Ensure a healthy trip with these 9 things to do
Managing heart disease takes planning, especially when traveling. Find out what precautions and preparations to take before going on a trip with these tips from Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, director of women’s heart health at the Heart and Vascular Institute of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Count your pills to make sure you have enough. If not, talk to your pharmacist about getting a vacation override. In addition, make sure you have enough aspirin and nitroglycerin tablets.
Get prescriptions from your doctor. This way if something happens to your medication while you are away, you can take care of it immediately rather than waiting on your doctor.
Plan on packing your medications in your carry-on bag. Never put them in your checked luggage.
Make a list of medical problems, medications you are taking, and your medical history. This way if you need care, you can hand over this information instead of having to remember it.
Know the cuisine and what you can eat where you are going so you can keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels stabilized.
Familiarize yourself with the medical centers, urgent care centers, and ERs in the area, so you know what your options are if anything were to happen. You may even want to introduce yourself to local medical staff, especially if you’re in a rural area.
Choose your lodging carefully. You want to stay in a place that is quiet and will allow you to get sleep.
Take an extra aspirin before flying to prevent blood clots.
Weigh yourself before you leave and then during your trip. Before heart failure, there is an increase in weight. Be diligent about doing this and stay away from salt.
Bring snacks and water
When traveling, be prepared for hunger, thirst and blood sugar crashes. If there are long stretches of road between meals, it’s helpful to have food and water on hand. Waiting to find a restaurant can be hard on your body and the fatigue of a chronic condition is difficult enough without adding extra fatigue due to hunger, thirst or a blood sugar crash.
Managing heart disease takes planning, especially when traveling. Find out what precautions and preparations to take before going on a trip with these tips from Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, director of women’s heart health at the Heart and Vascular Institute of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
