An important aspect of diabetes management is travelling with diabetes, which is no uphill task as with proper planning, one can easily prepare to have a safe and enjoyable journey. While there may be certain challenges before, during and after the journey as a part of the management of diabetes mellitus, with proper doctor consultation and management of diet and lifestyle, diabetes will never interfere with your life.
Things to Consider While Travelling with Diabetes
By Car – As part of the diabetes management guidelines, if you decide to travel by car, it is important to keep the following in mind:
You must measure your blood glucose level prior to starting your trip and at regular intervals throughout.
Your most important goal is to prevent hypoglycemic emergencies.
Fast-acting hypo-aids, such as glucose or orange juice, should always be close at hand.
By Plane – While travelling by plane, the most important thing to remember is:
Pack all of your diabetes supplies like insulin for diabetes in your carry-on bag because hold luggage can take a different route or get lost.
Also, by doing so, the temperature range for the diabetes insulin and the blood glucose test strips can be kept more stable.
Your Diabetes Travel Checklist
Considering your diabetes management regime, before leaving for the trip, the following checklist must be checked and ticked off to avoid any misses:
Adjusting Insulin Doses According to Different Time Zones
The Case of Diabetics with Multiple Daily Injections (MDI)
The Case of Insulin Pump Therapy Patients
Changing Insulin Requirements
Protecting Diabetes Supplies from Heat
Keeping Stress under Control
Always keep your medical IDs to help with your identification in case of any emergency.
How to Deal with Diabetes Emergencies While Travelling with Diabetes
Diabetes management is extremely important during emergencies and one must be fully prepared to deal with it.
If you are travelling with a group, at least one of your travelling companions should be aware of your diabetes and understand what must be done if you experience a hypoglycemic emergency.
It is recommended that you carry an emergency ID card (diabetic ID card) in English and/or the language of the country where you are travelling.
Locate the nearest physician and/or hospital at each destination on your trip. Before your trip ask your insulin manufacturer whether your insulin is available in the country or countries you will be visiting – possibly sold under a different name.
If you should lose your diabetes supplies while on holiday, your mail order company will usually ship replacement supplies directly to you wherever you are. They will also often provide a free insulin pump to use while you’re on holiday.
Ask your insurance provider whether your policy will cover the costs of any treatments you might need while abroad.
Always use your glucometer to take regular readings synced to the diabetes management app. This diabetes management app is equipped with all logs of the readings. You can buy glucometer online and check glucometer price before buying.
Shahana is a Senior Content Writer at BeatO and talks about Health. She's one of those women who feels too much and hence try to express all of it through her writings.