How to Manage Diabetes During Travel, Sickness, and Fasting

Have you ever thought about the things you should look out for when filling ill, fasting, or traveling and you have diabetes? Well, here are a few useful tips to manage your blood sugar levels in such situations.

Feeling Ill

Your blood sugar levels have a tendency to rise when you are feeling ill, even if you aren’t consuming anything. Tiredness, frequent urination, and thirst may also be common occurrences in such a situation. Here are some tips for you when you are feeling ill:

• Make sure to see a medical professional early on
• Always remember to take your insulin and any other medication, despite your current situation
• If your appetite is poor, take smaller, but more frequent meals
• Drink lots of plain water
• Get enough rest
• If you find you cannot consume a regular meal, drink liquid supplements, juices, or sweetened drinks
• Test your sugar levels more often
• Consult with your doctor at once if you:
• Are unable to eat any food, are vomiting, can’t drink liquids or take your diabetes medication
• Are feeling confused or drowsy (ask a family member or your caregiver to take you to the hospital)

Fasting

If you plan on fasting, it is of crucial importance to check in with your physician at least 3-4 months in advance. This is to know whether it is safe for you to fast and what the best way to manage this would be. If you happen to be fasting during Ramadan, avoid any heavy meals once you break your fasting. Here are the precautions you need to observe if you wish to fast safely:

• Always discuss your plans with your doctor
• Make proper adjustments to your diet
• Test your blood sugar on a more frequent basis
• Adjust your insulin dosage or any other medication
• If your blood sugar is abnormal, see your doctor at once
• In case of (hypoglycemia), it’s best to carry some sweets with you at all costs

Fasting is not advisable if you:

• Have poorly controlled diabetes
• Have frequently low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia)
• Haven’t been following advice concerning daily activates
• Are dealing with severe complications like heart problems, nerve disorders, uncontrolled hypertension…
• Are breastfeeding or pregnant

Traveling

Having diabetes shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your travels. But you should be properly prepared. You need to ensure a safe trip, and one thing you should do is consult your physician at least 1 month prior to your traveling. Here are some other steps worth considering:

• Go for a medical check-up before you depart
• Take any necessary vaccinations
• Notify the airline you are traveling with in advance (for special meals)
• Bring extra insulin and medication with you
• Be sure to also take diarrhea and motion sickness medication
• Keep all this medication in your carry-on luggage
• Bring a blood-glucose meter along with you
• Always carry a medical identification card, even when you’re not traveling
• Bring extra biscuits and sweets
• Drink large amounts of water
• Wear comfortable and protective shoes

Conclusion

Always remember, dear readers. Having diabetes isn’t the end of the world, and you can still live a high-quality life, as long as you stick to certain habits. And what’s more, if you properly manage your condition, you can also prevent any further complications from occurring. Stay healthy. Source: Diabetes | Diabetes Research