Any time of the year is good to make a trip without the appropriate circumstances.Summer, Christmas, Holy Week, ... Many times this implies trips to other countries, with different habits and schedules.Climatology can also be a factor to consider in the control of diabetes.
All this makes it important to follow a series of recommendations for people with diabetes.
What do we do with diabetes medication?
If you travel abroad, it is important, before traveling, inform yourself about whether the destination we are going to have health care agreements with Spain.
It is very useful to be in possession of the European health card, which guarantees reciprocity in the treatment between the traveler and the nationals of the country to which it is traveling, although not all countries have the same benefits as ours.
Anyway, if it is a short stay, typical of a summer vacation, it is convenient to take the medication from Spain.There are refrigerators to conserve insulin at proper temperature.
If traveling by plane, a brief medical report is essential, in English if it is not a Spanish -speaking country, which would also serve to inform the doctor of the country of destination in case of emergency.(We are attached here a medical report model that can be useful).
Insulin pumps may sound or not when passing an airport or trains control arc, depending on its sensitivity, so some people prefer to notify the official in charge of being a carrier of insulin pump (with the correspondingreport).
For the plane trip it is essential, to avoid both the deterioration of medication by temperatures in the equipment department and to avoid losses.
To minimize this risk, if you travel with someone of trusted, it is convenient to distribute the medication, so that the other person also carry medications in your hand luggage.
This implies that it is a good duplicate strategy - or tripling - the medications that we will need during the holidays.
We must not forget to carry food to trace hypoglycemia, which includes both rapid absorption carbohydrates (sugar, glucose gels, juices - preferably industrial ones that go back faster than the natural ones - that are not “light”), as slow (cookies, toast, ...).
If for any circumstance we have to buy insulin abroad, you have to look at its concentration.In Spain, the entire available is at a concentration of 100 units per ML, but in some places there may be from other concentrations.If they give us an insulin pen it already supplies the corresponding insulin dose that is marked on the device, the danger would be if they give us vials of, for example, 40 units/ml and we use our syringes of 100 IU/ml.In this case, we would be managing 2.5 times less insulin than we intend, so if they give us vials of a different concentration we must also buy syringes that are marked for that concentration.
On trips within Spain there are usually no problems with medication, but they can occur with reactive strips to measure blood glucose, so it is advisable to take them from the place of origin.
Is it necessary to make any adjustment in the dosage?
Sometimes it is necessary, especially in people who administer insulin, since among the factors that influence absorption are temperature and humidity.Logically, also the style ofLife can be very different, so that the guideline should be adapted to this lifestyle.
When traveling from this to west or vice versa, the schedules are changed, which can be a difficulty in adapting the therapeutic guideline.When traveling west, the opposite of what happens when it goes to the east.With bolus/basal insulin guidelines and, even more, with insulin pumps, it is easier to adapt therapy.Logically, the doctor in charge of taking the case is the one who must recommend how we adjust the medication.
The travel days should be measured more frequently hair glycemia, to have more information to make changes.Obviously, in a person with controlled type 2 diabetes with only oral antidiabetics, these adjustments are much simpler, but still, especially if in addition to oral antidiabetics are also being treated with insulin, it is convenient to talk to your doctor.
Adaptation to change in lifestyle
In summer, and even more during the holidays, the lifestyle is usually different from the usual.In many cases the greatest availability of free time favors the most physical activity.
Also doing tourism can be associated with visiting museums, monuments, traveling cities or walking through the field or beach with a result that it will be necessary to reduce the dose of medications or compensate for taking carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia.
Another danger associated with exercise, especially with very high temperatures, is dehydration.Therefore, it is essential to hydrate well with water or isotonic drinks.
The diet, together with medication and exercise, is one of the fundamental components of diabetes treatment.In summer it is also common to consume different foods from those of winter.If, in addition, we travel abroad, we can find very different foods than usual.
In many countries food labeling, specifying carbohydrates content, is done more rigorously than in Spain.However, they do it worse or, simply, they don't.When the food you have chosen has more or less hydrates of those planned we can always use bread or fruit as wild cards to adjust the portions.
