5 Good-To-Know Facts about Air Travel for People with Diabetes - Diabetics Weekly

Home Recent 5 Good-To-Know Facts about Air Travel for People with Diabetes

5 Good-To-Know Facts about Air Travel for People with Diabetes

-

December 21, 2016

5 Good-To-Know Facts about Air Travel for People with Diabetes

Insulin storage. Do not store your insulin in your checked luggage. The extreme temperature (generally freezing) can damage your insulin. Before every injection, inspect your insulin. If it looks funky, you might want to throw it away. Rest assured that security scanners do not damage insulin and glucometer.

Pumps at the checkpoint. The hand-held metal detector and the walk-through metal detector can damage your pumps. Notify the security officer and set them aside for inspection.

Pumps at takeoff and landing. Just like portable devices, disconnect your pumps before takeoff and landing. The change in altitude can cause the pump to shoot out more insulin than it should. You can reconnect your pump when the airplane crew gives out the OK to use the portable devices. Inspect for any presence of bubbles and reprime if needed.

Liquids Exemption. People with diabetes may carry liquids in containers larger than 3.4 oz. Liquids include insulin, diabetes meds like Glucagon, and juice. At the checkpoint, remove these containers from your carry-on luggage and place them in a separate bin for screening. It is not necessary to store them in a zip-top bag. Advise the TSA officer of your medical condition. Having on hand a doctor’s note will facilitate the procedure. If you are traveling outside the U.S., please communicate with the appropriate airport for more information. International airports may have different regulations on the matter.

Medical kits. While U.S. airlines have strict rules to abide by for their medical kits and is generally well equipped, the same cannot be said for international airlines. Hence, you should never rely on the medical kit found on airplanes to save you from a pitch. Carry your own medical emergency kit. For a sound mind, you can give the airlines a call to inquire about their medical equipment and services available for people with diabetes.

Read next article ...

Detoxify Your Home and Reduce Your Chances of Developing Diabetes

Dangerous toxins found in plastics, household chemicals, pesticides and even mattresses may contain damaging chemicals that are getting into our bodies and mimicking our hormones and interfering with the creation of our real hormones. A 2012 study published in Diabetes Care in 2012 compared phthalate levels in the 114 diabetic subjects and the 902 non-diabetic subjects. Following adjustment for sex, body mass index, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, education, smoking, and exercise, investigators noted that a significant relationship between phthalates in the blood and lowered insulin secretion, increased insulin resistance, or both. Egads! The study, pioneered by Leonardo Trasande of New York University confirms what a growing list of research has already demonstrated: that there are devastating effects that occur as a consequence of daily chemical exposure. Endocrine disrupting chemicals can be found in a vast number of everyday household products that disrupt the natural rhythm of the body's hormonal production. Such chemicals can be found in furniture, canned goods, carpets and cleaning products can radically disrupt a variety of bodily functions. Trasande suggested that household chemicals result in a yearly cost of 340 billion dollars to the U.S. economy as a consequence of treatment costs and lost productivity. "Our findings speak to the need for a strong regulatory framework that proactively identifies chemical hazards before they are widely used, and the use of safer alternatives," said the researchers. "In the absence of such a framework, newly developed synthetic chemicals may emerge as diabetogenic exposures, replacing banned or substituted hazards as contributors." And now for something completely unexpected. Investigators studied data from 1016 participants in the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Sweden Seniors study that utilized blood tests to reveal exposure to phthalates, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and perfluoroalkyl, among other chemicals. Their findings indicate that a 25% reduction in exposure to certain household chemicals has the potential to reduce diabetes cases by approximately 13%. Investigators then combed for significant connections between those chemicals and a variety of diseases. A 2012 study published in Diabetes Care in 2012 compared phthalate levels in the 114 diabetic subjects and the 902 non-diabetic subjects. Following adjustment for sex, body mass index, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, education, smoking, and exercise, investigators noted that a significant relationship between phthalates in the blood and lowered insulin secretion, increased insulin resistance, or both. Egads! Trasande suggested that household chemicals result in a cost of 340 billion dollars to the U.S. economy as a consequence of treatment costs and lost productivity. "Our findings speak to the need for a strong regulatory framework that proactively identifies chemical hazards before they are widely used, and the use of safer alternatives," said the researchers. "In the absence of such a framework, newly developed synthetic chemicals may emerge as diabetogenic exposures, replacing banned or substituted hazards as contributors." Dangerous toxins found in plastics, household chemicals, pesticides and even mattresses may contain damaging chemicals that are getting into our bodies and mimicking our hormones and interfering with the creation of our real hormones.