Introduction
Diabetes is part of your life. You can learn how to take
care of yourself and your diabetes when you’re sick, when you’re at work or
school, when you travel, when you’re thinking about having a baby or are
pregnant, or when there’s an
emergency or natural disaster.
When You’re Sick
Having a cold, the
flu, or an infection can raise your blood glucose levels.
You can have serious health problems leading to a coma if your blood glucose
levels are very high.
Be prepared for illness. Make a plan ahead of time for sick days. Ask your
health care team
- how often to check your blood glucose levels
- whether you should check for
ketones in your blood or urine - whether you should change your usual dose of
your diabetes medicines - what to eat and drink
- when to call your health care
provider
Your health care team may recommend the following:
- Check your blood glucose level at least four times a day and write down
the results in your record book. Keep your results handy so you can report
results to your health care team. - Keep taking your diabetes medicines, even if you’re not able to eat.
- Drink at least 1 cup, or 8 ounces, of water or other calorie-free,
caffeine-free liquid every hour while you’re awake. - If you can’t eat your
usual food, try eating or drinking any of the following:
Your health care provider may say you should call right away if
- your blood glucose levels are above 240 even though you’ve taken your
diabetes medicines - your urine or blood ketone levels are
above normal - you vomit more than once
- you have diarrhea for more than 6
hours - you have trouble breathing
- you have a high fever
- you can’t think clearly or you feel
sleepier than usual
You should call your health care provider if you have questions about taking
care of yourself.
When You’re at School or Work
Take care of your diabetes when you’re at school or at work:
- Follow your meal plan.
- Take your medicines and check
your blood glucose as usual. - Tell your teachers, friends, or close co-workers
about the signs of low blood glucose. You may need their help if your blood
glucose drops too low. - Keep snacks nearby and carry some with you at all times
to treat low blood glucose. - Tell your company nurse or school nurse that you have diabetes.
When You’re Away From Home
These tips can help you take care of yourself when you’re away from home:
- Follow your meal plan as much as possible when you eat out. Always carry a
snack with you in case you have to wait to be served. - Limit your drinking of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages. Ask your
diabetes educator how much alcohol you can safely drink. Eat something when you
drink to prevent low blood glucose. - If you’re taking a long trip by car, check your blood glucose before driving.
Stop and check your blood glucose every 2 hours. Always carry snacks like fruit,
crackers, juice, or soft drinks in the car in case your blood glucose drops too
low. - Bring food for meals and snacks with you if you’re traveling by plane.
- Carry your diabetes medicines and your blood testing supplies with you. Never
put them in your checked baggage. - Ask your health care team how to adjust your medicines,
especially your insulin, if you’re traveling across time zones. - Take comfortable, well-fitting shoes on vacation. You’ll probably be
walking
more than usual, so you should take good care of your feet. - If you’re going to be away for a long time, ask your
doctor for a written prescription for your diabetes medicines and the name of a doctor in the place
you’re going to visit. - Don’t count on buying extra supplies when you’re traveling, especially if
you’re going to another country. Different countries use different kinds of
diabetes medicines.
When There’s an Emergency or Natural Disaster
Everyone with diabetes should be prepared for emergencies and natural
disasters, such as power outages or hurricanes. Always have your
disaster kit
ready. Include everything you need to take care of your diabetes, such as
- a blood glucose meter, lancets, and testing strips
- your diabetes medicines
- a list of your prescription numbers
- if you take insulin—some insulin, syringes, and an insulated bag to keep
insulin cool - if you take insulin or if recommended by your doctor—a
glucagon kit - glucose tablets and other foods or drinks to treat low blood glucose
- antibiotic cream or ointment
- a copy of your medical information, including a list
of your conditions, medicines, and recent lab test results - phone numbers for the American Red Cross and other disaster relief
organizations
You also might want to include some nonperishable food, such as canned or
dried food, along with bottled water.
Check and update your kit at least twice a year.
