About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffDiabetic hyperosmolar syndrome may take days or even weeks to develop. Pay attention to possible signs and symptoms, which include:
- High blood sugar level
- Excessive thirst
- Dry mouth
- Increased urination
- Warm, dry skin with no sweating
- Fever
- Sleepiness
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Vision loss
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Convulsions
- Coma
When to see a doctor
Consult your doctor if your blood sugar is persistently higher than the target range your doctor has recommended, or if you experience any signs or symptoms of diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome, such as:
- Excessive thirst
- Increased urination
- Warm skin without sweating
Seek emergency care if:
- Your blood sugar level is 600 mg/dL (33 mmol/L) or higher
- You experience confusion, vision changes or weakness on one side of the body
- Kitabchi AE, et al. Hyperglycemic crises in adult patients with diabetes (Consensus statement). Diabetes Care. 2009:32;1335.
- Masharani U. Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 49th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=15524. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Masharani U, et al. Pancreatic hormones and diabetes mellitus. In: Gardner DG, et al. Greenspan's Basic and Clinical Endocrinology. 8th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2633151. Accessed Jan. 26, 2010.
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/hyperosmolar-hyperglycemic.html. Accessed Jan. 29, 2010.
- Kitabchi AE, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Stoner, G. Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state. American Family Physician. 2005;71:1723.
- Standards of medical care in diabetes, 2010. American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(suppl):11.
- Collazzo-Clavell ML (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 1, 2010.
- Rosenow E (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 31, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on