Holiday Travel With Chronic Conditions: Planning Ahead for Success

When you have a chronic disease or health condition, you need chronic care. Scheduling therapy, doctor’s visits, and prescription refills can be stressful in the most mundane times of life. But when the holidays come around, that stress skyrockets.

Nevertheless, with a little planning you can enjoy the holidays while minimizing your risk for a disease flare. Be sure to preplan your chronic care when traveling for the holidays if you have:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Autoimmune disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Kidney disease
• Mental health disorders

Charles Ripp, MD, Fran Gorman, DNP, and our medical experts at Gorman Medical, PC in Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek, Colorado, are happy to help ease your travels. Contact us for prescription refills, treatments, and anything else you need before the holiday madness begins.

Following are a few tips for trips during the holidays if you have a chronic health condition:

Scout your locations

On film shoots, the assistant director locates the nearest medical facility for each location and marks the address and phone number clearly on each day’s “call sheet.” That way, if anyone is injured or falls sick, medical care is just moments away.

Take control of your health as if it’s a film production by online scouting every possible location you’re going to visit on your journey. Thanks to AI, you can easily request and receive an itinerary that includes the contact info for all of the nearest emergency rooms and urgent care facilities.

Add the list to your phone and share it with your fellow travelers. Print out the list and carry it with you at all times in case you’re in a situation where phones can’t be easily accessed or batteries are running down. Which brings us to …

Keep your phone batteries charged

If you’re like most people these days, you keep your most important information — including your doctors’ numbers and emergency contacts — on your phone. The last thing you need in the middle of an emergency is a phone battery that goes dead so that you can’t reach vital help.

Be sure to bring a charger with you. If you’re traveling by car, consider an extra charger for your vehicle. In addition, consider carrying backup and solar batteries for emergency situations.

Carry a food allergy card, if needed

If you have food allergies, an attack could be just one hidden ingredient away. In addition to calling ahead to restaurants and hotels to inform them of your dietary needs, keep your restrictions printed out on a card.

Then, when you’re in a restaurant, hand a copy of the card to your waitperson so they can pass it to the chef. The cook or chef should then be able to prepare your meal without any ingredients that will trigger a flare.

Take frequent breaks

If you have peripheral artery disease (PAD), varicose veins, or other cardiovascular conditions, it’s more important than ever to stretch your legs and walk around periodically, whether you’re traveling by air or car. On a plane, walk and stretch all of your limbs at least once an hour. 

When sitting in an airplane, do leg lifts several times an hour to stimulate circulation. Compression socks and compression pants also help to keep your blood flowing in your legs.

Refill your prescriptions and check dates

If you have allergies or asthma, make sure your EpiPens® or inhalers are up-to-date. Take at least two. If you’re bringing medications, be sure you have enough for your trips and that the medicine hasn’t expired.

If you think you may need more, or are cutting it close, call us for a refill. You may also benefit from a travel pill dispenser, to be sure you take the right medications on the right days, since your schedule will be upset by travel.

Protect yourself

Air travel exposes you to viruses, including the latest variant of COVID. If you have an autoimmune disease or are at risk for infection, wear a mask while traveling.

Wash your hands frequently; germs are everywhere. If possible, wipe down surfaces such as folding trays, too.

Also contact your insurance company: It’s important to know whether your coverage extends to other states and under what circumstances. This may be even more crucial when traveling abroad. 

Stay hydrated

Be sure to carry a refillable water bottle with you whenever possible. Hydration is an essential part of good health. You may benefit from an intravenous (IV) therapy to hydrate your body and give your immune system a boost, either before traveling, after traveling, or both.

You may also benefit from a before-travel exam to make sure you’re in good enough shape to withstand the stresses of travel.

Call our nearest office or use the online form to book an IV infusion, schedule a checkup, or refill your prescriptions today.