When You’re Planning a Pregnancy
Keeping your blood glucose near normal before and during
pregnancy helps
protect both you and your baby. Even before you become pregnant, your blood
glucose should be close to the normal range.
Your health care team can work with you to get your blood glucose under
control before you try to get pregnant. If you’re already pregnant, see your
doctor right away. It’s not too late to bring your blood glucose close to normal
so that you’ll stay healthy during the rest of your pregnancy.
Your insulin needs may change when you’re pregnant. Your doctor may want you
to take more insulin and check your blood glucose more often. If you take
diabetes pills, you’ll take insulin instead when you’re pregnant.
If you plan to have a baby,
- work with your health care team to get your blood glucose as close to the
normal range as possible before you get pregnant - see a doctor who has experience in taking care of pregnant women with
diabetes - don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or use harmful drugs
- follow the meal plan you get from your dietitian or diabetes educator to
make sure you and your unborn baby have a healthy diet
Be sure to have your eyes, heart and blood vessels,
blood pressure, and kidneys checked. Your doctor should also check for nerve
damage. Pregnancy can
make some health problems worse.
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People Who Can Help You
- Your doctor. You may see your regular doctor for diabetes care or someone who
has special training in caring for people with diabetes. A doctor with special
training in diabetes is called an endocrinologist or diabetologist.
You’ll talk with your doctor about what kind of
medicines you need and how much you should take. You’ll also agree on a target
blood glucose range and blood pressure and
cholesterol targets. Your doctor will do tests to be sure
your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol are staying on track and
you’re staying healthy. Ask your doctor if you should take
aspirin every day to
help prevent heart disease.
- Your diabetes educator. A diabetes educator may be a nurse, a dietitian, or
another kind of health care worker. Diabetes educators teach you about
meal
planning, diabetes medicines, physical activity, how to check your blood
glucose, and how to fit diabetes care into your everyday life. Be sure to ask
questions if you don’t understand something. - Your family and friends. Taking care of your diabetes is a daily job. You may
need help or support from your family or friends. You may want to bring a family
member or close friend with you when you visit your doctor or diabetes educator.
Taking good care of your diabetes can be a family affair! - A counselor or mental health worker. You might feel sad
about having diabetes or get tired of taking care of yourself. Or you might be having problems because
of work, school, or family. If diabetes makes you feel sad or angry, or if you
have other problems that worry you, you can talk with a counselor or mental
health worker. Your doctor or diabetes educator can help you find a counselor.
QUESTION
Diabetes is defined best as…
See Answer
Other Helpful Tips to Control Your Diabetes
- Follow your meal plan.
- Don’t skip meals, especially if you’ve already taken
your insulin, because your blood glucose may go too low. - See your doctor before starting a physical activity program.
- Check your blood glucose before, during, and after exercising. Don’t
exercise when your blood
glucose is high and you have ketones in your blood or urine. - Don’t exercise right before you go to
sleep because it could cause low blood
glucose during the night.
Keep a daily record of
- your blood glucose numbers
- the times of the day you took your insulin
- the amount and type of insulin you took
- whether you had ketones in your urine
Other tips
- Tell your doctor if you have low blood glucose often, especially at the same
time of the day or night several times in a row. - Tell your doctor if you’ve passed out from low blood glucose.
- Ask your doctor about glucagon. Glucagon is a medicine that raises blood
glucose. If you pass out from low blood glucose, someone should call 911 and
give you a glucagon shot. - Take your insulin, even if you are sick and have been throwing up. Ask your
doctor about how to adjust your insulin dose based on your blood glucose test
results.
When you travel
- take a special insulated bag to carry your insulin to keep it from freezing
or getting too hot - bring extra supplies for taking insulin and testing your blood glucose in
case of loss or breakage - ask your doctor for a letter saying that you have diabetes and need to
carry supplies for taking insulin and testing blood glucose
SOURCE: National Diabetes Clearinghouse; NIDDK; “Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times.”