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Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications
- Topic Overview
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Health Tools
- FAQs
- Cause
- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
- When to Call a Doctor
- Exams and Tests
- Treatment Overview
- Prevention
- Home Treatment
- Medications
- Surgery
- Other Treatment
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information
- References
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Call
- Unconscious or you suddenly become very sleepy or confused. You may have low blood sugar, called hypoglycemia.
- Sleepy, confused, breathing very fast, or your breath smells fruity. You may have a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis.
Call a doctor right away if:
- Your blood sugar is 300 mg/dL or higher (or it is higher than the level your doctor has set for you).
Call a doctor if you:
- Are sick and having trouble controlling your blood sugar.
- Have had vomiting or diarrhea for more than 6 hours.
- Often have problems with high or low blood sugar levels.
- Have trouble knowing when your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia unawareness).
- Have questions or want to know more about diabetes.
Who to See
Depending on your complication, you may need to see one or more of the following health professionals:
- An ophthalmologist or optometrist, for diagnosis of eye disease (ophthalmologists treat retinal complications from diabetes)
- A cardiologist or a vascular specialist, for heart or circulation problems
- A gastroenterologist, for stomach and intestinal problems
- A urologist, for sexual and urinary tract problems
- A podiatrist, pedorthist (a certified technician who can make special shoes or shoe inserts), or an orthopedic surgeon, for foot and ankle problems
- A neurologist, for nerve damage
- A nephrologist, for kidney disease
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 14, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Matthew I. Kim, MD - Endocrinology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
