With the end of classes and the approach of summer come plans for travel, including flying to faraway places. The prospect of a long flight often raises health concerns. Especially in passengers who are older or have certain conditions, traveling to new places abroad, sometimes in not-so-ideal situations, can have an impact on health.
Regardless of the risk though, good planning can prepare you for any circumstance. After all, many travelers are able to visit extremely remote, inhospitable locations and do not suffer from any serious health consequences.
Get ready to go
Whether you need to see a doctor before traveling depends on your general health and your destination. Such consultation, if needed, should take place at least four to eight weeks before the journey (six months ahead if traveling for more than three months) to ensure that any necessary medications can be prescribed and that immunizations have time to take effect. A dental checkup may also be advisable.
Traveling while pregnant is generally not a problem until the third trimester, if your health is good. However, certain medications and immunizations may not be advised because of potential side effects for the unborn child.
Prior to departure, check how your health insurance policy handles medical care when you travel abroad. Consider purchasing a supplemental policy that guarantees medical payments and transport in case of serious illness or death.
Start packing
A good advice for all travelers is to pack light. Wear comfortable shoes that are broken in. And make sure you have a water-proof jacket or other garments. Use lightweight luggage equipped with sturdy wheels and telescoping handles.
Be prepared for any minor mishap. Consider carrying these basic supplies and over-the-counter medications with you on your journey: alcohol-based hand sanitizer, antacid tablets or heartburn medication, antibacterial cream, anti-diarrheal medication, anti-histamine, cortisone cream (for insect bites and itch relief), decongestant, eyewash solution, eyeglasses (spare pair and repair kit) and sunglasses, fever and pain relief medication, hearing aid batteries (replacements), mosquito repellant with DEET or picaridin, stool softener, and sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor (SPF) of 15.
A simple first-aid kit should consist of the following: adhesive bandages, tape and sterile dressing; cotton balls and swabs; elastic wrap; moleskin (soft cotton padded for blisters); scissors or a pocketknife that has small scissors (not allowed in carry-on bags); thermometer; and tweezers.
Prescription medications
Carry all prescription medications in their original containers. Take extra supply with you in case of any travel delay in coming back. It can be challenging to get prescriptions filled abroad. Try to pack all prescription medications in your carry-on bags. If possible, bring a copy of your doctor’s prescription with you. If you’re taking a controlled substance, such as a prescription narcotic drug, spare yourself an embarrassing encounter with customs agents by obtaining a letter of authorization from your doctor. Have your physician’s name and phone number easily available.
If you have a pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator, bring a letter from your doctor stating what kind it is and how it’s programmed. If you have an artificial joint or implanted metal of any kind, you may need to show airline security personnel a letter, signed by your doctor, describing its location and purpose.
Managing common air-travel hazards
The fastest way to travel — by airplane — is also one of the safest. Yet, by placing you in a pressurized cabin thousands of feet in the air, moving at a speed of hundreds of miles per hour, air travel does subject your body to special challenges. Here are common problems that you might experience:
• Dehydration. The cabin of an airplane has extremely low humidity. This dry environment makes it harder to keep up with your body’s normal fluid loss, increasing the chances that you’ll become dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include dry mouth, lack of tears, little or no urine, and feeling lethargic, fatigued, dizzy or lightheaded. To prevent dehydration, drink plenty of liquids such as water and fruit juice during your flight. Limit alcohol and caffeine because of their diuretic and dehydrating effects.
• Blood clots. Sitting in cramped quarters increases your risk of developing potentially dangerous blood clots in your legs. Blood clots interfere with normal blood flow and can break loose and lodge in the artery of your lungs. To prevent a blood clot from forming:
• While in your seat, stretch your legs occasionally and move your feet up and down.
• Walk around the airplane cabin every two to three hours.
• Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothes and shoes. Consider below-the-knee compression stockings, which apply gentle pressure to your leg muscles to help improve blood flow.
• Ask your doctor if aspirin might be helpful for you. Small doses of aspirin may help prevent clots. Remember to check with your doctor first — aspirin is not recommended for everyone.
• Jet lag. Flying across three or more time zones can disrupt your normal sleep-wake cycles. Until your internal clock adjusts, you’ll find yourself awakening during the night and feeling tired, foggy, and just plain cranky during the day. This out-of-synch feeling is called jet lag. To prevent jet lag:
• Plan a relaxing routine (which may still include your regular exercise regimen) on the day before your trip. And get a good night’s sleep.
• Adopt a sleep-wake pattern that’s closer to what you’ll have at your destination. Begin this a day or two before you depart.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing in flight so that you can relax and rest more easily.
• Drink plenty of water during your flight to prevent dehydration. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• Don’t plan a hectic schedule for the first days after your arrival. Consider arriving at your destination in the evening, if traveling east.
• Adopt the schedule of your destination immediately upon arrival. Reset your watch to local time.
• If you anticipate trouble sleeping after reaching your destination, consider taking a mild sleeping pill at bedtime for two to three days, unless your doctor advises otherwise.
• Motion sickness. Any type of transportation can cause motion sickness. It strikes suddenly, building from a restless feeling into a cold sweat, dizziness, and then vomiting. Symptoms usually improve as soon as the motion stops. If you’re susceptible to motion sickness:
• Focus on the horizon or a distant stationary object.
• Keep your head still, rested against a chair back.
• Sleep or lie down.
• Breathe plenty of fresh air.
• Don’t smoke or sit near smokers.
• Don’t overeat. Avoid spicy foods and alcohol.
• Don’t read.
• Ask your doctor about medications such as meclizine (Bonamine) or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). Expect drowsiness as a side effect. Scopolamine (Transderm Scop) may also be an option.
• Traveler’s diarrhea. The usual culprit of traveler’s diarrhea is contaminated food and water, but excitement, anxiety, jet lag, and lack of rest also may contribute to the problem. How ill you become depends on the type of the organism, the amount of exposure, your age, and your health. Signs and symptoms may also include nausea, fever, and stomach pain.
The sickness strikes abruptly, usually lasting three to seven days, and is rarely life-threatening. Most cases of diarrhea don’t require medical treatment other than replacing lost fluids, which you can do with canned fruit juices, sports drinks, and even carbonated beverages. But the frequent loose stools, cramps, nausea, and bloating can make you miserable. See a doctor if you experience bloody diarrhea, persistent vomiting, or fever.
• Ear pain and head colds. Air travel probably doesn’t make a cold worse. But landing with a cold can cause severe ear pain. The problem stems from changes in air pressure. When you have a cold, the eustachian tube that connects your throat and middle ear is blocked. Normally, an open tube equalizes air pressure in your ear, but the blockage creates a vacuum, leading to a buildup of painful pressure on your eardrum.
To help keep the eustachian tube open and prevent ear pain when you fly with a cold, take an oral decongestant at least one hour before landing or use a decongestant nasal spray before the descent begins. Additionally, to avoid ear popping or “typical” ear pain during take-off or landing, chew gum, suck on hard candy, yawn or sip liquids.
Healthy traveling is a result of planning and preparation you do before the travel. It’s also being vigilant, flexible, and creative while on your journey. There are certain things that you simply can’t control. You can’t always avoid exposure to infectious disease or getting an insect bite. But being ready to respond to the challenges can help you make your trip a gratifying and fulfilling experience.