Regarding drinks, in addition to the previously pointed recommendation of staying well hydrated, it should be remembered that we consider water, coffee (normal or decaffeinated), infusions, malt and siphon."Light" drinks are also allowed, but it is convenient to read the label to guarantee the absence of carbohydrates.
Alcohol consumption must be moderate, as non -diabetic people should do, with the precaution of taking it together with food to avoid hypoglycemia.The most recommended would be wine or beer.In case of taking some more graduation drink (Geneva, Vodka,) it is convenient to do it in small quantities and combining with soft drinks that are not “light” to minimize the risk of hypoglycemia.
In countries that do not have health guarantees, especially if they are tropical, the water consumed must be bottled.The ice added to the drinks also must be ensured that it does not come from tap water.
Special precautions for travelers
In tropical and subtropical countries it may be necessary to vaccinate diseases such as malaria.In Spain we have several “international vaccination centers” to which advice can be requested.
There are frequently areas within the same country where it is necessary to get vaccinated and in others not, so before contacting you have to be well informed about the specific geographical location to which it is going to travel.Among the most typical problems that occur when traveling is the “traveler diarrhea”.What for many people can simply be annoying for a person with diabetes can be dangerous.It is convenient to carry some medication to combat it, such as loparamide.
If you travel by boat or by plane and are prone to dizziness you must also wear drugs to combat them.
Among the typical complications of diabetes is the diabetic foot.Remember that on the beach you should not walk barefoot if you have neuropathy or vasculopathy.On vacation many times walk more than usual.The footwear must be adequate, it should not be released during the trip, it is preferable to be wide heel of a height between 1 and 5 cm to facilitate the game of the foot, flexible and without interior seams.
15 tips to take into account if you travel outside of Spain
Inform themselves on whether we go to the destination to health care agreements with Spain.If the country of destination is in the European Union it is very useful to obtain the European health card.Find out here how you can do it.
In case of having travel insurance, or medical insurance (company or similar) it is necessary before going on a trip, informing what procedures to be attended to be attended in the country of destination if necessary.
Take a doctor's report with you to prove that you have diabetes and that you should carry with you the medication and some devices (glucose meter, lancetas, insulin bolis, insulin pump, continuous monitor, glucose, etc.).If you go to a non -Spanish -speaking country, it would be convenient for the report to also be written in English.(We are attached here a medical report model that can be useful).
If the stay outside its habitual residence will not be very long, it carries with you all the necessary treatment material for vacation days: lancet, reactive strips, insulin, glucose meter, pills, more spare parts for the infusion setand batteries in case of being in treatment with insulin pump, and in the latter case, insulin in pen or vials to use in case of technical problems with the infusor.
On your trips, you should always wear a glucagon kit.
If you go to a place where it is hot, they exist in the market to keep the material at the right temperature.
In the event that the trip is made by plane, it is essentialEquipient Department (to avoid both the deterioration of medication by temperatures in the luggage department and to avoid losses).If you travel with travel companions, it is convenient to distribute the medication, so that the other person also carry medications in your hand luggage.
It is advisable to duplicate - or triple - the medications that we will need during the holidays, in case losses, deterioration, trip delays, etc.
Do not forget to bring food to trace hypoglycemia, which includes both rapid absorption carbohydrates (sugar, juices, etc.) and slow (cookies, toast, etc.).
Touring days should measure hair glycemia more frequently, to have more information and make the precise adjustments due to different schedules or lifestyle change (food, exercise, etc.).
In the hottest areas it will be necessary to pay more attention to hydration, and always drink bottled drinks.It will be necessary to take into account the labeling of the drinks to check the carbohydrates that are ingested.
It is important to pay attention to food since these can be different from those who eatUsually, try to wear a diet as similar to yours.
It is advisable to carry medications to treat trip complications such as diarrhea or vomiting.
If your destination is the beach or the river, remember not to walk barefoot if you have neuropathy or diabetic foot.
Always, before a trip, consult your doctor to adjust the treatment well.
