You may need to extra precautions with your blood sugars when you are sick and down with cold, flu or fever like illnesses. Some of the common symptoms that you can have when sick are high blood sugar levels, dehydration due to diarrhea and vomiting and loss of appetite.
- Check your blood sugar levels two-four times daily for the highs and the lows.
- Keep your sugar-testing kit (glucometer) near your bed close to your alarm clock or things to remind you of checking it early in the morning.
- Make sure to take your medicine as soon as you can in case of vomiting and if you are having trouble keeping the pills down.
But make sure not to skip your medication during sickness.
- In case your sugar levels fall below 70mg/dL during illness, consult your doctor about taking the diabetic medication or not.
- For non-diabetics, if the sugar levels are falling below normal, ask your doctor to check for any ongoing medication that is adversely reducing your sugar levels and take fruit juices or other glucose rich foods.
- Avoid heavy food items and go for foods that are easier to tolerate and digest like fruit juices, Gatorade, ice-creams, popsicles and salted crackers etc.
- Get your dosage altered accordingly in sick days to regulate your blood sugar levels during illness.
- Get immediate medical help in case your blood glucose level isn’t going below 250mg/dL, your illness is worsening, vomiting more than twice in four hours, inability to eat or drink for 24 hours or more.