glucose levels under control. This can be difficult after trauma.
Watch YouTube Video: Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes. In this short video, nurse Julie Paterson with Sunny Brook Hospital explains the difference between Type I and Type II diabetes.
Diabetes Made Worse After Trauma
If people are involved in a motor vehicle accident, particularly with traumatic injuries, their diabetes could worsen. The body responds to stressful situations by mobilizing glucose, which can be used for energy. Unfortunately, this also means that their blood glucose levels rise. This is bad for individuals with diabetes because it could lead to severe complications.
Serious Complications: Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Those in a severe auto accident could have issues regulating their blood glucose levels. One of the side effects of this, particularly with Type 1 Diabetes, is that an individual could develop diabetic ketoacidosis. Often shortened to DKA, the pH of the blood plummets to unsafe levels. Some of the symptoms of DKA include:
- Fruity breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion and altered mental status
- Syncope – temporary loss of consciousness
If an individual is in DKA, there is no way to recover from this complication without insulin. Because of this, anyone who has diabetes and is showing the symptoms above needs to seek medical care as quickly as possible. Without treatment, DKA results in death.
Contacting an Injury Lawyer
Those diagnosed with diabetes after trauma might end up in a hospital. Someone who develops DKA could spend time in an ICU. For this reason, everyone needs to ask for help during this difficult time. Meeting with a Personal Injury Attorney in Sacramento can be helpful. Some ways that an injury lawyer might be able to provide assistance include:
- Reviewing the records after an accident ensures that all details are considered.
- Speaking with insurance companies to help people increase the payout of their benefits.
- Helping families seek damages related to their injuries, pain, and suffering.
No family should ever feel like they have to deal with the consequences of an accident on their own. Take a few minutes to speak with a Sacramento personal injury attorney. You and your family could be deserving of a financial reward.
Sacramento Personal Injury Attorneys
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Attorney. Someone with diabetes may have issues controlling their blood glucose levels following an auto accident. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a car accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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Aggravation of Diabetes After Trauma: AutoAccident.com
Image Attribution: stevepb on Pixabay/ Aggravation of Diabetes After Trauma.
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