Should You Travel if You Have Vascular Disease?

Vascular disease is a category of different conditions that includes vasculitis and other disorders related to the blood vessels and the flow of blood through the body. Vascular diseases typically cause the blood vessels to tighten, restricting how much blood can circulate through the body. This means your organs and muscles may not get enough oxygen, which can permanently damage them. This can lead to heart attack, coronary heart disease, and other serious issues. If your fingers and toes don’t get enough blood, it’s even possible they will have to be amputated.

If you have vascular disease and are planning to travel, you should take some precautions. You don’t want to be away from your doctor and have a medical emergency.

Be Careful of Heights

One thing that can affect those with vascular disease is high altitude. If you’re spending time in an area that is more than 2,000 metres above sea level, you’re going to be putting more strain on your heart. This can elevate your risk of stroke and other medical emergencies. The same is true if you’re in an area with extremely hot or cold temperatures. While spending time in these environments isn’t necessarily going to lead to health problems, you may not want to do anything strenuous. Skiing and mountain climbing may be too much for you to do. You should speak to your doctor before planning a holiday such as this.

Know Where to Get Help

Next, know where you can find medical assistance if you’re in dire need. When the experts at Medical Travel Compared discuss travelling with vascular disease, this is one of the tips they highly recommend. It’s important that you know the location of the nearest local hospital or other medical facility. This way, if you do experience any issues while on holiday, you can get help quickly. You may want to do more than just locate the hospital, though. You should also make sure it is equipped to handle vascular emergencies. A small local clinic may not have everything needed to treat you.

Be Prepared

Before you leave for your holiday or business trip, make sure you’re prepared. While you may have counted out the exact amount of medication you’ll need to take while you’re out of town, you should also include enough for a few extra days. You never know when a storm or some other event is going to delay your return trip home. It’s also a good idea to include a list of the medications you’re taking along with the dosage, too. You can create this list as a note on your phone or write it down on a small card and carry it in your wallet or your purse. This will help you more easily replace your medication if it’s lost.

You might also want to take a letter from your doctor that outlines your illness and the medications you’re taking. It should list any medications you should not be given and anything you’re allergic to. Keep this note somewhere you won’t lose it.