Bee Healthy: Vacation? Plan for diabetes needs

By air, bus, car and train, travel season is in full swing. In preparation, include diabetes needs in travel plans. Better to be safe than sorry.

Before you leave on your trip, locate the nearest hospital and pharmacy at your destination. If you have a problem, there will be less struggle to figure out where to go to get help. Carry a current list of medications and insurance cards to have at the ready if you were to need these facilities.

When you go, bring food and water. Cancellations and delays can disrupt normal eating schedules and food availability. Airlines provide very little if any food. The best defense is packing your own fruit, vegetables, nuts, protein bars and sandwiches. Stay hydrated with your own water or low-calorie beverage.

Be prepared with a sugar source like glucose tablets or nonperishable juices boxes. Some medications for diabetes have a higher risk for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Untreated hypoglycemia is a medical emergency and can be life threatening. Stash sugar-source items in your purse, car compartment or travel bag. If you have a travel companion, consider having them carry a backup, too.

Always carry medications with you. Unexpected delays in travel plans could prevent access to luggage. Or worse, sometimes luggage is lost or stolen. Also, insulin and some injectable diabetes medications lose effectiveness if exposed to swings in temperature. Keep these kinds of medications in a small, packable cooler or specialized cooling case, available online, that keep temperatures more consistent. If traveling by air, keep liquid diabetes medications in their original boxes with prescription information, if possible. Check tsa.gov for guidelines for carry-on items.

Take a backup glucose meter and extra meter batteries. It’s Murphy’s law that the one time you have a problem with your meter will happen when you are away from home. Be ready for the unexpected with extra supplies and medications just in case.

Finally, wear medical identification. It is recommended that people with diabetes wear some type of medical ID like a bracelet, necklace or shoe tag. In case of an emergency, medical professionals can make quicker decisions about your care.

If you have questions about how to manage your diabetes while traveling, meet with your diabetes care team in advance. We are here to help.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Bee Healthy: Vacation? Plan for diabetes needs."