Dealing with lost or forgotten medications, broken or damaged medical equipment or the immediate effects of low or high blood sugar can ruin any diabetic’s travel plans. With a little foresight and preparation, a person with diabetes can travel locally or abroad with minimal hassles and headaches. Here are some ways to plan for a trip.
Making a medical kit before heading out on a journey is vital. Be sure to keep all items that relate to the management of the disease in a small bag that can be kept at hand or easily accessible while you travel. The bag should include the following things:
- An ample supply of diabetic medication such as insulin and pills
- A blood sugar testing device plus plenty of test strips and extra batteries
- The estimated number of insulin syringes needed for the trip plus a few extra in case of delays
- A medical identification card or doctor’s note indicating diabetes and other related conditions
- Your doctor’s emergency phone number
- Non-perishable snacks, such as crackers, raisins or other dried fruit and some hard candy or glucose tablets in case of low blood sugar during the trip
If traveling by air, be prepared for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. TSA agents are aware of the needs of diabetics, and the official policy allows for testing kits and diabetic medication to be kept in carry-on luggage. The following diabetic items are approved by the TSA:
- Insulin vials and insulin dispensing devices such as biojectors, jet injectors, preloaded syringes and infusers
- An unlimited number of new and unused syringes if they are accompanied by your insulin
- An unlimited number of used syringes if they secured within a hard-surface syringe disposal container
- Testing equipment and supplies such as blood lancets, glucometers, testing solution, blood and urine test strips and alcohol pads
- An emergency glucagon kit
- An insulin pump and associated supplies.
To avoid misunderstandings, make sure your diabetes medication is clearly marked with preprinted pharmaceutical labels that make identification of the medicine quick and easy. Some insulin pumps and continuous blood sugar monitors have been known to fail due to the damaging effects of the full body scanners used by the TSA. If you wear such devices, it is wise to present TSA officials with a doctor’s note explaining that you should be exempt from having a full body scan. When presented with official documentation, security officers will usually honor a person’s request not to go through the scanner and send them through the metal detector instead. If agents are not willing to honor your request, you should remove your devices and ask that they be sent through the metal detector separately.
Diabetics should also be aware of time changes when traveling to other time zones. Traveling to the east shortens the day, so if you are traveling through time zones in this direction, you may need to adjust your insulin dosage by giving yourself less. If you are traveling westward, you may need to take more insulin to compensate for the additional hours you will experience during the journey.
Diabetes doesn’t have to negatively impact your travels; the key is to be fully equipped, well organized and sufficiently prepared.
Guest Author: Carolyn Heintz
Carolyn is a nutritionist, mother to a diabetic child, and world traveler. Her personal health philosophy is based on rewarding exercise, vigilant prevention and (most importantly!) lots and lots of laughter. Her all-time favorite travel spot is Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Photo by: MsH_ISB
