Travel
Don't let your diabetes keep you at home! There are so many ways to travel easily and comfortably that your diabetes doesn't need to be a deterrent. However, like a person with asthma or a heart condition, you'll want to follow some general travel recommendations. You may need to make specific changes in your blood glucose monitoring, meal planning, and insulin.
Click here to read the Accu-Chek Travel Guide. Please note that you will need to sign in or register with Accu-Chek to see this.
Travel Tips
Problems are likely to arise while you're traveling, even with the best-laid plans. What if your train breaks down or your meal service is delayed on your flight?
Follow these tips for smoother travels:
- Don't take your mealtime insulin unless you are sure that you can follow it with food.
- Carry an Emergency Snack Pack that contains a nutritious and somewhat substantial snack. Good examples are crackers with cheese or peanut butter, granola bars, peanut butter, or dried fruit and nuts. Also carry some form of quick-acting glucose (glucose tablets) in case of low blood sugar.
- If you are Changing Time Zones, talk to your healthcare team about adjusting the timing of your meals, exercise and insulin doses.
- Consider intensive diabetes management (e.g. multiple injections or insulin pump) if you do a lot of traveling or your schedule is unpredictable.
- When you're on the move, keep your medications or insulin, as well as injecting and glucose testing supplies, with you at all times.
- Wear a Medical ID Bracelet or necklace that says you have diabetes.
- Don't Get Separated From Your Supplies. Keep a tote bag with you that contains your insulin, syringes and/or insulin pump, lancets, glucose meter, blood and ketone test strips, glucagon kit, glucose gel or tablets and snacks.
- Pack Twice As Much Insulin And Blood Testing Equipment as you think you'll need. Getting extra diabetes supplies when you're away from home can be difficult.
- Keep Insulin Out Of Direct Sunlight and protect it from very hot or very cold temperatures. If flying, keep your insulin supply with you instead of packing it in bags that might get too hot or too cold (such as in an airplane baggage compartment).
- Crossing Time Zones can confuse your insulin schedule. You may need to make a new plan for timing your insulin injections. You may also need to adjust your total daily insulin dose. Keep your watch on your home time until the first morning after you arrive in a new time zone. Check Your Blood Glucose Level More Often Than Normal.
If you have any problems with your meter whilst on holiday please call our Customer Careline on +44 01737 815 071*
Lines open: 8am - 8pm (Mon-Fri) 10am - 4pm (Saturday) 10am - 1pm (Sunday) 365 days of the year. *Cost of calls subject to local telecom provider. Callback is available upon request.
*To improve the quality of our service, calls received or made by Roche Diagnostics may be recorded
