Do you have diabetes and are you going on a trip? On this page you will find information to consider before and during your trip.
TRAVELLING WITH DIABETES
Travelling with diabetes is a lot easier these days due to developments in diabetes care. These include better medication, better sensor-based monitoring, better insulin administration methods and better education in self-treatment and self-titration for insulin-dependent patients. However, there are risks to consider during travel. While travelling, there are certain things that can cause your blood glucose level to become dysregulated. Take this into account beforehand. Dysregulated blood glucose levels can be caused by:
- Change of daily routine and activities;
- Change of diet and consumption of alcohol;
- (dropping or increasing) Stress;
- Change of climate; Skin temperature affects insulin uptake;
- Travel sickness (vomiting, not eating or diarrhoea);
- Passing time zones;
- Infections, especially intestinal infections, malaria and other febrile illnesses.
When travelling as a diabetes patient, it is important to prepare well. Make sure you have enough insulin and other supplies with you and carry them in your carry-on luggage. Check-in luggage may get lost and the temperature in the hold may be too low. It is wise to bring a medical certificate stating that you are transporting your insulin and other materials in your carry-on luggage for these reasons.
Insulin should be stored between 2 and 8 degrees. It is therefore best to transport insulin in a special cooler bag.
You may also need to adjust your insulin schedule due to different time zones. You discuss this with your diabetes nurse.
DIABETES AND VACCINATIONS
No additional travel vaccinations are advised for people with diabetes. However, the risk of complicated influenza when travelling in the (sub)tropics is just as high as in the Netherlands. An influenza vaccine is advised for everyone with diabetes, whether you travel or stay at home.
If you are staying in the southern hemisphere for an extended period, the advice is to get an influenza vaccine there. Flu epidemics do not run concurrently in the northern and southern hemispheres. Therefore, the vaccine available with us does not match the flu viruses in the southern hemisphere.
DIABETES AND MALARIA
There is no evidence that malaria is more severe or progresses differently in travellers with diabetes. Therefore, the same advice applies to travellers with diabetes as for all other travellers.
Some symptoms of malaria, such as fever and vomiting, can have a disruptive effect on your blood glucose levels. This also applies to treatment with quinine. For these reasons, it is important for travellers with diabetes to carefully follow the advice on preventing a malaria infection.
DIABETES AND TRAVELLER’S DIARRHOEA
To prevent traveller’s diarrhoea, always pay attention to what you eat and drink.
Travellers with diabetes are not at greater risk of contracting traveller’s diarrhoea. Traveller’s diarrhoea does have a greater effect on a traveller with diabetes. The loss of fluids and possible fever or vomiting can disrupt blood glucose levels.
For this reason, it is wise for travellers with diabetes who use insulin to take antibiotics with them. You start taking these the first time you have watery diarrhoea or diarrhoea accompanied by fever or vomiting.
For travellers with diabetes who are not insulin-dependent but use tablets, it may be wise to take antibiotics with you when travelling to an area where it is difficult to get to a doctor.
Furthermore, it is wise for travellers with diabetes to take ORS in case of diarrhoea. ORS stands for oral rehydration salts. These contain salts, sugars and minerals. These make the body retain more fluids, which helps against dehydration. It is not a problem that this contains glucose.
DIABETES AND ANTIBIOTICS
Besides antibiotics for self-treatment of traveller’s diarrhoea, it is sometimes wise to take other antibiotics with you.
In travellers with diabetes who have polyneuropathy, there is an increased risk of skin infections on the feet. For them, it is important to include a course of flucloxacillin as emergency treatment in case of incipient infections.
TAILORED ADVICE FOR DIABETES
The advice for travellers with diabetes depends on what medication you take, whether you have polyneuropathy and how you take your medication. The traveller’s nurse at vaccinatiecentrum.nl will help you with this.
Would you like advice specific to your personal health situation? Use the button below, email us at info@vaccinatiecentrum.nl or call 085-9020303.