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News & Information
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Information
How does diabetes affect how I respond to a cold or flu?Being sick by itself can raise your blood glucose. Moreover, illness can prevent you from eating properly, which further affects blood glucose. In addition, diabetes can make the immune system more vulnerable to severe cases of the flu. People with diabetes who come down with the flu may become very sick and may even have to go to a hospital. You can help keep yourself from getting the flu by getting a flu shot every year. Everyone with diabetes—even pregnant women—should get a yearly flu shot. The best time to get one is between October and mid-November, before the flu season begins. See the following for more information:
What should I do when I am sick?There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Call your health care provider or go to an emergency room if any of the following happen to you:
See the following for more information:
Preparing for a PandemicOne of the first steps in planning for a pandemic or other public health emergency is making sure you and your family, including pets, has a two-week supply of food, water and medication. It may be very difficult to get to a store or the stores may be out of supplies, so it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. Visit the Emergency Supplies Kit for more information. Read additional information to aid in the protection against the spread of Pandemic Influenza at http://pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/familyguide.html. The American Red Cross and CDC have teamed up. Please visit the following website for information. http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/home.asp*. Hand Hygiene in Emergency SituationsAfter an emergency, it can be difficult to find running water. However, it is still important to wash your hands to avoid illness or infection, especially when testing your blood glucose or treating a wound. See the following for more information: * Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last reviewed: May 1, 2009
Page last modified: May 1, 2009 Content Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division of Diabetes Translation |