· CDE Mehandi Sharma
Sick-Day Rules for People with Diabetes
Sick-day rules are the plan you follow when you have a fever, an infection or a stomach bug — because illness raises blood sugar even when you are eating less than usual.
The rules
- Keep taking your diabetes medicines, even if you are not eating. This is the one people get wrong most often.
- Check your blood sugar at least every four hours, including overnight.
- Keep drinking. Plenty of unsweetened fluids, in small amounts often.
- Eat little and often. If you cannot keep food down, take carbohydrate as fluid instead — juice, a regular soft drink, or glucose tablets.
- Test for ketones if you have Type 1 diabetes, whenever you are unwell or your reading goes above about 250 mg/dL. If ketones are present, contact your team.
When to get help the same day
- You cannot keep fluids down.
- You are vomiting repeatedly.
- Ketones are present and not clearing.
- Your readings stay high despite following the plan.
- You are drowsy, confused or breathing fast.
More in sick days: fever, infection and your sugar.