According to the American Diabetes Association, the incidence of diabetes in Americans is nearly 1.7 million people per year. (American Diabetes Association, 2015). Diabetes is a condition that results in higher than normal blood-glucose levels, known as hyperglycemia. There are two forms of diabetes called Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, is the result of the body’s inability to produce insulin. This is typically detected at younger ages and is regulated by controlled diet and synthetic insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes, known as insulin-resistant diabetes, is the most common type and occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to keep up with demand …show more content…
Ketoacidosis is a possible life-threatening condition that occurs in diabetic people that don’t produce enough insulin which results in increased ketones in the blood. This condition is common to type 1 patients although type 2 patients are not immune. Ketones are acidic chemicals resulting from the breakdown of fat for energy. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose into the body’s cells for use as their primary energy source. When insulin is insufficient, ketones are released in the bloodstream as a result of the breakdown of body fat to supplement the reduction of energy produced by the insulin-glucose interaction. Untreated ketoacidosis can lead to loss of consciousness, also known as diabetic coma, or can even be fatal. (Mayo Clinic, …show more content…
For example, hydrochloric acid in the stomach is important in the breakdown of ingested food or drinks. The acidic environment of the stomach functions by breaking the food down for the digestive system to utilize the nutrients in the food, but also protects us by preventing infection from food- or drink-borne illness caused by microbes, bacteria, or viruses. Another example is that the average skin pH is, on average, 4.7; this helps ward off infections on the skin by promoting adhesion of skin microflora. (Lambers, Piessens, Bloem, Pronk, & Finkel;