Often, your health care provider can tell you what to do over the phone. Do NOT exercise when your urine tests show ketones and your blood glucose is high. High levels of ketones and high blood glucose levels can mean your diabetes is out of control.

Check with your health care provider about how to handle this situation. Diabetes Complications. Know the warning signs of DKA and check urine for ketones, especially when you're sick.

What are the warning signs of DKA? Early symptoms include the following: Thirst or a very dry mouth Frequent urination High blood glucose blood sugar levels High levels of ketones in the urine Then, other symptoms appear: Constantly feeling tired Dry or flushed skin Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.

Vomiting can be caused by many illnesses, not just ketoacidosis. If vomiting continues for more than two hours, contact your health care provider. Difficulty breathing Fruity odor on breath A hard time paying attention, or confusion.

More on ketones and DKA. How do I check for ketones? Also, check for ketones when you have any symptoms of DKA. What if I find higher-than-normal levels of ketones?

Call your health care provider at once if you experience the following conditions: Your urine tests show high levels of ketones. Your urine tests show high levels of ketones and your blood glucose level is high. Your urine tests show high levels of ketones and you have vomited more than twice in four hours.

What causes DKA? Here are three basic reasons for moderate or large amounts of ketones: Not enough insulin Maybe you did not inject enough insulin.

Or your body could need more insulin than usual because of illness. Not enough food When you're sick, you often don't feel like eating, sometimes resulting in high ketone levels.

High levels may also occur when you miss a meal. Blood tests can be done in a lab, but convenient home meters are available and allow you to test right away if you are having symptoms of ketoacidosis.

Two popular combination home blood glucose and ketone meters are the Precision Xtra Meter by Abbott Labs and the Nova Max Plus, by Nova Biomedical. When purchasing test strips, keep in mind that each meter requires its own test strips; they are not interchangeable.

Pay attention to expiration dates on the strips, both when you receive your purchase and when you test your blood. Expired strips will not give accurate results. The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA warns against buying previously-owned test strips, as you risk getting a product that hasn't been properly stored and may have expired.

The FDA also warns against purchasing strips that have not been cleared for sale in the United States. To get an accurate reading, follow these step-by-step instructions.

Ranges have been established to help you interpret your reading. Your results will fall into one of the following three ranges:. Medical experts advise that a ketone blood test reading of 3.

If you have diabetes, you should discuss home blood ketone testing with your healthcare provider to learn whether it is recommended in your case and when you should perform the testing.

Ketone testing is particularly important during periods of illness. When caught early enough, diabetic ketoacidosis can be reversed by administering IV fluids and insulin. American Diabetes Association.

Dhatariya K. Blood ketones: Measurement, interpretation, limitations, and utility in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis. Rev Diabet Stud.

Food and Drug Administration. How to safely use glucose meters and test strips for diabetes. Kuru B, Sever M, Aksay E, et al. Comparing finger-stick β-hydroxybutyrate with dipstick urine tests in the detection of ketone bodies.

Turk J Emerg Med. Plüddemann A, Heneghan C, Price CP, Wolstenholme J, Thompson M. Point-of-care blood test for ketones in patients with diabetes: primary care diagnostic technology update. Br J Gen Pract. By Gary Gilles Gary Gilles is a licensed clinical professional counselor LCPC who has written about type 1 diabetes and served as a diabetes counselor.

He began writing about diabetes after his son's diagnosis as an infant. Use limited data to select advertising.

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That's because your body makes three types of ketones. If DKA is in the early stages, only one type of ketone will be high, and lab tests often don't measure this type of ketone. A high or positive test result means you have ketones in your blood. It's normal to have some blood ketones, but if your levels are very high and you have symptoms, you may have ketoacidosis.

If you have diabetes, you likely have DKA. If you don't have diabetes, you may have ketoacidosis from alcohol use disorder, malnutrition, not eating for very long periods of time, or other conditions. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

People who eat a low-carbohydrate keto diet to lose weight will have blood ketone levels that are higher, but are not high enough to be ketoacidosis. This condition is called ketosis. Ketosis doesn't make your blood too acidic because your body is able to use the ketones, so they don't build up.

