How will my diabetes affect my work? Are there any jobs I cannot do?

How will my diabetes affect my work? Are there any jobs I cannot do?

Whether your diabetes will affect your work depends upon the nature of your diabetes and the nature of your work. Thus, the impact can be almost negligible to highly significant and life-changing. People with early or well-controlled type 2 diabetes, especially if they are not taking medications known to cause hypoglycemia, should be able to perform satisfactorily in almost any type of work that they wish to do. In situations in which personal or public endangerment is a possibility (e.g., transportation and heavy equipment operation) glucose monitoring should be performed periodically, especially when feeling unwell, as high blood sugars can be associated with impaired mental functioning and increase the risk of dehydration and dizziness or drowsiness.

If you have type 1 diabetes or insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes, or have type 2 diabetes but are taking pills known to cause low blood sugar, then the performance of certain occupations which could potentially endanger yourself or others places a special burden of care and attention upon you.With regards to motor transportation, motor vehicle departments have regulations, which may vary from state to state, as to licensure requirements. They may involve, for example, producing records from the memory of a glucose monitor to show that you have checked your blood sugar at regular intervals prior to and during driving and have had no significant low blood sugar readings while doing so. With regard to flying, there are federal regulations and states may have additional requirements. If you are considering a military career and have diabetes, you will have to inform your recruiter, who will advise you of your eligibility.

A number of occupations are not covered by specific regulations, but you will generally be held to the standard of reasonable behavior if you cause harm to people or property wholly or in part as a result of your diabetes. If you did not know what a reasonable person might be expected to know, or act on the knowledge that you have as a reasonable person might be expected to act, you could be judged to have recklessly endangered the lives of others or negligently damaged the property of others and could be subject to legal penalties. If in doubt, therefore, discuss your diabetes with your doctor and your employer and seek advice from experts on regulations that might apply to you.