Summer is a time for outdoor picnics, amusement parks, road trips and vacations. For the 24 million people living with diabetes in the United States, these fun summer events can pose some of the greatest challenges to testing regimens and diet.
Diabetic Care Services, a leading national mail order diabetic supply and pharmacy, has partnered with Kent State University’s nutrition department to offer testing and nutrition tips for maintaining effective diabetes self-management when summer – and its biggest distractions – are in full swing.
TESTING & TRAVEL TIPS
Marc Wolf – a registered pharmacist with more than 28 years of experience serving diabetic patients and founder and CEO of Diabetic Care Services – provides tips on protecting testing supplies and insulin in the summer heat and helping manage diabetes while on the go.
Protecting Testing
Supplies and Insulin
Keep meters, test strips and insulin out of direct sunlight. If supplies and medications are outside at a picnic, on the beach or in a locked car, be sure to pack supplies in a dark protective carrying case with a gel ice pack to prevent damage from extreme temperatures.
Keep carrying case and testing supplies dry. Testing supplies exposed to humidity can provide altered blood glucose test results.
Always travel with an extra set of supplies stored in a separate carrying case so there is a backup if the first set is damaged. Never use test strips stored in cracked or damaged bottles. When flying, pack supplies and medications in carry-on luggage to avoid having them damaged or exposed to extreme temperatures in the plane’s cargo hold.
Management While Traveling
Access to proper meals at usual times may be limited while traveling. Always travel with snacks in pre-measured serving sizes just in case. Glucerna and Extend both make travel bars for diabetics that are available at www.DiabeticCareServices.com.
Continuing to monitor blood glucose on a regular schedule is imperative. When traveling across time zones, carry a second watch or clock set to your home time for the first few days until you adjust to the new schedule.
Always bring extra supplies. It is a good idea to test more often when traveling because routines will inevitably be disrupted.
If an insulin injection will be needed on an airplane, contact your insulin manufacturer for any special instructions to accommodate the pressure inside the plane.
Pack several pairs of comfortable, closed-toe shoes and plenty of clean socks that you can change often to prevent soreness and blisters on feet if doing a lot of walking. Invest in special diabetic socks, like DiaSox available at www.DiabeticCareServices.com, which are made to keep feet dry, cool and promote good blood flow.
Always carry or wear medical identification that indicates you have diabetes.
–Courtesy of Diabetic Care Services and Kent State University
