Taking a trip can be a fun way to spend your time and explore new places. For diabetics, it only requires a little extra packing to prepare for your next vacation. You should always bring along a diabetes travel kit to keep your supplies safe and within easy reach.
What to Pack?
A travel kit should contain everything you need to monitor and treat your diabetes while on the road, plus a few extras. You’ll want to include:
- medications, such as insulin, glucagon, and fast-acting glucose
- glucose meter
- lancing device and lancets
- test strips
- injector pen or syringes
- urine ketone test strips
- small Sharps container
- extra batteries
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It’s also a good idea to write down or print out a detailed health history that includes all of your prescriptions, even those you are taking for other health conditions. This way you, the people you are traveling with or the paramedics have something to refer to in case you are injured or become unconscious.
What To Consider When Flying?
There are certain exceptions made to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules allowing diabetic supplies to pass through security. For instance, you should be able to take liquid and gel medications larger than 3.4 oz. onto the plane. This includes insulin, glucagon, pramlintide, and exenatide.
In fact, it’s suggested that you don’t leave insulin in your checked luggage. The severe temperature and pressure changes that occur in flight can affect your medication. Medications should also be packed in a separate, clear sealable plastic bag.
You should also be able to bring along injector pens, unused syringes, lancets, and used sharps as long as they are in a Sharps disposal container or similar hard container.
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[expand title=”References“]
Diabetes Travel Kit – Being Prepared for Emergencies. URL Link. Accessed August 16th, 2017.
What Can I Bring With Me? URL Link. Accessed August 16th, 2017.
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