When You Are Sick

It's important to take care of your diabetes even when you're ill.
Here are some tips on what to do:

*Even if you can't keep food down, keep taking your diabetes medicine.

*Drink at least 8 ounces of water or other calorie-free, caffeine-free liquid every hour while you're awake.

*If you can't eat your usual food, try to drink juice or eat crackers, popsicles, or soup.

*If you can't eat at all, drink clear liquids such as ginger ale. Eat or drink something with sugar in it if you have trouble keeping food down, because you still need calories. If you don't have enough calories, you increase your risk of hypoglycemia.

*Make sure that you check your blood sugar. Your blood sugar level may be high even if you're not eating.

*Call your doctor right away if you throw up more than once or have diarrhea for more than six hours. Experts at Wound Care Centers, which treat people with chronic wounds related to diabetes, offer the following tips to diabetics:

*Never walk around in your home without shoes.

*Make sure there are no foreign objects in your shoes.

*Make sure your shoes fit properly and are the right size.

*See a podiatrist regularly.