Traveling with a heart condition isn’t risky for most people, especially if they take precautions before and during their time away from home.
Some heart conditions, however, require travelers to take precautions before and during travel. For example, high altitudes can make patients more symptomatic, particularly for those with coronary artery disease. Sitting immobile can increase risk for blood clots, particularly for those with peripheral artery disease or history of heart failure, and pace makers require special considerations when going through security.
The tips below apply to anyone who has a heart condition.
- Ask for advice. In general, people who have heart conditions that require ongoing medical care should talk to their cardiologist before traveling; he or she may be able to recommend a colleague in or nearby the place they’re traveling to who could provide help if needed.
- Bring your medicine. Before leaving home, travelers should be sure they have enough medication in their carry-on bags to cover the duration of their trips, plus enough for a few extras days should they be delayed in returning. They also should pack a list of their prescriptionsand have their cardiologist’s phone number on hand in case they’re needed. If their heart condition is complex, they may also want to download their medical records to a USB drive they can carry with them in case they need unexpected care.
- Review your insurance policy. It’s also a wise idea for travelers to check their health insurance policies to see what coverage, if any, is provided for emergency medical transport or care at international hospitals or clinics. If coverage is minimal, travel insurance can provide peace of mind for a reasonable cost.
- Research air medical transport providers. Take a few minutes and locate a medical transportation business who could provide emergency transportation if your heart condition worsens while you are traveling. Share this information with friends and family members back home.
Of course, heart condition is a broad term that can include heart diseases, such as a heart attack, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, venous thrombosis and peripheral artery disease, among others. That’s why it’s important for travelers who have heart conditions to talk with a cardiologist about specific precautions they should take when traveling.
For patients with heart disease, one of the biggest concerns is venous thrombosis, which is when a blood clot forms in a vein in the leg, pelvis or arm. According to research, flights that are eight hours or longer put travelers at the highest risk of such blood clots. Here are a few general recommendations for specific heart conditions:
- Anyone who has had angioplasty where a stent was placed in a heart artery should wait at least a week before traveling by plane because of the high risk of clot formation during this period.
- Travelers who have implanted pacemakers or defibrillators should make TSA screeners aware of their need to be screened by a hands-only search because handheld metal detectors pose a risk of electrical shock to the traveler. If a handheld metal detector is used, the screener should be reminded that the device should not be held over the implanted cardiac defibrillator for more than a few seconds.
- Travelers who have cardiomyopathy or a history of heart failure should closely monitor their salt and fluid intake when traveling by plane or to high-altitude locations, as a balanced fluid intake is important to managing these conditions.
- High altitudes also can worsen the symptoms associated with coronary artery disease, forcing the heart to work harder to carry oxygen in the blood.
- People who have peripheral artery disease or heart failure will want to get up and walk every few hours as they are more prone to blood clots, which are associated with sitting in cramped conditions on long plane flights.
How a Medical Transportation Business Can Assist Patients with Heart Conditions
People who have a heart condition that requires regular medical care may find peace of mind in using the services of a medical transportation business. Such services, like those available from SentinelMED, can help people manage the challenges of long-distance travel. For example, SentinelMED’s medical escorts can assist travelers who require supplemental oxygen, accompany them through TSA screening, arrange in-airport and ground transportation, and administer medication.
In many cases, patients travel on commercial airlines with a SentinelMED escort who is an ICU- or emergency-medicine professional. SentinelMED also arranges domestic and international medical transport for patients who become sick or injured while traveling, and can provide medical repatriation services for those who have more serious or complicated medical concerns. Many of its services are more cost-effective than traveling by air ambulance.
The SentinelMED team understands the complexity of delivering exceptional care to patients who need assistance during travel. Please contact us to learn more about the services that SentinelMED offers or its staff.
