Packing for a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to the beach or a long-awaited bucket list vacation abroad requires two different packing lists. However, there are several things you should do before any trip. Following these simple tips for staying healthy while traveling can help ensure your trip is a success.
1. Pack over-the-counter and prescription medicines. It doesn’t take long to gather remedies for annoyances such as headaches, allergies and stomach or intestinal distress. If you travel frequently, it may make sense to keep these items, in their original packaging, in a small grab-and-go bag. Overseas, such medicines may be difficult to find or require a prescription to purchase.
Pack any prescription medicines you may need, in their original containers, for the duration of your trip plus a few days. If you are going overseas or on a long trip, consider getting copies of your prescriptions to take with you.
2. Check to make sure you have chargers, batteries and adapters for medical devices. If you are bringing a medical device, such as a CPAP machine, check with your airline. You want to make sure any medical devices are FAA-compatible equipment and determine if there are extra regulations you’ll need to follow.
If you are traveling outside the United States, you may need converters or adapters for devices that run on electricity or require electricity for charging. Don't forget extra batteries to avoid unwanted trips to a store.
3. Make sure you are current on your vaccinations. Call your doctor or review your medical records online to check that you are current on vaccines such as tetanus, hepatitis A and B, polio and MMR for measles, mumps and rubella. If you are traveling outside the United States, there may be recommended vaccines or prescription medicines for the countries you are visiting. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an easy tool to help you find country-specific information.
4. Consider talking to your doctor about your plans. If you have a chronic disease or are currently under medical care, call or message your doctor to ask how your travel plans could complicate your condition. The stress of travel can be hard on the body; long flights pose a risk of blood clots, especially for people who have previously experienced deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or who have recently had surgery or been treated for cancer.
5. Pack a mask and hand sanitizer, just in case. You never know if your seat will be next to a sneezing, coughing or sickly passenger on a plane, train or subway. Tuck a mask and hand sanitizer in your carry-on bag as a protection against airborne illnesses, just in case.
Travel Insurance Can Help If You Do Become Sick
Of course, you can follow all these tips for staying healthy during travel and still get sick. The SentinelMED team always recommends that travelers purchase travel insurance with medical insurance to protect themselves in the event of serious illness, accident or injury. Travel insurance with medical coverage can help cover the costs or treatment in the country you are visiting or for medical transport if the care you need is not available there. Read over the policy carefully to make sure you understand any coverage limitations.
More About SentinelMED
SentinelMED provides medical escort and transport services for patients who need assistance with long-distance travel. In many cases, our medical escorts travel with patients on commercial flights, a cost-effective alternative to air ambulance services. Our medical escorts are trained or experienced in emergency and critical care medicine.
Other services offered by SentinelMED include medical evacuation and repatriation for people who become ill or injured while traveling and need assistance to return home.
At SentinelMED, we understand the complexity of delivering exceptional care to domestic medical travelers. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more about our services and staff.
