December 5, 2000
Daily Care
Question from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA:
My 13 year old son was diagnosed with type�1 diabetes a month ago. He recently got a bad cold. His pediatrician put him on an antibiotic for 10 days due to fluid in his ears. His blood sugars have returned to normal now. It has been five days, and he still has cold symptoms and a sore throat. Does it usually take longer for kids with diabetes to get over colds? Are there any over-the-counter medications that won’t affect the blood sugar? Is there anything he can eat or supplements he should be taking to prevent these illnesses?
Answer:
Having diabetes does not put your son at risk of more frequent coughs, colds, sore throats, etc. However, coughs and colds might affect blood sugar, and he may need more insulin to cover the period of illness. Simple viral infections have no specific treatment other than regular fluids, and paracetamol [acetominophen].
JS
