5 Tips For A Diabetic While Travelling
Travelling is one of the most fun activities and is necessary for a good, balanced and exciting life. But along with its many perks, there are some problems that we all come across. It can get hectic if not enough preparations are done beforehand, even more so if you’re a diabetic. Here are 5 tips that will prepare you for a trip where you can leave your worries behind.
- Pack healthy snacks
To avoid satisfying your hunger pangs with junk food that is readily available when you’re traveling, keep plenty of fluids like water, juice, and soda for balancing your blood sugar in case if it falls low. Keep nuts, seeds, dried fruit, high-fiber crackers or biscuits and other, preferably, homemade healthy snacks. The backpack you carry to go sight-seeing or on the beach should have some of these snacks along with your medicine.
- Get a doctor’s note and opinion
Time-zones, weather and the amount of physical activity you’re getting affect how your body reacts to insulin. Your medicine-dosage, insulin shots, diet, and physical activities need to be adjusted according to it. Contact your doctor beforehand about what you should be doing on your trip to control your blood sugar. Get a note from the doctor stating your problem, stating the medicines (preferably with their chemical composition) you need daily and the ones you might need during emergencies. This will help you get out of the airport security hassle-free. With a prescription, you’ll also get medicines easily if you run out of them.
- Store medication properly and in reach
Pack a small bag-pack full of all the essentials you need. Keep much more medicines than you’ll need so if any of it is accidentally lost or ruined, you won’t have to stress about where you’ll get it in a foreign country or state. Cool gel packs for keeping your insulin cool should always be kept. Remember, freezing insulin kills it, hence the cool gel packs. Keep a hand sanitizer so that you’re taking your medicines and food with clean hands. When flying to your destination, keep all of the medicines in your handbag, in case your luggage is unfortunately lost.
- Understand your body and your condition
Every person experiences diabetes differently. Pay attention to how you feel and react accordingly to the symptoms. Keep a handy glucose meter with you to test your blood sugar levels. Opt out of activities that you don’t feel comfortable doing. Avoid foods that you know are bad for you.
- Learn the language
You don’t need to talk like a native person does, but a few phrases in the language common in the area you’re travelling to can be very helpful. Learn phrases you might need like “I have diabetes”, “Can I get a diabetic-friendly meal or drink?” and “Where is the nearest pharmacy or hospital?”
Following these tips along with the general health and hygiene tips should help you ease through your vacation while keeping your blood sugar levels balanced. After all, everyone deserves to have a relaxed getaway, once in a while.
