When to see a doctor for diabetes-related medical issues

Learning about and being aware of the various signs and symptoms of diabetes-related complications or other medical issues can help you know when to contact your healthcare provider or seek immediate medical attention in the case of an emergency.² Here are a few examples and guidelines to keep in mind:³

• Changes in your daily health: If you feel lightheaded after standing, experience constipation, bloating, or nausea, have trouble with your vision—even just at night or when the light changes—or have sexual problems, these can all be signs of health issues related to your nerves.⁴
• Pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling—especially in the hands, feet, arms, or legs: These feelings may seem insignificant, but they can be a sign of early nerve damage. And if that's the case, your symptoms can worsen as nerves become more damaged.⁴
• Skin problems or infections: From wounds or cuts that won't heal to ongoing sinus, bladder, or vaginal infections, diabetes can interfere with your body's ability to recover on its own.⁵
• Illness: Being sick can affect your blood sugar levels. ⁶ If you're feeling feverish, sweating, or experiencing chills, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, your doctor will want to know to ensure that it’s not an infection that requires care.³ If you can't keep food or fluids down, call for emergency assistance.⁷
• High blood sugar: If your blood glucose levels remain above 240 mg/dL or 13.3 mmol/L, even after taking your medicine and/or increasing your insulin and fluid intake, or if you have trouble staying in range, make an appointment to see your doctor.⁷
• Moderate to large ketones in your urine: If you experience symptoms such as dehydration, worsening abdominal pain, trouble breathing, or a breath that smells fruity or like acetone, consult your doctor.⁸

If you’re still unsure whether to contact your doctor, remember that they’ll want to be informed of any health-related issues.

Contacting your doctor or healthcare provider to talk about what you’re experiencing can help you understand if there's an issue that needs to be addressed.

After a discussion or examination, your doctor may be able to alleviate the symptoms you are experiencing and even help slow the progression of the problem through possible interventions, including better blood sugar control.

How to get the most out of your doctor's appointment

Even if you only visit your doctor for a short time, it’s important that your conversations are productive. Here are some suggestions on how to get the most out of your doctor’s appointment to discuss any diabetes complications you might be experiencing and learn more about managing diabetes.

1. Plan ahead. Send your numbers to your doctor in advance of your appointment, and be sure to note anything that seems out of the ordinary to you. Also, bring a copy of everything you sent to your appointment, just in case. Your doctor might only be able to glance at the paperwork before you meet, but having that information in your file could help save time.
    
2. Collect your questions. Have a list of questions to refer to and take notes to help you cover everything you want to discuss, keeping all the important answers in one place.
    
3. Be honest. Your doctor is there to help you navigate challenges and solve problems, so a straightforward approach to sharing your results and current physical state can help them provide you with the best advice for your situation. If you’re hesitant or embarrassed, know that you’re not alone in dealing with that particular issue.
    
4. Participate in the decisions. While your doctor is a medical expert, you’re the expert on what works for you. You should feel comfortable sharing your ideas and suggestions during the appointment, as the best patient-doctor relationships are built on respect and collaboration.
    
5. Know what’s feasible. It's okay to say that a particular goal feels too challenging. Your doctor would rather have you leave with instructions that you can definitely follow than offer advice that leaves you feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed.
    
6. Follow through. If you agree to reach specific goals or make changes to your current routine, take the time and effort to give it your best try. And if you discover something that’s getting in your way, think about how to solve it. Is testing pain getting in the way of checking your blood sugar? Consider using a less painful lancing device or try alternative site testing.^9,10 Are you finding that you don’t have time to exercise? Take the stairs at work. Starting with the goal and then brainstorming various ways to achieve it can help you discover different approaches to reach it.
    
7. Create a sick day plan. For days when you feel under the weather, it can be helpful to have an action plan in place that you create in collaboration with your healthcare team.

How to create a sick day plan

If you are feeling ill due to complications from diabetes, focusing on your diabetes self-management can help you deal with what’s going on with your body.

Developing a sick day plan with your healthcare team ahead of time will make it easier to make decisions when you’re not feeling well. Be sure to ask them how often to check your blood glucose and ketones, what medications to take, and what foods to eat, as well as when to ask for or call for help.

What to do at the first sign of illness

Understanding how illness might affect your blood glucose can help you take the right steps to care for yourself when you’re not feeling well. For example⁶:

• Check your sugar levels more often. Since you may need more insulin to manage your glucose levels, do not stop taking insulin without consulting your doctor first. Even if you are having trouble eating, you will likely need extra insulin to combat the hormones that often cause high blood glucose during illness.¹¹
• If you have type 1 diabetes, monitor your blood glucose levels and urine ketones frequently, around every few hours or as often as your doctor recommends.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of calorie-free, caffeine-free, clear liquids.
• Ensure you follow your regular meal plan. Keep easy-to-eat, fast-acting carbohydrates available, which can be useful in treating low blood sugar, and a meal substitute on hand in case of need. If you feel nauseated or are vomiting, try a sports drink, juice, regular soft drinks, or even frozen fruit bars to get the carbs you need.
• Talk to your diabetes care provider about any medications you are taking or any unexpected blood glucose results you experience while taking them. Some cold medicines, antibiotics, and other prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect blood glucose levels.¹²

Successfully navigating an illness and knowing when to contact your doctor can feel overwhelming. Now that you have these useful guidelines and know how to prepare, you can work with your healthcare provider to help you make the best decisions for yourself.

Sources:

1. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) Study Research Group. Mortality in Type 1 Diabetes in the DCCT/EDIC Versus the General Population. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(8):1378-1383.
2. Harding JL, Pavkov ME, Magliano DJ, Shaw JE, Gregg EW. Global trends in diabetes complications: a review of current evidence. Diabetologia. 2019;62(1):3-16.
3. Diabetes when you’re unwell [Internet]. Diabetes UK. 2023 Dec 1 [cited 2025 Jul 9] Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/life-with-diabetes/illness
4. Feldman EL, Callaghan BC, Pop-Busui R, et al. Diabetic neuropathy. Nat Rev Dis Primer. 2019;5(1):41.
5. Gupta S, Koirala J, Khardori R, Khardori N. Infections in Diabetes Mellitus and Hyperglycemia. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2007;21(3):617-638.
6. Wensveen FM, Šestan M, Turk Wensveen T, Polić B. Blood glucose regulation in context of infection. Vitam. Horm. 2021:117:253-318.
7. Hyperglycemia in diabetes-Hyperglycemia in diabetes - Symptoms & causes. [Internet]. Mayo Clinic Staff.  2025 Ap 30 [cited 2025 Jul 9] Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperglycemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20373631
8. Dhatariya KK, Glaser NS, Codner E, Umpierrez GE. Diabetic ketoacidosis. Nat Rev Dis Primer. 2020;6(1):40.
9. Kocher S, Tshiananga JKT, Koubek R. Comparison of Lancing Devices for Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose regarding Lancing Pain. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009;3(5):1136-1143.
10. Anitha Pavithran A, Ramamoorthy L, Bs S, Murugesan R, Mj K. Comparison of Fingertip vs Palm Site Sampling on Pain Perception, and Variation in Capillary Blood Glucose Level among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus. J Caring Sci. 2020;9(4):182-187.
11. Brealey D, Singer M. Hyperglycemia in Critical Illness: A Review. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2009;3(6):1250-1260.
12. Kennedy KE, Teng C, Patek TM, Frei CR. Hypoglycemia Associated with Antibiotics Alone and in Combination with Sulfonylureas and Meglitinides: An Epidemiologic Surveillance Study of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Drug Saf. 2020;43(4):363-369