In this Article

• Introduction
• When You Are Sick
• When You're at School or Work
• When You're Away from Home
• When There's and Emergency or Natural Disaster
• When You're Planning a Pregnancy
• People Who Can Help You
• Other Helpful Tips to Control Your Diabetes
• Diabetes: Caring for Your Diabetes at Special Time Glossary
• Diabetes: Caring for Your Diabetes at Special Time Index

When You're at School or Work

Take care of your diabetes when you're at school or at work:

• Follow your meal plan.
  
  
• Take your medicines and check your blood glucose as usual.
  
  
• Tell your teachers, friends, or close co-workers about the signs of low blood glucose. You may need their help if your blood glucose drops too low.
  
  
• Keep snacks nearby and carry some with you at all times to treat low blood glucose.
  
  
• Tell your company nurse or school nurse that you have diabetes.

When You're Away From Home

These tips can help you take care of yourself when you're away from home:

• Follow your meal plan as much as possible when you eat out. Always carry a snack with you in case you have to wait to be served.
  
  
• Limit your drinking of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages. Ask your diabetes educator how much alcohol you can safely drink. Eat something when you drink to prevent low blood glucose.
  
  
• If you're taking a long trip by car, check your blood glucose before driving. Stop and check your blood glucose every 2 hours. Always carry snacks like fruit, crackers, juice, or soft drinks in the car in case your blood glucose drops too low.
  
  
• Bring food for meals and snacks with you if you're traveling by plane.
  
  
• Carry your diabetes medicines and your blood testing supplies with you. Never put them in your checked baggage.
  
  
• Ask your health care team how to adjust your medicines, especially your insulin, if you're traveling across time zones.
  
  
• Take comfortable, well-fitting shoes on vacation. You'll probably be walking more than usual, so you should take good care of your feet.
  
  
• If you're going to be away for a long time, ask your doctor for a written prescription for your diabetes medicines and the name of a doctor in the place you're going to visit.
  
  
• Don't count on buying extra supplies when you're traveling, especially if you're going to another country. Different countries use different kinds of diabetes medicines.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• insulin - Establishes the medication insulin, a drug used for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Glucose Tolerance Test - Glucose tolerance test, or the oral glucose tolerance test for making the diagnosis of diabetes, or more commonly, gestational diabetes.
• Diabetes - Learn about type 1 and 2 diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) symptoms including increased urination, thirst, weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, skin infections, and blurred vision. Causes and diagnosis information is provided in the information.

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