A MUM claims she was able to sniff out that that her son’s life was at risk even when docs dismissed him – after noticing a bizarre stench.
Victoria Hare says she has always had the ability to sense when her children are seriously unwell through the power of smell.
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The 41-year-old claims she is able to smell ketones on a person’s breath – which have a distinctive pear drop or acetone smell emitted through the breath and sweat.
Ketones are acids your body makes when it doesn’t get enough glucose for energy and starts breaking down fats instead.
As ketones build up, they can be detected in blood or urine tests, but they can also give a distinctive tinge to someones breath.
A smell of ketones on a person’s breath can be a sign of a number of things, including a life-threatening complication of diabetes known as diabetic ketoacidosis, the ketogenic diet or liver failure.
‘Pear-drop breath’ can also be a characteristic of type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that affects around 400,000 people in the UK and means the body is unable to process sugar properly.
So when Victoria’s 15-year-old son Harry began stinking of nail varnish remover in October last year, the mum-of-three grew concerned that he may diabetic.
However, Victoria, who lives in Oakham, Rutland, was unable to get a GP appointment to confirm her suspicions – so used a device to measure his blood sugar levels, which she said were “sky high”.
Victoria, who works as a yoga teacher and dreadlock artist, rushed Harry to Peterborough City Hospital, where doctors said he was close to diabetic ketoacidosis.
This is serious complication of diabetes arising from a buildup of ketones in the blood that can be fatal.
Victoria feels immensely grateful that her smelling superpower helped save her son’s life – and is urging others to be persistent with their doctor when concerned about their health.
Victoria said: “I could smell this acetone smell on him, it was like nail varnish remover. And I knew that smell.
“When my other son was very poorly and couldn’t eat for a few days, you get ketones – your body is burning its own fat for fuel and there’s a specific smell with that.
“And I smelled that smell on my son and I’ve also smelled it on my mother before when she’s been very unwell.
“I asked Harry if he’d been unwell recently or if there’s any bugs going around but he said no.
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“I could just smell this smell on his breath, he doesn’t have to be dead close to me to smell it. It was very strong.
“When he was speaking, I could smell this acetone smell coming from him. You can get this smell when you’re doing the keto diet as your body’s in ketosis.
“I’ve got a really sensitive sense of smell, but not everyone can smell ketones on people’s breath.
“I was confused because I knew Harry was eating but I could smell it on him. You expect to smell it on someone who hasn’t eaten for a few days.”
‘SAVED HIS LIFE’
The following few days, Victoria said her son “stank” of acetone as well as complaining of being thirsty and getting up to go to the toilet in the night – confirming her fears that he may be diabetic.
Victoria said she rang her local GP but was told his symptoms were “not an emergency” and to call back next week.
However, Victoria remained concerned so tested her son’s blood sugar levels on a machine which were so high, they didn’t even register on the device.
Victoria said: “It’s really dangerous. Who knows how long his sugar levels had been that high for.
“I rang the doctors and they did blood tests and found he had really high ketones and actually wanted to ring an ambulance to take him to hospital.
“The doctor said the fact you’ve spotted all the signs and put it together and known it was diabetes, you’ve saved his life.”
What is diabetic ketoacidosis?
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious condition that can happen in people with diabetes.
It’s where a lack of insulin causes harmful substances called ketones to build up in the blood.
It can be life threatening and needs urgent treatment in hospital.
Diabetic ketoacidosis usually affects people with type 1 diabetes, often when they first develop the condition and have not yet been diagnosed.
This is common in children.
But people with type 2 diabetes can also develop ketoacidosis when they need insulin.
Symptoms of the condition include:
- Feeling thirsty
- Needing to pee more often
- Stomach pain, feeling sick or being sick
- Diarrhoea
- Breathing more deeply than usual
- Breath that smells fruity (like pear drop sweets or nail polish remover)
- Feeling tired, sleepy or confused
- Blurred vision
The symptoms usually develop over 24 hours, but it can be faster.
You should call 999 or go to A&E if you have symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis – even if you have not been diagnosed with diabetes.
Source: NHS
Harry was rushed to Peterborough City Hospital where he was admitted for two nights and diagnosed with type-1 diabetes.
Victoria said: “Luckily I had brought him in just in time. When you go into diabetic ketone ketoacidosis, your organs start to shut down. People die from that.
“I did grieve a bit when he was diagnosed because that was the end of life as we knew it. You can’t just have a bit of chocolate anymore.
“I’m disgusted with the doctors. They said just to leave him, he could’ve died.
“It’s horrifying they didn’t have any appointments.”
The mum said she was grateful for her smelling superpower.
“I was so grateful I had this super sense of smell. It was a massive giveaway. My husband couldn’t smell anything.”
She urged others to stand up for themselves if they think feel they aren’t being listened to.
“I think sadly people need to take more responsibility for their own health. You need to push when you think something isn’t right,” Victoria said.
“You need to persist.”
What different smells can reveal about your health
We all smell from time to time, but if you have persistently pongy feet or foul breath, your body could be tipping you off to something.
Kenny Chan, lead information services pharmacist at Numark, said: “Body odour can provide important clues about your health.”
Smelly feat
Not washing your feet or wearing the same socks and shoes can make them smell.
But you might also be getting funky wafts whenever you remove your socks and shoes if you have a fungal infection like athlete’s foot.
Bad breath
Bad breath – also referred to as halitosis – can result from bacteria that builds up in the mouth if your dental hygiene isn’t the best, according to Kenny.
But conditions like gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, can also make your breath persistently musty.
Medical conditions could also be behind your foul breath that doesn’t seem to go away, even if you’re brushing your teeth.
Kenny said: “Chronic bad breath can be a sign of conditions like diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, or gastrointestinal issues.”
Read more on what different smells can reveal about your heath here.
