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Why Does Glucose Appear In The Urine Of A Diabetic


What Causes Ketonuria In Diabetes

Why High Blood Sugar Cause Frequent Urination and Thirst: Type 2 Diabetes #9

In people with Type 1, ketonuria means theyre not getting enough insulin. Insulin keeps fat from breaking down, so ketones should not form if youre taking enough insulin.

People with Type 2 can develop ketonuria if they have severe infections, major trauma, or stress. These conditions raise the need for insulin. People can have internal infections without being aware of them.

A study in Chicago evaluated 138 consecutive admissions for DKA at a large academic center. They found that 21.7 percent of those admitted had Type 2 diabetes. Almost half of the people admitted had an identifiable infection. In a Swedish study, 32 percent of DKA cases were people with Type 2.

A subset of people with Type 2 have what is called ketosis-prone diabetes or KPD. In KPD, the pancreas occasionally shuts down insulin production for unknown reasons, making a person subject to DKA.


In Type 1, a common cause of ketonuria is insulin pump failure. A person thinks they are getting insulin, but theyre not. The line has been blocked or the machine is malfunctioning. Without insulin, fat starts breaking down into ketones.

The University of California at San Francisco diabetes education program warns, There is a higher risk for developing ketones on pump therapy. This is because long-acting insulins are not used, and rapid-acting insulin is delivered in extremely small amounts. If this basal insulin delivery is interrupted for more than an hour, check your blood sugar and ketones.

Diabetes And Urinary Tract Infections Things You Need To Know

By Tammy Shifflett RN, BSN, CDE, CPT

In this article we will cover everything you need to know about diabetes and your risk for Urinary Tract Infections. Do you have an increased risk of Urinary Tract Infections now that you have diabetes?

We will cover what a Urinary Tract Infection is, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment guidelines, as well as why they are more common in people with diabetes.


More importantly, we will discuss steps you can take to prevent them!

When Should I Test

If you have type 1 diabetes, you may need to check your urine for ketones if:

  • You feel sick and have nausea or vomiting.
  • Youâre pregnant.
  • Your blood sugar level is over 300 mg/dL.
  • You have symptoms of high blood sugar including extreme thirst or tiredness, a flushed or foggy feeling, or your breath smells fruity.
  • The doctor tells you to.

If you have type 2 diabetes, there isnât much chance youâll have too many ketones, even if youâre taking insulin. But it could happen during a severe illness. Your doctor may tell you to check your urine when:

  • You have a cold, the flu, or other illness or have unexplained nausea or vomiting.
  • Your blood sugar level is over 300 mg/dL and continues to rise throughout the day.

Read Also: Can You Live A Full Life With Diabetes

What Happens During A Glucose In Urine Test

Your health care provider will need to collect a sample of your urine. During your office visit, you will receive a container in which to collect the urine and special instructions to ensure the sample is sterile. These instructions are often referred to as the “clean catch method.” The clean catch method includes the following steps:


  • Wash your hands.
  • Clean your genital area with a cleansing pad. Men should wipe the tip of their penis. Women should open their labia and clean from front to back.
  • Start to urinate into the toilet.
  • Move the collection container under your urine stream.
  • Collect at least an ounce or two of urine into the container, which should have markings to indicate the amount.
  • Finish urinating into the toilet.
  • Return the sample container as instructed by your health care provider.
  • Your health care provider may ask you to monitor your urine glucose at home with a test kit. He or she will provide you with either a kit or a recommendation of which kit to buy. Your urine glucose test kit will include instructions on how to perform the test and a package of strips for testing. Be sure to follow the kit instructions carefully, and talk to your health care provider if you have any questions.

    When Should I Call The Doctor

    Why Does Glucose Appear In The Urine Of A Diabetic ...

    A urine test for ketones should always be negative. Report a positive result to your doctor immediately. You should also let them know right away if your blood sugar remains high or if you have stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, sweet-smelling breath, or if youâre peeing a lot.

    The doctor may tell you to:

    • Drink plenty of water and fluids to lower the amounts of ketones and stay hydrated.
    • Continue to check your blood sugar. If itâs high, you may need to give yourself a small amount of rapid-acting insulin.
    • Go to the local emergency room so you can get intravenous fluids and insulin.

    Also Check: How Long Do Type 1 Diabetics Live

    Why Does Glucose Appear In The Urine Of A Diabetes Quizlet

    does glucose appearurinediabeticglucose isglucoseglucoseurineurine


    Glucose is usually only found in the urine when blood glucose levels are raised due to diabetes. When your blood glucose levels are high enough, glycosuria occurs because your kidneys can’t stop glucose from spilling over from the bloodstream into the urine. This level is called the ‘renal threshold’ for glucose.

    One may also ask, which of the following terms describe the condition of having glucose in urine? Glycosuria happens when you pass blood sugar into your urine. This often happens because you have an abnormally high level of glucose in your blood . Sometimes, glycosuria can develop even if you have normal or low blood sugar levels. In these situations, it’s known as renal glycosuria.

