Traveling With a Medical Condition? 4 Tips for Safer Holiday Travel

The American Heart Association offers tips for safe travel with a chronic medical condition to help you reduce travel stress.

• Traveling with a medical condition may have its challenges, such as packing medications and medical equipment.

• The American Heart Association offers tips for safe travel with a chronic medical condition, including checking in with your doctor before you leave.

• Planning ahead can help reduce travel stress, such as packing extra medication in case of travel delays or finding nearby medical facilities and pharmacies at your destination.
Holiday travel can be stressful for anyone. But for those with a health condition, such as heart disease or diabetes, it may come with a few unique challenges.
That doesn’t mean travel is off limits for people with a chronic medical condition. With a little planning and preparation, you can take care of your health while spending the holidays with your family and friends, or while on a solo trip to the beach or mountains.

How do you travel with a medical condition?

The AHA and other experts offer the following tips to help take some of the stress out of traveling for people with medical conditions.

Check-in with your healthcare professional

Before you leave for your trip, contact your primary care physician’s or specialist’s office to ask about any restrictions or precautions you need to keep in mind while traveling.
For example, if you had surgery recently, your surgeon may want you to avoid walking for long distances or lifting a suitcase or other heavy objects, said Dr. Robert Miller, a doctor of internal medicine with Vista Staffing.
If you need to limit your walking, when you book your plane ticket, request a wheelchair or courtesy cart for getting through the airport.
Travel also often involves sitting for long periods, which the AHA said can increase your risk for blood clotsTrusted Source, including deep vein thrombosisTrusted Source and pulmonary embolism.
If you will be sitting for longer than 4 hours in a car or on a plane, take steps to decrease your risk:

• Wear compression socks.

• If traveling by car, stop every few hours to get outside and walk around.
• If traveling by plane, frequently walk around the airplane’s cabin when safely permitted.
• While seated on a plane, do some simple heel and toe lifts to exercise your calf muscles and increase the blood flow in your legs.
Miller also recommends that you carry a summary of your medical records, with health conditions, recent treatments and medications, as well as a list of phone numbers for your doctors and emergency contacts.

Manage your medications

The AHA recommends that you carry a list of all your medications, including the dosages and pharmacy information. In addition, make sure your medications are clearly labeled, and you have enough for your entire trip.
If your medications need to be refrigerated, plan for how to keep them cold while traveling and at your destination, such as in the hotel.
Plan on transporting medical devices
If you have special medical equipment, you may need to check with the airline or other travel company to see how you can safely transport those. This includes:

• portable oxygen devices
• CPAP machines
• wheelchairs
• walkers
• other movement assistance equipment

Takeaway

Holiday travel can be stressful, especially if you have a medical condition. But with a little planning and preparation, you can make the most out of your trip while still managing your health.
Before you leave, check in with your doctor to find out about any restrictions or special precautions, as well as to update any prescriptions and get a copy of your medical record summary.
If you need medical care while away, talk with your primary care doctor or specialist about coordinating care with a medical facility at your destination.