No matter who you are, you always want to do your planning before you travel overseas. When you have a chronic illness, you’ll need to be even more diligent to ensure you don’t sacrifice your health while on the road. Depending on your condition, the right preparations can go a long way in making your international travel easy and stress-free.What you can do to make traveling with a chronic illness a much better experience.Learn all about traveling with a chronic illness.
Before you leave on your next trip, make sure you read through the tips below. From knowing what to pack to finding medical treatments overseas, this outline is a great start to finding the right care abroad.
Prepare Your Health History
You know your body, but everyone else doesn’t. If you have a chronic illness or condition, it’s in your best interest to prepare health documents to take with you on your trip. Most doctors recommend traveling with a health history information sheet also known as an HHIS. This will include everything from your formal medical diagnosis to your medication and dosage. It will also include contact information for your physician.
You can get an HHIS from your doctor, and it should be printed on official letterhead. If you’re traveling somewhere that speaks a different language, consider getting this sheet translated. Bring both a physical and a digital copy on your trip, just in case.
Bring Extra Medication
If you currently take medications, make sure you have enough for your trip. Beyond that, bring extras in case your trip ends up extended. Always travel with a copy of any prescriptions and a physicians note if necessary. If you need syringes to administer drugs, you’ll need to verify traveling procedures for your particular airline.
While it’s unlikely you’ll be given any trouble for your medication while traveling, you should still keep them in their original packaging if you’re flying internationally. Review any travel restrictions related to your particular medications, as some things aren’t allowed in certain areas.
Check Your Vaccinations
While traveling, you’re susceptible to new illnesses and diseases that aren’t prevalent in your home region. Talk to your doctor about recommended vaccinations based on where you’re traveling. Things like malaria, yellow fever, and typhoid are not uncommon in parts of the globe, and you do not want to be exposed to these things.
Review your medical history and make sure your regular vaccinations are also up to date. You can never be too careful. Your doctor might prescribe preventative medications to help with potential problems that might arise while traveling like digestive issues or other mosquito-borne diseases that might not have a vaccine.
Know If You’ll Need Treatment Overseas
Sometimes it’s smart to book treatments overseas. Whether you’re preventative checking in on an existing problem or planning your trip around a specific treatment, you’ll want to make sure everything is taken care of before you leave. Booknowmed is a platform for reserving medical appointments at reputable clinics overseas, and it can help you through the process.
Talk to your doctor about any possible overseas treatments and what you’ll need. Overseas travel doesn’t have to be complicated, even with a chronic illness. Knowing your options and being prepared are the best steps to take before your trip.
