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Re: Diabetic Coma!
Posted by 'SteveG98' on 02 Dec 2008 @ 14:29

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SteveG98Joined: February 2008
Total Posts: 1
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Steve, I feel compelled to answer your post just to clear up some common misunderstandings.

A "diabetic coma" is something that occurrs due to high blood sugars inducing a condition called Ketoacidosis.

Such a condition develops over a period of days or weeks and once such a coma is entered you only have hours to live unless you get the right medical attention. The condition is so horrible that if a diabetic karter was in imminent danger of falling into such a coma, they probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed the morning of a race never mind drive a kart.

Fortunately these days very few people fall into a Diabetic Coma.

I agree with you that the authorities will rightly want to make sure a karter has a good understanding and control of diabetes so that such an situation is unlikely.

The other ever present risk to a karter with Diabetes (not to be confused with a coma) is a Hypoglycaemic state, more widely known as a "Hypo". This is where the persons blood sugars drop below a certain level a) because they have taken insulin and not eaten enough or b) the energy exerted driving a kart uses up the store of glucose in their body relative to the insulin which has been injected.

For most people the symptons of being Hypo start with sweating hands and slight dizziness or lack of balance. If food/sugar is taken at this point the person will feel completely normal within 5-10 minutes.

The important thing the authorities will want to establish is that the diabetic person gets good warning signs that they are entering a "Hypo" state and know what to do. if untreated a Hypo state can also lead to unconsciousness and though serious it is not usually a life threatening situation for reasons too long to ellaborate on here.

So when racing a diabetic driver should test their blood sugars before each race and eat enough to cover the energy they will lose during the race.

Message Thread:

karting with diabetes by 'Miffy' (30 Nov 2008 @ 19:31)

Re: karting with diabetes by 'lard ass bob' (30 Nov 2008 @ 20:08)

Re: karting with diabetes by 'MrT' (30 Nov 2008 @ 20:57)

Re: karting with diabetes by 'MrT' (30 Nov 2008 @ 21:02)

please ignore mrt's wrong advice by 'Tmoon' (30 Nov 2008 @ 22:02)

Re: please ignore mrt's wrong advice by 'raceinstructor' (30 Nov 2008 @ 22:14)

Re: please ignore mrt's wrong advice by 'QuickOldTimer' (30 Nov 2008 @ 22:32)

Re: please ignore mrt's wrong advice by 'raceinstructor' (30 Nov 2008 @ 22:59)

Re: please ignore mrt's wrong advice by 'Miffy' (30 Nov 2008 @ 23:00)

This is the key! by 'SteveC' (02 Dec 2008 @ 13:16)

Re: Diabetic Coma! by 'SteveG98' << You are here!

Re: Diabetic Coma! by 'MrT' (02 Dec 2008 @ 16:11)

Re: Diabetic Coma! by 'SteveG98' (02 Dec 2008 @ 16:52)

I'm only pointing out what the fear was! by 'SteveC' (05 Dec 2008 @ 9:58)

err, read the post properly? by 'MrT' (30 Nov 2008 @ 23:57)

Re: err, read the post properly? by 'Miffy' (01 Dec 2008 @ 8:20)

Re: karters with diabetes by 'SteveG98' (01 Dec 2008 @ 10:39)

Re: karters with diabetes by 'Paulvg46' (01 Dec 2008 @ 11:28)

Re: karters with diabetes by 'Miffy' (01 Dec 2008 @ 16:03)

Re: karters with diabetes by 'Miffy' (01 Dec 2008 @ 16:04)

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