Diabetics have to be especially vigilant in making sure that they get their seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 shot as well. These shots are a good idea for everyone, but for diabetics they are critical. The flu can cause changes in your blood sugar levels.
You have to get shots like these every year, unlike others shots like tetanus or measles. The flu mutates quickly so every year is a necessity - last year's vaccine likely won't work for this year's flu. Scientists start working on the next season's vaccine well before the season starts. Fortunately, the H1N1 virus has not yet mutated.
Flu is a miserable experience. It can include high fever, severe muscle aches and headache, cough, runny nose, and sore throat. When you have the flu, you also end up feeling very weak. These symptoms can last for weeks, prolonging the misery.
Diabetics often can't get effective symptom relief, either. The over-the-counter medicines that most people use to treat cold and flu are often inappropriate for diabetics. The liquid medicines are usually full of sugar to make them more palatable. You can't take them, because during flu your blood sugar may already be in flux. Adding a bunch of sugar to the mix is a really bad idea.
Cough drops are also a bad idea. Most have sugar in them. Even sugar-free cough drops may not be a good idea. Eucalyptus can also play havoc with blood sugar.
For diabetics with the flu, you need to be extra careful and test your sugar more frequently. It's very important because you may not know if your sugar is off since you feel so miserable anyhow.
It's a good idea to test every three to four hours, according to the ADA. They also recommend that you check ketones. If any of the results come back and indicate you are having trouble regulating these, you'll want to check with your doctor or go to the ER.
The flu virus can kill appetite too. You have to eat anyhow, in order to regulate your sugars. Don't skip eating - instead, eat small amounts of your regular foods.
You may not want a full meal. Instead, try to get fifteen grams of carbohydrates each hour. That's not too much food. It's about one slice of toast, one cup of soup, or พ cup of yogurt. Make sure you take in enough fluids, also. Be careful with fruit juices though, they can be very sugary.
You have to get shots like these every year, unlike others shots like tetanus or measles. The flu mutates quickly so every year is a necessity - last year's vaccine likely won't work for this year's flu. Scientists start working on the next season's vaccine well before the season starts. Fortunately, the H1N1 virus has not yet mutated.
Flu is a miserable experience. It can include high fever, severe muscle aches and headache, cough, runny nose, and sore throat. When you have the flu, you also end up feeling very weak. These symptoms can last for weeks, prolonging the misery.
Diabetics often can't get effective symptom relief, either. The over-the-counter medicines that most people use to treat cold and flu are often inappropriate for diabetics. The liquid medicines are usually full of sugar to make them more palatable. You can't take them, because during flu your blood sugar may already be in flux. Adding a bunch of sugar to the mix is a really bad idea.
Cough drops are also a bad idea. Most have sugar in them. Even sugar-free cough drops may not be a good idea. Eucalyptus can also play havoc with blood sugar.
For diabetics with the flu, you need to be extra careful and test your sugar more frequently. It's very important because you may not know if your sugar is off since you feel so miserable anyhow.
It's a good idea to test every three to four hours, according to the ADA. They also recommend that you check ketones. If any of the results come back and indicate you are having trouble regulating these, you'll want to check with your doctor or go to the ER.
The flu virus can kill appetite too. You have to eat anyhow, in order to regulate your sugars. Don't skip eating - instead, eat small amounts of your regular foods.
You may not want a full meal. Instead, try to get fifteen grams of carbohydrates each hour. That's not too much food. It's about one slice of toast, one cup of soup, or พ cup of yogurt. Make sure you take in enough fluids, also. Be careful with fruit juices though, they can be very sugary.
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