    Hereof, what would the presence of glucose in the urine indicate quizlet?

    Presence of glucose in the urine. Indicates abnormally high blood sugar levels. NORMAL RANGE – 80-100 mg/ml – at this level all glucose in filtrate is reabsorbed by tubular cells and returned to blood. Under these condtions, body cells increase metabolism of fats and excess glucose spills into urine.

    Why do you think protein and glucose in the urine are signs of kidney damage?


    How Is A Uti Treated

    The treatment for your uti will depend on what type of infection it is. If it is a bacterial infection, it will be treated with an antibiotic. If it is determined that it is a fungal infection, it will be treated with a different medication which targets fungal infections.

    The first step your doctor will take will be to obtain a urine sample; this urine sample will determine if you have an infection. If so, the urine is then also cultured to determine which antibiotic it is sensitive to, in other words, which antibiotic will effectively treat and kill the bacteria. This will take a few days because the bacteria has to grow in a petri dish. See, there really are reasons some of these tests take time!

    In the meantime, your physician will immediately start you on a broad spectrum antibiotic; this is an antibiotic that effectively treats many types of bacteria. If when the tests come back it is determined that you need a different antibiotic, your doctor will notify you and prescribe a different antibiotic which will treat your specific infection.

    Sometimes the pain of a urinary tract infection is so great you may require a medication to alleviate the pain. Your doctor can prescribe a special medication which targets the pain associated with UTIs.

    Follow-up is essential to determine if the infection has cleared, so if your physician asks you to come back, please do so!


    Also Check: How Long Do Type 1 Diabetics Live

    How Can I Reduce Sugar In My Urine

    Treatment for glycosuria

  • Reduce the sugar and processed foods in your diet.
  • Eat a diet consisting of mostly whole foods with plenty of vegetables.
  • Reduce carbohydrate consumption to less than 180 grams per day.
  • Drink water and unsweetened beverages instead of soda or juice.
  • Get daily physical activity.
  • What Are The Kidneys

    Urine Sugar or Blood Sugar. Which is better and why? Dr. Anup, MD Teaches Series English

    The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage with one on each side of the spine.

    Of the many roles they perform, one of the most important is the removal of waste products from the blood , which come from food and the normal breakdown of active tissues, such as muscles.

    Other key functions of the kidneys include the secretion of three important hormones:


    • Erythropoietin which is released in response to hypoxia to stimulate the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow.
    • Calcitriol the active form of vitamin D, which helps maintain calcium for bones and for normal chemical balance in the body
    • Renin an enzyme involved in the regulation of blood pressure

    Read Also: Skinny Diabetics

    Frequent Urination And Diabetes

    One of the major symptoms of diabetes is increased urination in the patient. The situation in which our body tends to urinate more than the normal is also known as polyuria.

    When a patient suffers from any type of diabetes, type 1 or type 2, the major symptom of the condition is the excessive passage of urine. In other words, you not only want to urinate more frequently but the volume also increases each time you urinate. In a healthy person, the volume of urine that passes is somewhere around 1-2 liters. However, in the case of diabetes, the patient passes around 3-4 liters of urine each day.

    What Happens To Urine Odor In Diabetes

    Something strange happens to the urine odor for type 2 diabetes. The urine starts smelling sweet or fruity. Why does the smell change?

    Your body needs sugar to accomplish all your daily activities. This sugar comes from the food you eat. To turn this sugar into energy, your body relies on a hormone called insulin. Think of insulin as a messenger that signals your cells to convert sugar into energy.


    But in diabetes type 2, your body stops responding to the insulin in your body. Your insulin is still there but it does not work the way it is supposed to. Its the same as getting a key stuck in a door lock. The key is there but its not functioning the way it should. This is what happens in diabetes type 2 as well.

    As already mentioned, the main function of insulin is to decrease blood sugar levels by signaling body cells and turning them into energy.

    Once your bodies insulin fails to perform its function, your cells do not get the signal to turn blood sugar into energy and your blood levels of sugar start to rise.

    Once your blood sugar levels are high enough, your body cells start breaking sugar into another chemical called ketones. Think of it as if you forgot that you left a fruit in your kitchen cabinet, it will rot. Similarly, your blood sugar starts to rot and ketones are produced as a result. When this happens, the body tries to get rid of all the extra sugar and ketones. One way for your body to do that is to eliminate them via urine.

    Read Also: Diabetics And Cheese


    What Is Sugar In Urine

    Sugar is usually present in the urine at very low levels or not at all. Abnormally high amounts of sugar in the urine, known as glycosuria, are usually the result of high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar usually occurs in diabetes, especially when untreated.

