Are you planning for some fun in the sun this summer? Before you hit the beach, consider these tips to make sure your vacation is safe and fun.
1. Keep Diabetes Medications Readily Available
No matter how you travel – plane, train, or automobile, it’s important to keep your diabetes supplies readily available.
When traveling by plane, be sure to put all of your diabetes supplies and medications in your carry-on. Checked baggage goes in the bottom of the plane where it can be exposed to extreme cold or heat that can spoil insulin and destroy your glucose meter. Dacia Bryant, Founder and Chief Health Officer at A ONE C LifeBox, a digital healthcare engagement company that equips Black and Hispanic people with the tools to manage their diabetes more effectively, suggest using a cool storage pouch for insulin. These are small enough to fit into your carry-on luggage.
“I often recommend packing a cooler like the Frio Insulin Cooling Case or a Medicool pouch. These cool storage pouches will protect insulin and other injectables from extreme heat not only during hot summer months but also throughout the year if you travel to warm climates where air conditioning may be limited, and power loss is common,” says Bryant.
The same rules for air travel apply when traveling by train or car. Bryant also reminds her patients to keep insulin and other medications handy either in a clear plastic baggy in a handbag or carry-on when traveling instead of the trunk of a car or in checked luggage.