In case of illness, have a sick day plan in place to keep your diabetes life healthy.

Daily Tips

Being ill can boost high blood glucose levels, so talk with your doctor about developing a sick day plan. Here are some guidelines to follow when you are under the weather:

Keep eating and drinking. Keep plenty of nonperishable food and drinks on hand that are easy on the tummy, including Jell-O, broth soup, and fruit juice. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Stock up the medicine cabinet. In addition to your glucose meter, you should always have ketone-testing supplies on hand, plus basics like a thermometer and medications to treat diarrhea and vomiting. Talk to your doctor about recommendations for the latter.

Stay in touch. Discuss guideline with your doctor about when you should call (e.g., if your blood glucose reaches a certain predetermined number, or if you can’t keep food down, or if your exhibit specific symptoms).

Test often. You’ll need to test frequently to pick up dangerous highs early.

Don’t skip your meds. Keep taking both insulin and oral medications, and if they aren’t bringing down your glucose adequately, call your doctor to discuss increasing the dose.

Proper care for your testing supplies

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