    Normally, when blood is filtered in the kidneys, some sugar remains in the fluid that will later become urine. If the level of blood sugar is low, as is normally the case, the body can reabsorb the sugar from this fluid before it leaves the kidney to be excreted as urine. When the blood sugar is high, there is too much sugar in the fluid leaving the kidney to be reabsorbed, so some sugar passes into the urine.

    Sugar in the urine can be detected in the laboratory or is easy to detect at home with a urine dipstick test. Because sugar in the urine is associated with high blood sugar and , it is important to consult a physician if you suspect you have sugar in your urine. Sugar in the urine is often accompanied by other symptoms of diabetes, including , unexplained weight loss, excessive or hunger, and frequent urination.

    Seek immediate medical care if you have sugar in the urine along with more serious symptoms, including the inability to think clearly.

    Seek prompt medical care if your sugar in the urine is persistent or causes you concern.


    How Can A Uti Be Prevented

    Urinalysis

    Amanda recently contacted TheDiabetesCouncil asking how to prevent utis. There are quite a few simple things you can start doing today, that will ensure you dont end up with another dreaded infection tomorrow!

    The very best prevention is to practice good hygiene techniques. Now remember, I am a Registered Nurse, so I am going to get technical here ladies:

    • Wiping front to back is essential! Transfer of bacteria is definitely going to happen otherwise and will cause a urinary tract infection for sure!
    • Go to the bathroom and empty your bladder immediately after sexual intercourse ladies.
    • Every time you empty your bladder, try to make sure it is fully empty.
    • Drink lots of water to keep your bladder flushed out; current recommendation is 8 eight ounce glasses per day .
    • Keep your diabetes under the best possible control!

    I know these techniques seem simple at first glance, but if you are vigilant, they really will work. Practicing these preventive techniques will go a long way in helping you stay healthy and hopefully avoid a potentially life threatening urinary tract infection.

    Why does diabetes increase the risk for getting a UTI?

    Weaker immune system, poor blood circulation, high blood glucose levels, and diabetic neuropathy are some of the reasons why people with diabetes are at a higher risk


    I am a woman, am I at a high risk of getting a UTI?

    What are the signs and symptoms that I should watch for?

    The most common signs and symptoms to look out for are:

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    The Kidneys And Blood Sugar Levels

    Each kidney is made up of millions of tiny blood vessels called nephrons, which act as filters to help keep the blood clean.


    Each nephron interlinks with a small tube to keep useful substances, such as proteins and red blood cells, in the bloodstream and allow extra fluid and waste products to pass through, where they become part of the urine.

    This filtration system can, however, be damaged by high levels of blood sugar. Excess glucose in the bloodstream can cause the kidneys to filter too much blood.

    Over time, this extra work puts more pressure on the nephrons, which often results in them losing their vital filtering ability. This damage from unused glucose in the blood is what is known as diabetic kidney disease

    Sugar In Urine Meaning Causes Readings

    Posted by Dr. Chris

    The urine is composed of a number of different substances including nutrients, salts and wastes. It is the bodys way of expelling what it does not need and maintaining a state of balance known as homeostasis. When there is any disease or disorder in the body, it may at times be detectable through changes in the composition of urine. The presence of glucose is one such abnormality.

    Read Also: What Is A Normal A1c For A Non Diabetic

    Tests For Kidney Disease

    About one-third of people with diabetes have problems with their kidneys. But early and tight control of your blood sugar and blood pressure, plus help from certain medications, can keep these organs working like they should

    To check for problems, your doctor can do a test that measures the amount of protein in your urine, called microalbuminuria. It shows up when small amounts of albumin seep into your pee. Without treatment to slow the leak, your kidneys could be damaged and eventually fail.

    You should get this test every year starting as soon as youâre diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Thatâs because high blood sugar is usually present many years before you find out you have the disease.

    If you have type 1 diabetes, you probably wonât get the test until youâve been diagnosed for 5 years.

    How Is This Condition Diagnosed

    Diabetes And Glucose in Urine

    Glycosuria can be diagnosed in a number of ways, but urinalysis is the most common approach.

    For this test, your doctor will ask you to urinate on a test strip to be sent off to a lab for testing. The lab technician will be able to determine whether your urine glucose levels suggest glycosuria. You may have glycosuria if the amount of glucose in your urine is higher than 180 milligrams per deciliter in a single day.

    Your doctor may also order blood tests to check your blood sugar. Normal blood sugar levels are usually between 70140 mg/dL depending on whether youve eaten recently or whether you have diabetes.

    If your blood sugar levels are high and diabetes hasnt been diagnosed previously, your doctor will likely perform a glycated hemoglobin test. This blood test provides information about your blood sugar levels for the past few months.

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    What Do The Results Mean

    Glucose is not normally found in urine. If results show glucose, it may be a sign of:

    • Diabetes
    • Pregnancy. As many half of all pregnant women have some glucose in their urine during pregnancy. Too much glucose may indicate gestational diabetes.

    Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

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