Before you know it, Spring Break will be here.
Schools and colleges will be closed.
More cars will be on the road and airports will be busy.
A pandemic may have altered travel plans for many for the past two years, but others will have their bags packed and are ready to go somewhere, anywhere.
Traveling and seeing the world is a wonderful thing but traveling with diabetes can be challenging.
It requires a few extra steps and some special considerations because a change in schedule can wreak havoc on a diabetes.
Traveling with Diabetes Tips
Here’s a quick list of tips we put together to know before you go.
- ● Visit the doctor before your trip to get a quick check up, stock up on medications or supplies, and obtain any required doctor’s notes.
- ● Plan ahead and know your surroundings. Research restaurant menus, find the nearest grocery stores and know the location of the nearest hospital.
- ● Buy travel insurance to protect yourself from unforeseen health issues and potential cancellations.
- ● Pack essentials, like medicine, supplies and snacks, in carry-on bags so you always have quick access to everything you need.
- ● Set reminders and alarms to stay on track, take medication on time and eat at regularly scheduled times.
- ● Be prepared for highs and lows by monitoring what you eat closely and budgeting your vacation treats with balanced meals and healthy snacks.
- ● Listen to your body and rest when you need to. It’s great to have fun and stay up late but changes to sleep schedules can affect blood glucose levels so rest when you need to and take naps in between activities.
How a Continuous Glucose Monitor Makes Travel Easier
Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM)have revolutionized how diabetes patients track and monitor blood glucose levels. They give patients more freedom, especially while traveling, and allow patients to monitor levels 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Here’s a quick list of benefits and activities that a CGM can make possible during a vacation.
Allows for an Active Vacation
Patients living with diabetes need to be more cautious because high levels of exertion can affect their bodies differently. “Aerobic activities like walking, hiking and running typically cause blood sugar to drop.”1 Thanks to advancements in Continuous Glucose Monitors, diabetes patients can lead a healthy, active lifestyle while on vacation. Swimming, running, hiking, biking and all other activities are possible while wearing a CGM. A CGMS can help by monitoring how each activity affects glucose levels and alerts users when it’s time to slow down and rest.
Easy to Pack and Easy to Wear
Continuous Glucose Monitors are discreet and private and can be worn on the abdomen or upper arm depending on the brand. A CGM user can check their blood glucose levels anytime and anywhere with ease. When things seem awry, there is no need to unpack a clunky kit filled with testing strips, lancets and a cumbersome meter to test blood glucose levels each and every time. Patients simply swipe their sensor to get a reading within seconds. Results can even be read through swimsuits and other winter gear. The sensor is water-resistant and can be worn while swimming and exercising. It is recommended that “the sensor not be submerged in water deeper than 1 meter or kept underwater for longer than 30 minutes at a time. The reader, however, is not waterproof and should be kept nearby, and out of the water.”2
Enjoy Local Food and Restaurants
When traveling, you want to eat like a local which sometimes means new and unfamiliar foods. This can be scary for someone living with diabetes. CGMs give patients the freedom to enjoy the local food and takes the guesswork out of how new foods will affect blood glucose levels. A CGM provides a constant companion to help monitor blood glucose levels throughout a vacation and always.
Live in the Moment and Enjoy
Continuous Glucose Monitors can help to provide consistency throughout Spring Break by capturing real-time data that can be stored and tracked to help identify trends. The sensor on a CGMs, like the FreeStyle Libre “stores glucose readings every 15 minutes, capturing data in a rolling 8-hour log which can be downloaded with one scan of the sensor. Updated glucose readings are available every minute with a quick scan. The sensor can also hold data while swimming.”2
Provides Peace of Mind During Your Trip and Always
A CGMS provides 24/7 peace of mind and can send alerts when levels are too high or too low. They can even alert family members, healthcare professionals and loved ones to help keep things in check. From exercising and being active to sleeping, alarms can be set so that patients and caregivers are always in the know and stay prepared at all times.
No matter where your travels take you, the team at Quest Health Solutions wish you and your family a safe spring break season. To learn more about how a Continuous Glucose Monitor can help you manage your diabetes during travel seasons, contact us at 1-877-888-7050 Option 3, Ext. 1011, email ben@questhealthsolutions.com or schedule an appointment today.
1. (2009) Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology. Exercise and Glucose Metabolism. Available at Click Here accessed on 19 February 2022.
2. (2020) Novi-Health. Guide to Using Abbott FreeStyle Libre available at Click Here accessed on 20 February 2022.