There is no reason that people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes should be confined to their area, and be restricted to travel due to this disease. Within this article, we have laid out some travel tips for diabetics to have the most stress-free vacation possible.

Visit your primary care professional and discuss your travel plans. Acquire a written treatment plan, which may come in handy, to show Transportation Safety Administration staff (TSA), or if you need healthcare service while traveling abroad.

It is always better to be over-prepared than under prepared, especially when it comes to medical supplies. It is advised to double our medications, and to keep all your medical supplies packed separately for easy inspection by airport security. Also, invest in a protective cooler for your insulin, to keep dosing at a consistent temperature.

In some countries, insulin concentration may not be the same as what you are used to.  If you must use a dosing that you are unfamiliar with, it is important that a syringe that matches the new dose is also purchased.

Inform TSA staff if you are wearing an insulin pump, and request a pat down rather than holding up the line, by attempting to walk through a scanning machine.

Time zone difference may become an important issue for individuals that take oral medications to control their diabetes. For this reason, it may be necessary to check your blood sugar levels more often than usual. Another reason to check blood sugar levels more often, while traveling, is because normal diet and exercise routine may be interrupted to some degree.

Regarding time change, insulin pump users just need to remember to adjust the time on the device to reflect the new time zone.

Meeting a flight, fighting crowds, waiting on long security lines, and having to deal with possible flight delays, are all things that can affect a person’s stress, and raise blood sugar to an unhealthy level.

Be forthcoming with your disease (especially, if you are traveling alone or touring with people that are new to you), even if you feel embarrassed, because it may save your life, as at that the moment, when you may need lifesaving assistance, clear communication may not be possible. In addition, always carry identification (with your medication and other important diabetic-related information) in the form of a wallet card, a piece of jewelry or even a tattoo.

Modern technology has given diabetics a new lease on life, so it is important that you never allow this disease to limit you from traveling, and doing all the things you enjoy and dreamt about.