Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Introduction: Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Whereas highs in Type 1 diabetics lead to ketones and blood acidity that causes DKA, Type 2 diabetics tend to get highs without ketones leading to HHNS. HHNS is a form of high blood sugars that occurs with Type 2 diabetes, whereas ketosis is more common with Type 1 diabetes. It is quite different from the "ketosis" or "ketoacidosis" that occurs from ketones in highs, but almost as dangerous. HHNS occurs more commonly in Type 2 diabetics who retain enough pancreas function to avoid ketones, but who can still go dangerously high. Being high for prolonged periods causes severe dehydration from frequent urination.

HHNS can occur in any form of diabetes whether it is diet-only, diabetes pills, or insulin treated. HHNS is often discovered when a Type 2 diabetic is diagnosed. This occurs in cases where Type 2 diabetes gets quite advanced without being diagnosed.

Symptoms of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

• High blood sugars - see also symptoms of diabetes
• Dehydration - see also symptoms of dehydration
• Excessive urination
• Frequent urination
• Thirst

See full list of 15 symptoms of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome:

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• Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Tests
  • Home Blood Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Ketone Tests
  • Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Kidney Tests
  • Home Eye Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

• Blood sugar test - check for very high blood sugars
• Symptom analysis: dehydration - a check of the symptoms, especially those of dehydration, lead to the doctor to suspect either DKA or HHNS.
• Symptoms: nausea/vomiting - If the patient is nauseous or vomiting, DKA is suspected. If not, HHNS is more likely.
• Urine ketone tests - The presence of ketones in the urine can indicate DKA. Lack of ketones probably means HHNS.
• Blood ketone tests - Blood tests to analyze ketones and acidity in the blood can help confirm DKA versus HHNS.

See full list of 6 diagnostic tests for Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Wrongly Diagnosed with Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome?

• Misdiagnosis of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome
• Underlying causes of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (possibly wrongly diagnosed)

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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Misdiagnosis and Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

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Causes of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

• Diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood sugars - leading to the kidneys over-filtering water, leading to excessive urination, leading to dehydration.
• Too little water - failure to drink enough water can contribute to the dehydration that is a hallmark of HHNS. This can occur when the elderly lose their sense of thirst, making HHNS occur somewhat too frequently in nursing homes.
• Intravenous feeding - can contribute because it involves lots of glucose, which might make you go high.

See full list of 10 causes of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

More information about causes of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (5 listings)
• Underlying causes of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome
• Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome as a complication caused by other conditions
• Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome as a symptom

Treatments for Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

• Hospitalization - HHNS can be severe enough to require hospitalization, especially if occurring in a newly diagnosed diabetic.
• Lowering blood sugars - Extreme HHNS requires gradual blood sugar lowering in a hospital setting. Milder HHNS can be treated mainly by reducing blood sugars using insulin.
• Fluid replacement - Fluids such as water are required to replace the lost fluid and fix the dehydration.
• Treat metabolic imbalances - HHNS is a severe condition that can cause other metabolic changes. Hospital care will test and address other chemical imbalances.
• Treat the underlying cause - Once the main symptoms are alleviated, it is important to identify what caused the HHNS, so as to avoid it recurring. A common cause is that the patient is diabetic, but did not know they were.

See full list of 6 treatments for Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

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Prevention of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

Prevention information for Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome.

• Blood sugar control - The only prevention is to control blood sugars. Avoiding going high for prolonged periods will avoid HHNS. Monitoring blood sugars usually means that no-one gets HHNS once they are diabetic. HHNS only occurs in diabetics if they neglect basic blood sugar monitoring.
• Careful blood sugar control - Tricky days include Sick days, injury, surgery, etc. You can get HHNS on days where the blood sugars get too high, like sick days, surgery recovery, or high stress. So make sure to monitor blood sugars more carefully on these high-risk days.

Read more about prevention of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome

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