Surviving flu season with diabetes
The start of fall tends to mark the beginning of flu season, when people spend more time indoors and are exposed to a greater amount of germs.
Fighting off the common flu may be easy enough for some people, but getting sick can be more complicated when you have diabetes.
Increased risk
Individuals with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at serious risk for health complications if they get the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Having diabetes can compromise the immune system, which makes it harder for your body to fight off infection.
Getting the flu can make it harder to control your blood sugar, and your eating habits may fluctuate due to lack of appetite.
Vaccination
The CDC recommends that people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes get a flu vaccine. Flu shots are a better option than the nasal spray flu vaccine, as the latter may not be safe for diabetics.
Children under 6 months should not get a flu vaccine.
In addition to a flu shot, diabetics may also need a pneumonia vaccine to prevent complications if they do get the flu.
Prevention
The best way to navigate flu season is to prevent illness to begin with. The traditional rules apply: Wash your hands frequently, steer clear of sick people, get plenty of sleep and maintain a healthy diet.
If you experience the first vague signs of illness, continue taking your diabetes medication or insulin. Monitor your blood sugar every four hours and check your temperature - a fever may be a sign of infection.
If you feel like you can't eat as you normally do, try to consume liquids that will provide you with the equivalent amount of carbohydrates that you usually eat.
Treatment
If you do end up getting sick, continue taking your medications, monitoring your temperature, and testing your blood glucose level.
Check in with your health care provider if you have severe symptoms, such as: inability to keep food down, severe diarrhea, weight loss of over five pounds, a temperature over 101 degrees F, trouble breathing or consistent extremely low or high blood sugar.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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