The human body is adapted to synthesizing sugar in the form of glucose or in its raw state in order to create energy. When we do not consume enough sugar, our body opts to metabolize the available quantities of fat instead, which in turn creates ketones.
Ketones are a form of acid that mix with your blood like a toxin when your body burns fat for energy. This acid and blood content makes you feel nauseated and sick.
Finding ketones in urine is a common occurrence for people with diabetes. Diabetics cannot consume sugar as a rule, at least not a substantial amount to fulfill the body’s need as energy resources. Diabetic patients with higher levels of ketones in their urine have serious concerns to worry about. It signifies that the body is unable to process enough insulin to transfer sugar content from the circulatory system to the cells.
Such conditions can lead to levels of high blood sugar or hyperglycemia, which in turn can lead to further complications of a stroke, heart diseases, damage in the nerves, and problem with vision. If your doctor recommends a test to check ketones in urine, get it done instantly and monitor your health as per the results. If the levels of ketone bodies in urine are high, the doctor will suggest a viable course of treatment to reduce the number of ketone acids floating in your bloodstream. If there are trace ketones in urine then you can reduce them further by making a few changes to your lifestyle.
What Causes Ketone Bodies In Urine To Form?
Several factors influence the formation of ketones in urine such as:
- Eating disorders
- Infections
- Pneumonia
- Strenuous exercise
- Abusing alcohol
- Pregnancy
- Stroke
- Eating diets that contain low amounts of carbohydrate
- Vomiting and diarrhoea that becomes a chronic problem
- Fasting
- Sepsis
- Hyperthyroidism
- Nursing babies without adequate nutrition in the mother’s body
- High fever
- Burns
If your urine test does show ketone bodies in urine, it is best to seek treatment right away and address the issue. If left unchecked, the ketones entering your bloodstream can cause severe damage to your internal organs and damage their functionalities.
What Do The Measures Of Ketone In Urine Mean In Your Body?
If your healthcare provider insists upon a test to trace ketones in urine, you probably have one of the following conditions:
- You are diabetic
- The levels of glucose in your blood have surpassed 240 mg per deciliter.
- You are experiencing pain in the abdominal regions
- You have been feeling nauseated and vomiting
- You are suffering from flu or the common cold
- You constantly suffer from fatigue
- You are constantly thirsty or experience dry mouth
- You appear constantly confused
- You have a fruity smell in your breath
- Your skin is flushed
In the case of children, diabetes can cause severe problems. Thus, if a diabetic child has any of the symptoms mentioned above, healthcare professionals will recommend immediate treatment and suggest ketones in urine tests.
Here’s how to take the test and what the unusual results mean:
The ketone bodies in urine are measured using a spot test. The test is available as a kit at any drug store and comes with a dipstick that is lined and prepared with the necessary chemicals. These chemicals react when they come in contact with ketone bodies thus the doctor collects a urine sample and dips the dipstick into it. The amount of ketones in urine is denoted by a change in colour.
If the levels of ketones in urine are more or less, the colour will make that evident. Here’s when you know that the levels of trace ketones in urine in your body is abnormal:
Small: Less than 20 mg per deciliter
Moderate: Between 30 to 40 mg per deciliter
Large: More than 80 mg per deciliter
These levels indicate the number of ketones in urine in your body. A small amount of trace ketones in urine is normal. However, if the urine test demonstrates large differences in your chart from the normal range, worry is a big reason.
The abnormal result of ketones in urine tests indicates a need to make changes in lifestyle. It is pivotal at this point to take a serious look at your lifestyle and determine how to introduce healthy sugar into your diet so that your body is not forced to synthesize fats and build ketones.
If you have an unnatural diet or follow strict diets for diabetics or simply choose to fast or starve most of the time, the levels of ketone bodies in urine may increase. In the absence of sufficient food to synthesize and transpose glucose to the cells, the blood is starting to circulate high levels of ketones instead.
What Do Ketones In Urine Pregnancy Signify?
Finding ketones in urine pregnancy can primarily mean a basic need for the mother and the baby to acquire sufficient amounts of nutrients to create the necessary energy. This lack of energy causes subsequent problems during pregnancy in the prenatal stages, which affects their development in later stages as well.
Finding ketones in urine pregnancy has often led to preliminary tests of the child. When tracing their development, researchers discovered that babies who encountered ketones in urine pregnancy had lower levels of IQ and their development was affected throughout their lives.
These children have also often reported problems with a disability or natural development. During pregnancy, if you receive charts with high levels of ketones in urine, it is time to check and modify your diet and acquire the necessary nutrients to create sufficient energy for the mother and the baby.
If the mother suffers from diabetes, it is best to consult with a medical professional and devise a suitable diet plan that will not subsequently hurt the mother or the child. Incorporating more unsweetened carbohydrates to create energy without consuming items with glucose or fat may be a good way to manage the levels of trace ketones in urine without misbalancing the levels of insulin.
