Pre-travel health care is important for both domestic and international trips. It helps ensure you are ready to handle any common health problems that might come up during your journey. Whether you’re traveling by car, plane or another way, planning can reduce health risks and make your trip more comfortable and safer.
Domestic Travel Healthcare
For trips within the United States, getting prepared is about making sure you have your usual medications and taking care of basic health needs. If you have any chronic health issues, like asthma or heart problems, make sure you bring enough medicine and needed supplies. This might include inhalers or other devices like blood-pressure monitors. If using medications like insulin, which may need refrigeration, be sure you have a way to safely transport those medications.
- If you are driving a long distance, remember to take breaks periodically to stretch and move around.
- Also, remember to stay hydrated and bring snacks to avoid feeling tired or sluggish.
- For air travel, especially within the country, be aware of the germs in the airplane cabin.
- During flu season or to avoid other airborne diseases, a mask might help prevent getting sick.
- The dry air in the airplane’s cabin can put you at risk of illness- so drink plenty of water or use nasal saline to moisturize your nose.
- Wipe down surfaces like tray tables and armrests with disinfecting wipes to reduce the chance of picking up germs and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers regularly.
International Travel Healthcare
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website can help you determine what health threats or diseases are endemic to the areas you plan to visit when traveling internationally. Different countries can have different diseases and healthcare standards, so it’s important to know this before you go. Vaccines for diseases like yellow fever, hepatitis or typhoid are commonly needed for travel to South America and Africa, for example. It’s a good idea to see a doctor or visit a travel clinic in advance to get the required vaccinations in time for your trip.
If travelling to areas where mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria or dengue fever, are common, you may need to take special medications or use preventative measures like:
- Vaccines against mosquito-borne disease in advance of travel
- Long-sleeve clothes to protect against bites
- DEET or other mosquito repellents are helpful to repel insects
- Mosquito nets help keep biting/stinging bugs away while you sleep
Travelers Diarrhea is another concern in some countries, especially where sanitation may not be good. To avoid it, don’t drink tap water and be careful with street food or raw foods- even ice cubes can carry gastrointestinal disease risks. Carrying medicine for stomach problems like antibiotics or oral-rehydration medications can help you manage symptoms if you should get sick.
If you have any chronic health conditions, be sure to bring enough medicine for your trip and any travel delays that might happen and have a copy of your prescriptions- just in case. The medications you need may not be available for replacement where you travel.
DVT and Heart Attack Risks
Whether you’re traveling by car or plane, domestically or internationally, long periods of sitting can be hard on your body. On long car trips, stop every few hours to stretch your legs and move around. This helps avoid problems like blood clots (DVT) which can be a serious travel-related risk. For long trips, jet lag is another issue, especially with international travel. To prevent jet lag, try adjusting your sleep schedule a few days before your trip so your body can adjust to the new time zone more easily. Jet leg can increase your risk of heart attack, so if you suffer from heart disease, it’s important to discuss your risk with your doctor.
Preparing For Medical Emergencies While Traveling
Even the best plans can go awry when travelling. For those times you become hospitalized while traveling more than 150NM from home, a Fly-U-Home membership can be a Godsend. While standard health insurance or travel insurance may cover your hospital bills, getting home to your own doctor is important to travelers and their loved ones. For nothing out-of-pocket, members can be flown on a private, medically equipped and staffed jet to an appropriate hospital near home for care. Whether you travel within the continental United States or abroad, Fly-U-Home gives you piece of mind that finances will not be a barrier to getting home to the care you want and need fast.
Learn more about international travel risks.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When a program provides bedside-to-bedside service, the transport medical team accepts the patient at the bedside in the originating facility and delivers the patient to the bed of the receiving facility.
Yes, although it’s not always possible. It will solely depend on available space on our aircraft. All aircraft have the ability to accommodate a passenger, however, this space could be lost due to additional medical staff or medical equipment.
Anyone that resides in the household.
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