Glucose Meter

American Diabetic Supply understands you may not feel like testing your blood sugar when you are ill. However, your meter can play a significant role in controlling your diabetes when you're under the weather. In fact, you should check your blood sugar levels every three to four hours when you are ill. If you are not up to it, have a friend or family member do it for you.

Use Your Blood Glucose Meter When Sick
Blood sugar can go up when you are ill. You should talk to your doctor about what plan you should follow if you do become sick. You may also want to get a list of approved medications from your doctor to have on hand if you do become ill. Some over-the-counter medications should be avoided because they can raise your blood sugar.

You should always call your doctor if you have been sick for more than one day and have a fever of 101° or above. When you are ill, you should also check your urine with ketone strips and contact your doctor if you are showing signs of ketones. Your doctor should also be notified if your sugar readings are more than 250, since he or she may want you to up your insulin dosage.

If you have a stomach illness, you should try to at least stay on a soft liquid diet. This approach allows you to still get enough carbohydrates. Items you can consume on a soft liquid diet include one cup of soup or broth, hot cereal, ice cream, toast, gelatin, saltines, non-diet ginger ale, and one half cup of fruit juice. Talk to your doctor about what he or she recommends your soft liquid diet should include to ensure that your blood glucose levels stay in the proper target area.