How to Manage Diabetes During a Sick Day: Tips on insulin, medication and personal care
Everybody has sick days, especially this time of year. For some, those days can be extra challenging due to conditions such as diabetes. If you have diabetes, you may be wondering how to best manage your diabetes when you are sick. How does sickness affect my diabetes? How do I care for myself while I am sick?
How sickness affects diabetes
Infection, cold, and flu can all raise your blood glucose levels. To fight the stress and sickness, your body also releases hormones. These hormones can also cause high blood glucose levels.
Often, when we feel sick, we tend not to eat as much because we feel we cannot keep food down. This can cause low blood glucose levels. Drinking carbohydrate rich drinks or snack can help prevent this.
How to care for your diabetes when you are sick
To take great care in managing your diabetes through these times of illness, you should formulate a plan with your doctor. This plan should include the following:
When to call your doctor
What to eat and drink
Whether a change in dosage for your usual diabetes medicine should be required
Whether your blood or urine should be checked for ketones
How frequently you should check your blood glucose levels
To begin, if you take insulin, you should continue to take it (even if you experience vomiting), and ask your doctor how to adjust the dosage in relation to your blood glucose levels. If you take diabetic medication, be sure to continue taking it (even if you experience vomiting).
It is important to take care of yourself as best you can during your sickness. Call you doctor if you have any concerns at all about the state of your condition.
If you or someone you love needs help managing their diabetes in the home, Sunshine Home Care may be able to help. Contact us or call us at 1-877-477-2014 today for more information.
