Topic Overview
Travel can make it hard to keep your blood sugar within your target
range because of changes in time zones, meal schedules, and types of foods
available. Check your blood sugar level more often during your time away from
home.
Whenever you need to see a doctor away from home, let
him or her know you have
. And always wear medical
identification. In an emergency, medical identification lets people know that
you have diabetes so they can care for you appropriately if you are unable to
speak.
General travel tips
When you are traveling:
- Use a travel agent who knows the needs of a
person with diabetes. The agent can arrange for special meals or other special
travel needs.
- Take extra diabetes pills (if you have
),
and injection supplies, blood sugar meter
batteries, test strips, and lancets. You may not find your regular supplies
wherever you travel.
- Double your normal amount of needed supplies
for short trips. For long trips, have enough extra supplies to last for 2 weeks
more than the length of your trip.
- To keep your blood sugar at your
usual level, try to eat and take your medicine as close to your regular
schedule as you can.
Car travel
When you are traveling by car:
- Have snacks and drinks with you. Keep
sugar-free drinks and drinks with sugar in an ice cooler.
- If
needed, store your insulin in the cooler so that it will stay at a more
constant temperature. Don't let the insulin touch the ice.
- Keep
your blood sugar meter at room temperature. Don't leave it in a hot or cold car
or in the sun.
- Walk a few minutes every 2 hours to improve the
blood flow in your legs.
Plane travel
When you are flying:
- Check with your doctor, if needed, about
changing your insulin dose and timing if you will travel across three or more
time zones.
- Stay up to date with airport security rules. When you get ready to go through security, tell the officer that you have diabetes and are carrying diabetes supplies with you. Insulin pumps may set off alarms.
- Pack your diabetes supplies in your carry-on bag.
Luggage can get lost and supplies damaged by the temperature extremes in the
baggage area. You will need medical identification or a doctor's prescription
for your needles and syringes to be allowed through airport
security.
- Put your insulin bottle (vial), if needed, into a small,
wide-mouth, cool, empty thermos if you are not sure that temperatures will stay
in a range that is safe for your insulin.
- Put in half the air you
usually add to the insulin vial, if needed, to adjust for altitude air pressure
changes if you draw up your insulin while flying.
- Get up and walk
every hour or so. This will help blood flow in your legs and will make sure
that your insulin works properly.