Can You Have High Blood Pressure Without Symptoms?
You’d know if you had a potentially deadly condition, wouldn’t you? Maybe not. Read on to learn why high blood pressure is sometimes called the “silent killer.”
5 Essential Tips for Traveling When You Have Diabetes
When you have diabetes, you have to pay a little more attention to taking care of yourself, and that’s true whether you’re at home following your normal routine or when you’re traveling. It’s entirely possible to travel safely and enjoy yourself if you have diabetes.
The providers at all three locations of Apex Medical Center love to hear about our patients’ adventures. We encourage you to live your life fully, and if that means traveling with diabetes, we want to help you prepare so you can make the most of your trip.
The five essential tips we offer in this post will help you prepare for your adventure so that you can worry less and enjoy more.
1. Schedule an appointment well in advance of your trip
Seeing your provider ahead of your trip is important for a few different reasons. First, we can make sure your diabetes is under control. Depending on where you’re going, you may also need to get immunizations.
Finally, we can supply you with documentation that explains how your diabetes is treated, all of the medications and supplies you need to manage it, along with a prescription in case of emergencies.
We can also direct you to other resources to help with international travel. For example, the International Diabetes Federation may be helpful, or you may want to find a list of English-speaking providers where you’ll be traveling.
In addition to visiting our office, you should have a physical copy of your insurance card and verify that your insurance company will cover any medical care you need during your trip.
Similarly, if you use an insulin pump or glucose sensor, you should contact the company to find out if they offer information about traveling. Some companies offer to loan patients equipment for travel, but others don’t.
2. Plan carefully and consider your medication and meals
Consider making a pre-departure checklist to organize yourself as you prepare to leave. This will help you keep track of the documentation you need, along with the supplies you need, what you need to have at hand at the airport if you’re flying, and other details.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to plan each day of vacation from the moment you open your eyes until you fall into bed hours later, you need to make sure you’re accounting for the need to check your glucose, take your insulin, and eat regularly. A day of sightseeing can be ruined if you don’t pack snacks and can’t find anywhere to eat.
You should also take extra care when it comes to food and water safety. Avoid tap water and uncooked foods.
3. Pack for self-care
Waiting until 15 minutes before you walk out the door to throw a change of clothes in a backpack is not advisable when you have diabetes. Making sure you have your medication and any other supplies you need is crucial.
Put those essential supplies in your carry-on so that you keep them with you and also to protect them from damage. You should also keep quick-absorbing glucose, like tabs, gels, or candy, in your personal bag.
Pack enough supplies to last longer than your trip. That way, if you’re delayed or some other unforeseen event occurs, you still have medication.
If your medication is temperature-sensitive, you need to make sure you have a carrier that will keep it at the correct temperature. Special cooling cases are available, designed for travelers. They are usually activated with water and can be regenerated every three days.
4. Think about your feet
Often, we are more physically active on vacation than when at home. You might find yourself walking much more than usual, sightseeing, hiking, or even just trying to get through the airport. Make sure you have appropriate footwear for the increased mileage.
Also, be wary of sunburn. Some medications can make you more sensitive to the sun, so be sure to wear a hat and use sunscreen liberally.
5. Keep time zones in mind
If you’re traveling across time zones, you’ll need to know how to plan the timing of your medication. We can help you figure that out during your pre-departure appointment, and you can include it in your documentation.
Also, be mindful of monitoring your blood sugar. Jet lag can make it difficult to know whether your blood sugar is low or high by how you feel, so be sure to check it shortly after you land.
Most of all, plan to have a fun trip. Jot down any questions you have and bring them with you to your appointment. We’re always happy to help, and we can’t wait to hear about all the fun you had in your travels.
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