Diabetes and being Sick:
Controlling diabetes and keeping it at regular levels is an important goal for everyone diagnosed with diabetes, but it is even more important during the sick days when a person has contracted a disease (such as: cold or flu, sore throat, injuries, treatment of severe dental diseases, surgery, psychological stress), it is advisable to discuss the plan to deal with the disease with the caregiver in advance before infection.
Illness Effects on Blood Glucose:
During illness, the body is under pressure, to be able to deal with it, the body secretes hormones that help eliminate the disease, but thus these hormones raise blood glucose, in addition to reducing the effect of insulin.
Rules for Managing diabetes during Sick Days:
Insulin and diabetes medications:
Insulin doses and medications must be adhered to even at the time of illness according to the following cases:
- Type 1 Diabetes: May need to increase insulin dose.
- Patient with type 2 diabetes: He continues to take his usual medications, or he may need to use insulin for a temporary period according to the doctor's advice.
Nutrition and fluids:
- It is recommended to drink at least a glass of water or sugar-free liquids every hour to avoid dehydration.
- Make sure to eat meals on time, even if the glucose level is high.
Measuring the level of blood glucose and ketones:
It is recommended to measure the blood glucose level using the home device every 4 hours and record the results, in addition to checking the presence of ketones in the following cases:
- Patient with type 1 diabetes: Ketones should be measured every 4 hours, as they are more likely to form during the disease period.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Measured if the glucose level is above 300 mg/dL.
Symptomatic medications:
A person may need to take additional medicines to treat the condition (such as cough medicines), so always check the ingredients of the medicine and make sure they do not contain sugar, and some medicines may affect the blood glucose level even if they do not contain sugar, so it is advisable to check with your doctor or pharmacist about the possibility of taking them.
When to see a doctor:
- If the sugar is higher than 250 mg/dL despite taking the additional insulin dose allocated to cases of disease.
- If the sugar continues to rise for more than 240 mg/dL before eating despite taking diabetes medications, it continues for more than 24 hours.
- If symptoms of ketoacidosis, dehydration or other severe conditions appear.
- If the illness or fever lasts for two days and the condition does not improve.
- If vomiting or diarrhea persists for more than 6 hours.
- If the ketones are medium or high in urine.
- If a person does not know how to take care of themselves during an illness.
- If the person feels unable to think, confused or dizzy, and feels (drowsiness) more sleepy than usual.
A person may need hospitalization if:
- When swallowing is difficult.
- when vomiting persists.
- when blood glucose level continues to rise.
- when the level of ketones continues to rise.
- When there is abdominal pain, inability to breathe.