Summer, sun, and.. an insulin pump?

The summer time is lovely, but as an insulin dependent diabetic this could also mean trouble. Mostly because of three things: the heat, the beach and the water. 

THE HEAT: The hormone insulin is heat sensitive, meaning it could lose effect when being stored at a too high temperature. Therefore, always make sure you store all excess insulin in a cool place – preferably the fridge. The insulin you are currently using should also be protected in the best way possible. Whether you’re a pumper or a pen user, the AnnaPS tank tops offers a pocket close to the body, secure and shadowed. Don’t forget to keep the tubing on the inside, protecting the insulin from direct heat! And if you use pens, and are storing them in a bag, place a cooled bottled drink next to it! Another great thing is to use bags with a cooling function – such as the Mabox ones found HERE. There are cooling cases of different models too. The heat can lower the glucose levels for diabetics. This is something we at AnnaPS have experienced ourselves; whenever we’ve been to extreme heat we’ve had to lower our insulin doses remarkably.

THE BEACH: When going to the beach, some diabetics feel insecure about displaying their infusion sets or CGM sensors. They don’t want their diabetes to show. At AnnaPS we say: rock it! Show the public the bionic hero you are, and do so with pride! You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. The people that might judge you are the ones who should be ashamed.

THE WATER: Going for a swim (or even just splashing around in the water) can be compared to mild to heavy exercise, and might therefore reduce your insulin need. If you’re a pen user, you can leave the pen in a cool place while spending time in the water. But if you’re a pumper, you may need to bring the insulin with you. At AnnaPS we have come up with a solution for this, allowing pumpers of all genders and ages to bring their pump with them to the beach and even into the water (if the pump is water-proof, that is). The AnnaPS swimwear has an integrated pocket to hold an insulin pump. You can either wear it straight into the water with the pump still attached, or wear another pair of swim pants under – allowing you to take off the AnnaPS ones with the pump, and the pump is safely stored in them until you get back up. If you’re going out on a boat, one tip can be to store your pump/pens in a waterproof case of some kind, if the pump itself isn’t waterproof that is.

Click here on kids, men and women to find the products or on the moduls below, to watch demo videos. Have a safe swim!

Please note: We are not medical professionals, but are writing these texts as fellow type 1 diabetics.