These tips can help you better take care of yourself when you are away from home:
- Follow your meal plan as much as possible when you eat out. Always carry a snack with you in case you have to wait to be served.
- Limit your drinking of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages. Ask your diabetes educator how much alcohol you can safely drink. Eat something when you drink to prevent low blood glucose.
- If you're taking a long trip by car, check your blood glucose before driving. Stop and check your blood glucose every 2 hours. Always carry snacks like fruit, crackers, juice, or soft drinks in the car in case your blood glucose drops too low.
- Bring food for meals and snacks with you if you're traveling by plane.
- Carry your diabetes medicines and your blood testing supplies with you. Never put them in your checked baggage.
- Ask your health care team how to adjust your medicines, especially your insulin, if you're traveling across time zones.
- Take comfortable, well-fitting shoes on vacation. You'll probably be walking more than usual, so you should take good care of your feet.
- When traveling by plane, bring food for meals and snacks.
- If you're going to be away for a long time, ask your doctor for a written prescription for your diabetes medicines and the name of a doctor in the place you're going to visit.
- Don't count on buying extra supplies when you're traveling, especially if you're going to another country. Different countries use different kinds of diabetes medicines.
If You Use Insulin
When you travel:
- Take a special insulated bag to carry your insulin to keep it from freezing or getting too hot
- Bring extra supplies for taking insulin and testing your blood glucose in case of loss or breakage
- Ask your doctor for a letter saying that you have diabetes and need to carry supplies for taking insulin and testing blood glucose
