Have you had your seasonal flu and H1N1 shots yet? It’s best for everyone to get these, but if you have diabetes it is crucial. The flu can actually 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.
If you catch the flu you can expect to experience high fever, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, and severe headache. You’ll also feel very tired and weak. Symptoms also last a good while, often for weeks.
If you are diabetic, you may not even have the option of taking most cold and flu medicines to try to feel better. Liquid medicines often have a lot of sugar in them. That would be bad under the best of circumstances, but when the flu is playing havoc with your blood sugar levels it can be especially dangerous.
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.
If you do end up with the flu, you need to track your blood sugar very carefully. When you are feeling so crummy already, it can be tough to know if your blood sugar is doing weird things. It’s a good idea to test more frequently during the day.
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.
Be careful about your diet also. Having the flu can kill your appetite. As a diabetic, though, you can’t just not eat. You need to eat your regular meals, but in smaller amounts.
Try to eat about fifteen grams of carbohydrates every hour. That’s not much food. It’s about one slice of toast, of a cup of yogurt, or a cup of soup. Take in plenty of fluids too. This iis the best way to stay on track diet-wise, when you can’t manage a full meal.
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