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June 28, 2000

Aches and Pains

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Question from Florida, USA:

I have a child with delayed first stage insulin response and positive ICA 512 who, on occasion, will have elevated blood sugars. She also has repeated ear infections. Could these be caused by the high blood sugars?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

It takes a really elevated sugar to depress the immune system and cause infections. Likely it is the other way around, the stress of the infection will cause the glucose to rise.

I find it interesting that I have diagnosed an infection, almost before the patient got sick, because the sugar went up with no explanation. Strep before fever and sore throat is not an uncommon presentation in a child with well controlled diabetes and diligent parents. So I would guess the infections have caused the glucose to go up.

LD