Diabetes, a growing health problem in India affecting 10 – 12 percent of the population, leads to a weakened immune system. Persons suffering from diabetes are therefore more susceptible to developing influenza. If you have diabetes and are over 65 years of age, you are at a higher risk of getting this infection.

Influenza or flu is a viral disease that spreads through air-borne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It results in high fever often accompanied by weakness, headache, muscle pain and chest infections. When children are affected, they may also suffer from diarrhea and vomiting.

Complications among those with diabetes who develop flu can include severe chest infections, pneumonia, dehydration, kidney failure or heart failure. Such people are three times more likely than others suffering from the flu to die of related complications. During influenza epidemics, deaths among those with diabetes increase by 5 – 15 percent; such people also have a six times higher risk than the general population for hospitalization. There is also the risk of a significant rise or fall in blood sugar level in case of flu during diabetes.

Precautions
People with diabetes can guard against influenza by getting themselves vaccinated against flu and pneumonia each year before the flu season. The vaccine, injected into the upper arm, is effective against influenza viruses A and B and is quite safe. Because the virus strains that cause flu keep changing, the vaccine needs to be taken every year.

Children over six months of age who are diabetic will also need the influenza vaccine once a year. Children below the age of nine who are taking their first flu vaccine can be administered two doses, given a month apart.

Management
If you do contract influenza, here are some things you can do to cope: