Why fruity breath diabetes

My diagnosis was a wake-up call. It was time to take care of my health. Learn more about its symptoms, causes, and treatment. I learned that the best type 2 diabetes diet is the one that works for you. Members of the T2D Healthline community understand well how managing diabetes can feel overwhelming.

These 6 tips can help make it easier. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Type 2 Diabetes. Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. Causes Managing bad breath Takeaway Share on Pinterest. What causes bad breath in diabetes? Managing bad breath from diabetes. Read this next. Type 2 Diabetes and Oral Health. Checking Ketone Levels. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Medically reviewed by Michelle L. Griffith, MD. Ketonuria: What You Need to Know. If you have diabetes , this scent can be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis DKA , a condition that can be fatal if not treated.

In other cases, it can be a sign of liver disease. Learn more about fruity breath below—including when your fruity breath should cause you to seek out medical attention. Fruity breath is caused by your metabolism.

As your body breaks down food and fat in different ways, it releases chemicals that are then expelled when you breathe out. In some cases, these chemicals can cause a fruity or acetone smell. Modern fad diets like ketogenic diets are designed to help your body enter a state of ketosis, where it begins burning fat rather than glucose blood sugar for fuel.

This process releases chemicals known as ketones, including acetone, which can cause a fruity smell. In fact, having fruity or acetone-smelling breath is a reliable sign that your body has entered ketosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA , is a complication from diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes.

If a person does not have enough insulin, their body is unable to convert blood sugar to glucose, which the body uses as fuel. Without glucose to burn, the body enters a severe form of ketosis, releasing enough ketones into the blood that the ketones begin poisoning the person. Fruity breath is a common sign of DKA. Other signs include:. If you are experiencing symptoms of DKA, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately or go to the emergency room.

In some cases, excessive alcohol use can cause ketoacidosis. The symptoms of this condition are similar to those of DKA, including fruity breath. However, the condition is rarer than DKA. In order to experience alcoholic ketoacidosis, a person often has to drink large quantities of alcohol, while also being malnourished. Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome HHS is extremely high blood sugar that occurs in people with type 2 diabetes.

In most cases, people with HHS do not experience the same buildup of ketones in their blood that people with DKA experience. However, some buildup of ketones in the blood can occur with HHS, leading to fruity-smelling breath.

If you believe you are experiencing HHS, reach out to a healthcare provider or go to the emergency room immediately. In some cases, fruity breath has causes that are not related to ketones. While fruity breath related to ketones has an acetone-like scent, the fruity breath associated with liver disease is mustier. Bad breath related to liver disease is known as fetor hepaticus. People with liver disease have higher levels of certain chemical compounds, including acetone.

The link between liver disease and fruity, musty breath is so strong that healthcare providers use breath smell as an indication of liver disease. Gum and mints may help mask the scent. You might also try an over-the-counter urine ketones testing kit. Sugar is a main source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and other tissues. Normally, insulin helps sugar enter your cells.

Without enough insulin, your body can't use sugar properly for energy. This prompts the release of hormones that break down fat as fuel, which produces acids known as ketones. Excess ketones build up in the blood and eventually "spill over" into the urine. Uncommonly, diabetic ketoacidosis can occur if you have type 2 diabetes. In some cases, diabetic ketoacidosis may be the first sign that you have diabetes.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is treated with fluids, electrolytes — such as sodium, potassium and chloride — and insulin. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common complications of diabetic ketoacidosis are related to this lifesaving treatment.

Left untreated, the risks of diabetic ketoacidosis are much greater. Diabetic ketoacidosis can lead to loss of consciousness and, eventually, death. Diabetes complications are scary. But don't let fear keep you from taking good care of yourself. Follow your diabetes treatment plan carefully.