Thursday, August 11, 2005

Traveling with Diabetes

August is a busy travel month. Americans drive almost 20 billion miles more in August than in any other month. And the price of gas hasn't put a brake on our driving. The Energy Information Administration reported this week that demand for gas has increased 1.4% over the past year.

We're flying more too. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported this month that airlines carried almost 6% more passengers in the first 5 months of this year than they did during the same time last year.

Having diabetes shouldn't put a damper on your travel plans if you take a few precautions:

Medications:
  • Bring extra, and keep them with you.
  • Keep them in their original packaging.
  • Bring prescriptions for your meds in case of loss or an emergency.
  • Keep your insulin cool.
General:
  • Bring snacks to cope with a low blood glucose or infrequent meals.
  • Take a break to move around and stretch every hour or two. This will reduce blood clot risk and keep you comfortable.
  • Check your blood glucose often. Changes in diet, activity, and time zones can affect your levels.
These tips and others are brought to you by the National Diabetes Education Program in their publication Have Diabetes. Will Travel.