Which diabetes symptoms need urgent care for serious complications?

This is a smart question. In diabetes, the goal is to catch danger signs early.

Urgent symptoms linked to high sugars (Acute Complications)

Seek emergency care if you have:

• Repeated vomiting, severe stomach pain, fast deep breathing, fruity breath, confusion, severe weakness
• Very high sugars with dehydration signs like extreme thirst and passing urine a lot
  These can suggest DKA or severe metabolic illness and should not wait.

Urgent symptoms linked to low sugars (Hypoglycaemia)

• Watch for sweating, shaking, sudden hunger, palpitations, confusion, drowsiness, or fainting.
• If you cannot check a glucometer, treat first with fast sugar. If symptoms improve quickly, it was likely low sugar. Severe low sugar is an emergency.^[1,2]
• Recurrent lows are more common if you have kidney disease or are on insulin or sulfonylureas.

Eye symptoms that need same-day attention

• Sudden new floaters, flashes, curtain-like shadow, sudden vision drop.
• Retinopathy can be silent early, but these symptoms are red flags.^[1,2]

Nerve and foot danger signs

• New weakness, foot drop, rapidly worsening numbness, trouble walking, bladder or bowel issues
  Diabetic neuropathy is common, but sudden weakness needs urgent evaluation to rule out other causes.
• Foot ulcer, spreading redness, swelling, fever, black skin, severe pain, or loss of sensation with a wound

Macrovascular emergencies: Heart and Brain.

Diabetes can blunt typical pain. Seek help if you get:

• New breathlessness, unusual fatigue, sweating, nausea, jaw or shoulder discomfort with exertion
• Stroke signs: face droop, arm weakness, speech trouble, sudden vision loss, severe dizziness Use FAST and call emergency services.^[4,2]