Few things give people a stronger sense of freedom than getting
behind the wheel of a car and taking off. You may need the car to
commute to work in the morning, go out for groceries or get out of
town for the weekend. Many people also operate a car or truck as part
of their work.
What should I do to reduce my risk of hypos while driving?
- Always check your blood glucose levels before every journey
using a finger stick test. Please check with your healthcare
professional if you are using any other technology to measure your
blood glucose
- Never drive if your blood glucose level is
below 5.0 mmol/L without eating something first
- Always
carry glucose in your car for emergencies
- If you have a
hypo while driving, stop when it is safe to do so, remove your keys
from the ignition and remove yourself from the driving seat
- Do not drive for 45 minutes after having a hypo
- On long
journeys stop regularly, at least every 2 hours, to check your blood
glucose levels
Important information
You must inform your insurance company and the driving licence
authority that you have diabetes.
For full driving guidelines, please refer to the Road Safety Authority and Diabetes Ireland.
You should not drive if you are unaware of your hypos (low blood
glucose levels). Please discuss this with your diabetes team.
It goes without saying that you need to be completely in control of
your body when you drive a car, so hypoglycaemia is something to avoid.
Travel is, for many people, a significant part of life. Whether
you’re simply commuting to work or flying abroad to explore the most
remote parts of the world, being able to get from A to B is essential.
Travelling with diabetes requires just a little more planning!
When you travel, make sure to check your glucose levels regularly
with a glucose meter – every 2 or 3 hours. Depending on the trend of
your glucose levels, your monitoring may tell you it is time for
injecting insulin or having a snack with fast-acting
carbohydrates. Remember in warm countries you may find
you are more prone to getting hypos.
Getting used to checking your glucose levels regularly works sort of
like an insurance policy! When you invest in taking full control, the
payoff is increased freedom to make (and keep) plans, be spontaneous
and have fun. It takes a little time and commitment, but it pays off.
Being diagnosed with diabetes does not mean you cannot travel the
world. If you are visiting a culture where customs and attitudes
deviate from your home culture, you may run into surprising and
unforeseen reactions to your diabetes. The local population may, for
example, think medical injections in public are an unusual and
triggering occurrence. What has become routine and second nature to
you may be a little shocking or disagreeable to another.
Besides being discrete and thoughtful towards your surroundings, do
as much research ahead of time as possible:
- Take the time to find out something about the food culture at
your destination. What do the locals like to eat? What might be
difficult to find in supermarkets and restaurants? When you know the
nutritional facts about the common foods and delicacies, you can
immerse yourself more fully in the culture.
- If the country you’re visiting uses different units of measure
(for example, they use grams but you’re used to ounces), make a
little overview of the differences and keep it in your pocket at all
times. Convert the most common portion-size measures to the local
system – for quick reference when you’re deciding what to put on
your plate.
- Food labels vary around the world. Use Google or another
search engine to find images of food labels from where you’re going.
And practise using them so that you will save time when you
encounter them on your journey.
- Consult an online dictionary and find the local words for
glucose, diabetes, blood glucose level, hypo- and hyperglycaemia,
insulin and other related terms.
- Lastly, your research should focus on sanitary conditions and
the availability of medicine and health professionals at your
destination.
Do:
- Keep your spare insulin in a cooler bag
- Ensure you
carry your insulin in your hand-luggage on a plane
- Ensure
you carry a letter from your doctor or nurse in your hand luggage
explaining that you have diabetes and are carrying insulin
Don’t:
- Allow your insulin to be stored in the hold of a plane as it
will freeze and become less effective
- Leave your insulin in
the car
Enjoy your trip and stay safe!
