When you have diabetes or chronic health problems, the news about coronavirus or covid-19 can be especially scary. Health officials are sounding the alarm that the data is clear – people with chronic health issues who contract covid-19 are much more likely to develop serious complications.
Dr. Tanquilut is here to explain why covid-19 is a serious health threat and what you can do to prevent complications.
Covid-19 is a respiratory illness which affects the lungs. While many people experience a fever, cough and shortness of breath, there are many highly contagious people who will experience no symptoms whatsoever. These people can infect almost everyone they come in contact with – and dozens beyond that as they leave contaminated droplets on surfaces they touch. Because of this, here in Illinois we are under the “shelter in place” orders. These orders, when strictly obeyed, will halt the spread of the virus.
When it comes to diabetes and covid-19, poorly managed blood sugar levels are a big factor in your greater risk of complications.
High blood sugar levels and the inflammation they cause in your body suppress and impair your immune system, making you more likely to contract covid-19 – or any illness or disease – when you are exposed, especially if your high levels are chronic or poorly managed.
Contracting covid-19 or other illness means you will change your diet, your activity levels, the amount of restful sleep you get and your stress levels, making your blood sugar fluctuate even more, causing further inflammation and greater compromise of your immune system.
One of the most significant dangers is the possibility of developing diabetic ketoacidosis, DKA. DKA is a risk whenever you are infected with a virus. DKA happens when your body isn’t getting enough glucose and so burns fat for energy, producing ketones. Ketones build up in your blood stream and poison your body. Without prompt attention to the symptoms of DKA – thirst, high blood glucose levels, high levels of ketones in urine, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, fruity odor in your breath or mental confusion – you could fall into a diabetic coma.
It’s not just people with diabetes who are at risk from covid-19 complications. It’s also people with any chronic health problem, like high blood pressure, heart, vascular and kidney diseases and more. In fact, the more chronic health problems you have, the higher your risk of serious, life-threatening complications if you contract covid-19.
You can lower your risk of contracting covid-19 and of experiencing serious complications dramatically – almost to the level of those without chronic health issues – by following these guidelines:
Careful management of your chronic health challenges will lower your risk of getting the virus and help you recover safely if you do.
