More on Sick Days & Diabetes…

It’s no secret that we are deep in the heart of colds and flu season. While colds and flu are miserable and inconvenient for most people…they can be especially dangerous to those of us with diabetes!

I have touched on the subject of diabetes and sick days in previous posts, but I want to put the spotlight on it one more time this winter…largely because I am still trying to recover from a monstrous, nearly two week long bout of what my doctor eloquently termed “some bizarre form of the crud.” We’re talking fever, chills, loss of appetite, lack of energy and a horrendous hacking cough. Sound familiar to anyone?

Colds & flu can be especially dangerous to people with diabetes because:

 a) Infection tends to cause an increase in blood glucose

b) They tend to create a loss of appetite, vomiting and/or diarrhea which can lead to unstable blood glucose levels

c) We tend to stop checking our blood glucose levels like usual…when in fact we should be checking it more frequently 

In addition, most of the over-the-counter medications for colds & flu contain sugar, alcohol and/or other ingredients which can cause blood pressure and blood glucose to rise! Be sure to check labels before taking cold/flu/fever medications and avoid those that contain significant amounts of sugars or alcohol. There are a few sugar-free, alcohol-free and diabetes-friendly over-the-counter medications on the market.

Doctors advise that anyone with colds/flu keep plenty of fluids passing through the body which is especially true for those of us with diabetes. Many people tend to gravitate towards sugary carbonated drinks and fruit juices when they are sick…we need to go more with water, teas or broth to avoid stacking on even more sugars. The only exception to this rule would be if your blood glucose levels were running too low. In this case a 1/2 cup of milk or apple juice can be helpful.

At what point should a person with diabetes seek medical help? That’s pretty much your call, but here are a couple of guidelines. Contact your medical professional if:

a) Vomiting and/or diarrhea continue for more than six hours

b) Fever lasts more than 24 hours

The best way to avoid colds & flu are to get flu vaccinations early. It’s also a good idea to get a pneumonia shot. The general rule of thumb for pneumonia shots are get one before age 65 and one after age 65.

Another step you can take that has been proven to go a long way towards controlling and limiting the effects of colds/flu is…wash your hands frequently with an antibacterial soap.

I hope this is the last time I need to write on this subject this winter because after all….spring is just around the corner!! If it’s any encouragement to those of you still battling snow and cold, take heart…I saw a flock of robins in my SC front yard late last week, so these traditional harbingers of spring are headed your way!

Jimm