Type 2 Diabetes - Traveling With Insulin

For Type 1 diabetics and diabetics diagnosed with Type 2 and requiring insulin injections, traveling brings on a whole new set of challenges. One particular area of concern for some is keeping up with insulin. How do you properly plan for a trip to ensure that you have what you need?

Of course, the first and most important point to make is to ensure you pack plenty of insulin for the trip. You always want to have extra just in case you:

end up staying longer than expected,encounter a delay, orif you were to accidentally damage some of your supply.

Insulin vials don't take up too much room and it is definitely worth the peace of mind to have extra on hand.

Checking-in your insulin and diabetes equipment: If you are traveling by plane it is best to have your insulin supply and it's related equipment contained in their original containers with the original labels. This is to help avoid any unnecessary delays when going through security checks. If you do not have these in the proper packaging make sure to get some from your pharmacy. Do not risk carrying it in plain packaging or the security staff could confiscate it.

But security checks are not the only issue to deal with. Check ahead of time with your transportation company about the luggage regulations. As well as the legal guidelines, you will need to know how your bags will be stored and the temperatures they will be exposed to. The luggage storage hold of the bus or train, or even the baggage hold of the plane, may experience extreme temperature differences during travel...

most anti-diabetic medications,glucose meters, andtesting strips

need to be stored at room temperature. Many injectables must be kept cool.

Travel bags: Always carry two different travel bags with you and split your insulin and supplies into both bags. That way, if one bag is lost, you will have an ample supply of what you need until your other bag can be located.

When packing, you have to be extremely careful with your supplies. This all comes down to the type of case you will be carrying it in. There are many different types on the market so make sure you do your homework before purchasing. It needs to be compact enough not to be cumbersome, while still offering substantial protection. Travel bags are made specifically for diabetes supplies and can be purchased from your pharmacy and/or available online.

Also, make sure your case is well insulated for extreme weather variations. Your supplies cannot get too hot or too cold so check the insulation rating before you buy. Also, if traveling by plane, make sure your supplies are in your carry-on luggage. Temperatures in the cargo compartment can get very cold and your supplies could become permanently damaged if left there throughout the flight.

Lastly, make sure you carry some snacks of your own to help prevent overeating or to help fill you when there are flight delays, or even meal delays. If your blood sugar levels are low, you may need to grab something to eat. Having the right items on hand could avoid having to rely on unhealthy vending machines or worse... doing without. Just make sure the snacks you select can withstand the trip and being banged around in your luggage.

But don't forget... extra meals, sitting for long periods, and even travel jitters can all raise your blood sugar.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments

Type 2 Diabetes - Praise The Insulin Pump (Or Not)!

The insulin pump is a small man-made device designed to mimic the release of insulin from your pancreas. An insulin pump is a device that administers insulin continuously under the skin; they are used to deliver insulin throughout the day, instead of the alternate method of receiving insulin via injection. While this device has many benefits, there are also some drawbacks to its use.

Some advantages of an insulin pump is that it eliminates possible spikes due to receiving too much insulin at once, as with an injection. This means a more balanced dosage through the day, and night. This also helps to alleviate the problem of low dipping levels after a night's sleep.

Insulin injections require keeping up with supplies and making sure that insulin vials remain at a comfortable temperature. In the middle of summer, this can be quite difficult to manage.

But there are some problems with using the pump:

One common annoyance is there is no hiding your disease. Most pumps require the wearer to insert a small plastic tube or catheter about a half-inch long into the fat under the skin using a needle in the center of the tube. After insertion the needle is removed, leaving just the soft plastic catheter in place. Usually this catheter is inserted into the abdomen or upper thigh, although other areas can also be used. Flexible tubing connects the catheter to the insulin pump, which is then clipped to a belt or carried in a pocket. The insulin is pumped through the tubing and into the fat under the skin.

At least with injections you can be discreet with your condition. Once you attach yourself to a pump, it is out there for everyone to see.

Another issue is having access to a constant drip-dose of insulin means you are bound to check your blood sugar at least four, or possibly five times per day... without fail. This is because your body may have swings from a meal that your pump will not automatically compensate for. The choice between multiple daily injection therapy and an insulin pump is largely a matter of personal preference, and there are pros and cons to either approach. Pump treatments offer the greatest flexibility to insulin dosing, and the tools for deciding how much insulin to give are getting better and easier to use all the time.

Some people develop an allergic reaction to where the catheter enters the skin. This can be a nasty rash that could be ongoing. Care has to be taken to keep the insertion site clean.

You also have to remember that the pump is a small computer. Like any other electronic device, there is always the possibility of malfunction. If this occurs, the person with diabetes could go into diabetic ketoacidosis.

The final factor, that for many holds the most decisive weight, is its cost. Insulin pumps, as well as their ongoing list of supplies, are expensive. Some insurance carriers might not cover some, or any of this cost, opting instead to offer coverage for the more traditional, and cheaper method of injections.

Insulin pumps can be quite beneficial in eliminating some of the problems with trying to maintain stable blood sugar levels. However, they are not meant to be a scapegoat for those who abuse the system by indulging in the wrong food choices and relying on their insulin pumps to save them.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments

Different Types of Diabetes and What Is Insulin

Diabetes develops when a person's body either doesn't make or produce enough insulin or the body isn't able to use enough of the insulin properly. There are two main types of diabetes, type 1, in which the body does not produce enough insulin and type 2 where the body produces insulin but has trouble absorbing or using insulin in the cells.

Gestational diabetes develops in some women during pregnancy and usually goes away shortly after the child is born. No one really understands why it develops but many believe it has to do with the hormone changes during pregnancy. These hormones may have a blocking effect on insulin or make insulin resistant to being absorbed. In either case, gestational diabetes is a temporary condition during pregnancy. However, there is a chance the mother could develop type 2 diabetes later on in life so she needs to keep a watch on her health.

Insulin is a hormone used to change food into energy. The body makes insulin in the pancreas and more recently discovered also in the brain. Carbohydrates and proteins when digested are broken down and turned into sugar or glucose. The cells use glucose as fuel. During digestion, the liver releases insulin into the blood stream to send the glucose out of the blood and into the cells of the body. This is what gives you energy to get your daily activities done.

Since the discovery that insulin is produced in the brain as well, the link has been made that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are related to diabetes and now being dubbed type 3 diabetes. Apparently the brain cells need insulin to help retain memory. It is believed that a protein builds up in the brain cells and this blocks insulin from entering the brain cells.

Diabetes is a disease that affects many sections of the body. When your blood is saturated with glucose (sugar) it can restrict the blood flow throughout your body. This can cause many different complications from simple things to fatigue and weight gain to more complicated things like losing your eye sight to kidney disease and even cancer.

Diabetes can be managed and controlled through eating healthy foods, exercising on a regular basis to supplements and medication. Having diabetes doesn't mean you can't enjoy life, you can. It does mean you may have to make some lifestyle changes in order to have a long and healthy life.