Summer means warm temperatures and new challenges when it comes to managing your diabetes. You have to worry about your insulin and your equipment getting too hot. To help you out, here are a few tips for managing diabetes in the summer months.
Keep your insulin and test strips cool.
Summer heat can ruin blood glucose test strips and insulin. If you are on injections, make sure to keep your insulin stored in a cool place. If you are pumping, again, make sure that your pump doesn’t get overheated. You may even want to consider changing out your cartridges more often to ensure that your insulin is fresh and hasn’t been compromised by the heat.
Test strips also react to extreme temperatures. Again, make sure that they are stored in a cool place. If you are traveling to the beach or theme parks, you may want to invest in a FRIO Insulin Cooling Pump Wallet or a Breezy Pack. They are convenient little cooling packs that will help to keep things chilled.
If you don’t have access to cooling packs, use frozen juice packs. You can keep your supplies cool and are prepared for lows!
What do Mastistol, vet’s tape and Antiperspirant have in common?
Mastisol, vet’s tape, and antiperspirant can be your best friend if you sweat a lot in the summer.
These three items are often used to help keep infusion sets and continuous glucose sensors in place.
Here’s how:
- Swimming often means exposure to chlorine. Products like Mastisol Liquid Adhesive are ideal to keep infusion sets from falling off in the pool.
- Antiperspirant (not deodorant) can also help keep your infusion sets and sensor in place. Apply a light coat of antiperspirant to the site area to keep sites in place when your body begins to perspire.
- Vet tape, the same tape that keeps bandages on our furry friends, works well to secure an infusion set or sensor in place.
Have snacks everywhere.
Managing your diabetes in the summer heat can bring its own challenges for managing diabetes. It tends to mean more exertion and rapidly dropping blood glucose levels. Make sure to carry extra snack foods with you wherever you go. One parent suggests that you stock up on Freezies. They are perfect treats for lows and also help ward off dehydration. Other families have suggested fruit and frozen grapes as must have snacks for on the go.
Drink lots of water.
Dehydration is a real problem in the heat. It is especially important for people living with diabetes to stay hydrated because dehydration will cause blood glucose levels to spike.
Check BG levels often.
Heat, exhaustion and the fun of the sun can really mess with blood glucose levels so make sure that you check blood glucose levels often to avoid any serious diabetes-related emergencies.
Bring extras!
As I have said, infusion sets can fall out. Blood sugar levels can go crazy. It is vital that you carry extras of everything–extra snacks, extra water, extra test strips, extra insulin and extra infusion sets just in case.
Wear sunscreen.
I know, everyone is supposed to wear sunscreen so really is this a diabetes issue? Well no…and yes! It turns out that sunburns have been known to really mess with blood glucose levels. The moral of the story? Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen can actually help you when you are managing diabetes in the summer!
Have fun!
Finally, plan ahead and enjoy the heat!
If you are planning on traveling to find the sun this year, don’t forget to check out our FREE travel checklist so that you don’t forget anything before you go!
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All good suggestions.
Great information to have!!!
Regarding the recommendation to use “vet tape” to secure a pump infusion or CGM location: when I searched “vet tape” online to purchase, it said that the vet tape sticks only to itself, not to skin or hair. That implies that the tape would need to be wrapped around the body part with the pump infusion or the CGM sensor. But HOW would that be done when the infusion set or CGM is in the abdomen or buttocks? I cannot imagine wrapping those parts with the vet tape!
Sadly you are right! The vet tape is best on arms or legs. I have heard of parents who wrap their children’s abdomen however ????
Nextcare Flexible Plastic Tape works great for my CGM – stretches and bends and sticks even when wet. It comes in a scotch tape type dispenser so easy peasy. Available at Shopper’s Drug Mart and not expensive.
Thanks for the great tip! We will definitely check it out.