Sick Day Management
What to do when you are ill?
When you are ill, your blood glucose levels tend to go up. This may happen even if you cannot eat or are throwing up.
Conditions that may upset your diabetes include
- Cold / flu.
- Vomiting / diarrhea.
- Urinary tract infection.
- Ulcers or infection in the foot.
Signs indicating rise in blood glucose include
- Excessive thirst.
- Frequent urination.
- More sugar than usual in your blood and urine.
Sick Day Guidelines
Golden Rules
- Continue your diabetes medication, even when you are not eating much or vomiting.
- If you check your blood glucose levels at home usually, its advisable to continue to do so more frequently ( at least 2 to 4 times a day).
- Make it a point to drink plenty of water or sugar free fluids.
- Record weight change / temperature.
When to seek help?
- Blood glucose levels remain over 300mg/dl.
- Ill for two days without much improvement.
- Lost weight / have fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
- If you are vomiting and cannot keep fluids down.
- Worried and don’t know what to do.
Your personal health diary should have a record of your illness
- All your blood sugar reading taken using your home device.
- Date and period of illness.
- Doses of medication taken / details of other medication taken ( if any).
- Any loss of weight.
- Other symptoms (if any) experienced.