But it's possible to develop ketoacidosis on a keto diet, so it's important to talk with your provider to see if it's safe for you. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

Ketones in Blood. What is a ketones in blood test? What is it used for? With diabetes: A ketones in blood test is mostly used to check for diabetic ketoacidosis DKA in people with diabetes. You are at risk for ketoacidosis if you have a condition that causes your body to use fat for energy instead of glucose, such as: An eating disorder Frequent vomiting or diarrhea Alcohol use disorder.

Why do I need a ketones in blood test? You may need a ketones in blood test if you have diabetes and symptoms of DKA, such as: Feeling very thirsty Urinating peeing a lot more than usual Nausea and vomiting Abdominal belly pain Dry skin and mouth Fast, deep breathing Breath that has a fruity smell Headache Muscle stiffness or aches Fatigue Confusion If you don't have diabetes, you may need a ketones in blood test if you have symptoms of ketoacidosis that could be from another condition.

What happens during a ketones in blood test? Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test? You don't need any special preparations for a ketones in blood test. Are there any risks to the test?

What do the results mean? Ketoacidosis from any cause must be treated. Treatment may include going to the hospital. If you have questions about your results, talk with your provider. Is there anything else I need to know about a ketones in blood test?

References American Diabetes Association [Internet]. Arlington VA : American Diabetes Association; c— Diabetes and DKA Ketoacidosis ; [ cited May 19]; [about 5 screens]. Atlanta: U. Department of Health and Human Services; Diabetic Ketoacidosis; [reviewed Mar 25; cited May 19]; [about 13 screens].

html Ghimire P, Dhamoon AS. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island FL : StatPearls Publishing; Jan-. Boston: Joslin Diabetes Center; c Ketone Testing; [cited May 19]; [about 8 screens]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; c— Diabetic Coma: Overview; [cited May 18]; [about 8 screens].

Bethesda MD : U. Department of Health and Human Services; Blood Tests; [updated Mar 24; cited May 19]; [about 8 screens]. Department of Health and Human Services; What is Diabetes? Diabetes Mellitus DM in Children and Adolescents; [reviewed Sep; cited May 19]; [about 14 screens].

Ketogenic Diet for Obesity: Friend or Foe? Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. Scribd; c Ketosis: What is ketosis? com [Internet]. Seattle WA. Blood Ketones; [modified Apr 24; cited May 18]; [about 10 screens]. High levels of ketones and high blood glucose levels can mean your diabetes is out of control.

Check with your health care provider about how to handle this situation. Diabetes Complications. Know the warning signs of DKA and check urine for ketones, especially when you're sick. What are the warning signs of DKA? Early symptoms include the following: Thirst or a very dry mouth Frequent urination High blood glucose blood sugar levels High levels of ketones in the urine Then, other symptoms appear: Constantly feeling tired Dry or flushed skin Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain.

Vomiting can be caused by many illnesses, not just ketoacidosis. If vomiting continues for more than two hours, contact your health care provider. Difficulty breathing Fruity odor on breath A hard time paying attention, or confusion. More on ketones and DKA. How do I check for ketones?

Also, check for ketones when you have any symptoms of DKA. What if I find higher-than-normal levels of ketones? Call your health care provider at once if you experience the following conditions: Your urine tests show high levels of ketones.

Your urine tests show high levels of ketones and your blood glucose level is high. Your urine tests show high levels of ketones and you have vomited more than twice in four hours. What causes DKA? Here are three basic reasons for moderate or large amounts of ketones: Not enough insulin Maybe you did not inject enough insulin.

Or your body could need more insulin than usual because of illness. Not enough food When you're sick, you often don't feel like eating, sometimes resulting in high ketone levels.

High levels may also occur when you miss a meal. Insulin reaction low blood glucose If testing shows high ketone levels in the morning, you may have had an insulin reaction while asleep.

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