Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times

Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times Loading image. Please wait...Diabetes is part of your life. You can learn how to take care of yourself and your diabetes when you're sick, when you're at work or school, when you travel, when you're thinking about having a baby or are pregnant, or when there's an emergency or natural disaster.

When You're Sick

Having a cold, the flu, or an infection can raise your blood glucose levels. You can have serious health problems leading to a coma if your blood glucose levels are very high.

Be prepared for illness. Make a plan ahead of time for sick days. Ask your health care team

Action Steps If You Use Insulin

Your health care team may recommend the following:

Action Steps If You Don't Use Insulin

Your health care provider may say you should call right away if

When You're at School or Work

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Take care of your diabetes when you're at school or at work:

Sally, a 12-year-old girl with type 1 diabetes, loves her gymnastics class. She practices every day for an hour. Before Sally exercises, she checks her blood glucose to make sure it's okay to start her workout. If her blood glucose is too low, she eats a snack before beginning to practice. Sally has told her coach that she has diabetes. Sally's coach knows that if Sally has a problem with low blood glucose, Sally is prepared to take care of it.

When You're Away From Home

These tips can help you take care of yourself when you're away from home: * Follow your meal plan as much as possible when you eat out. Always carry a snack with you in case you have to wait to be served. * Limit your drinking of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages. Ask your diabetes educator how much alcohol you can safely drink. Eat something when you drink to prevent low blood glucose. * If you're taking a long trip by car, check your blood glucose before driving. Stop and check your blood glucose every 2 hours. Always carry snacks like fruit, crackers, juice, or soft drinks in the car in case your blood glucose drops too low. * Bring food for meals and snacks with you if you're traveling by plane. * Carry your diabetes medicines and your blood testing supplies with you. Never put them in your checked baggage. * Ask your health care team how to adjust your medicines, especially your insulin, if you're traveling across time zones. * Take comfortable, well-fitting shoes on vacation. You'll probably be walking more than usual, so you should take good care of your feet. * When traveling by plane, bring food for meals and snacks. * If you're going to be away for a long time, ask your doctor for a written prescription for your diabetes medicines and the name of a doctor in the place you're going to visit.

Don't count on buying extra supplies when you're traveling, especially if you're going to another country. Different countries use different kinds of diabetes medicines.

Action Steps If You Use Insulin When you travel,

When There's an Emergency or Natural Disaster

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Everyone with diabetes should be prepared for emergencies and natural disasters, such as power outages or hurricanes. Always have your disaster kit ready. Include everything you need to take care of your diabetes, such as

Check and update your kit at least twice a year.

When You're Planning a Pregnancy

Loading image. Please wait...Keeping your blood glucose near normal before and during pregnancy helps protect both you and your baby. Even before you become pregnant, your blood glucose should be close to the normal range.

Your health care team can work with you to get your blood glucose under control before you try to get pregnant. If you're already pregnant, see your doctor right away. It's not too late to bring your blood glucose close to normal so that you'll stay healthy during the rest of your pregnancy.

Your insulin needs may change when you're pregnant. Your doctor may want you to take more insulin and check your blood glucose more often. If you take diabetes pills, you'll take insulin instead when you're pregnant.

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse offers a free booklet called For Women with Diabetes: Your Guide to Pregnancy. Read it online at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/pregnancy or call 1-800-860-8747 to request a printed copy.

If you plan to have a baby,

Maria, a 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes, wanted children. Her doctor told Maria and her husband that before she got pregnant, her blood glucose should be close to normal. Her doctor also recommended a checkup. Maria began to watch her diabetes very carefully. She checked her blood glucose level often, ate healthy meals, and began to walk a lot.

Once Maria became pregnant, she spent a lot of time taking care of her diabetes. Her hard work paid off. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Be sure to have your eyes, heart and blood vessels, blood pressure, and kidneys checked. Your doctor should also check for nerve damage. Pregnancy can make some health problems worse.

Sources:

Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Available at: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/specialtimes.htm#4. Accessed May 18, 2010.



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