Ketone Checks Diabetes: What You Need to Know About Monitoring Ketones with Diabetes

When you have diabetes, a condition where the body can’t properly use blood sugar for energy. Also known as high blood glucose, it can lead your body to break down fat for fuel — creating ketones, acidic substances produced when fat is burned instead of glucose. These ketone bodies are normal in small amounts, but too many can turn deadly. That’s why ketone checks, a simple test to measure ketone levels in blood or urine. Also known as ketone testing, they’re a critical safety tool for people with type 1 diabetes and sometimes type 2.

Ketone checks aren’t just for emergencies. If your blood sugar stays above 240 mg/dL for hours, if you’re sick with the flu or an infection, or if you’re pregnant and have diabetes, testing for ketones can catch trouble before it becomes life-threatening. Diabetic ketoacidosis — or DKA — happens when ketones build up and make your blood too acidic. It’s rare but dangerous. Symptoms like nausea, fruity-smelling breath, confusion, or fast breathing mean you need to act fast. Most people with type 1 diabetes keep ketone strips or a blood ketone meter on hand. Blood tests are more accurate than urine strips, especially if you’re dehydrated or have been vomiting. Urine tests can show past ketone levels, not current ones, so they’re less reliable when things are changing quickly.

It’s not just about the numbers. What matters is what you do next. If your ketones are high, drinking water, checking your insulin dose, and calling your doctor can prevent hospital visits. Some people skip ketone checks because they think it’s only for emergencies — but that’s like waiting for a smoke alarm to go off before checking your fire extinguisher. Regular monitoring during illness or stress gives you control. Even if you have type 2 diabetes, you can still develop ketones, especially if you’re on SGLT2 inhibitors like Farxiga or Jardiance. Those drugs increase ketone production slightly, so knowing how to test and respond is part of safe use.

The posts below cover real situations where ketone checks made a difference — from avoiding hospitalization during illness to understanding why some diabetes meds raise ketone risk. You’ll find guides on how to test correctly, what numbers are dangerous, and how to talk to your doctor about your results. There’s also info on related topics like metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and how certain medications affect your body’s fuel use. This isn’t theory. These are stories from people who learned the hard way — and now help others stay safe.