Traveling is a wonderful thing, and it’s no wonder that so many people love to do it, whether it’s a one-off trip of a lifetime, a family vacation, or you travel constantly and live and work in a nomadic kind of way. When you travel, you’ll experience so many new things, see new places, and get out of your comfort zone, not to mention the fact that you’ll create some fabulous memories along the way.
With so many positive things about traveling, it seems a shame that some of the people who want to do it are held back because they have pre-existing health conditions that mean they have to be extra careful. Those conditions might mean that traveling is more hazardous than for completely healthy people, so of course, that means they’ll just have to do without traveling and live vicariously through others.
Or does it mean that? Could it be that people with pre-existing health conditions can travel, and they’re just not aware of it? With that in mind, keep reading to find out how to travel safely when you have a pre-existing health condition so that if it is possible and it’s something you want to do, you can.
Speak To Your Doctor
If you have any kind of health condition that could be serious enough to prevent you from traveling, then you’re going to have a regular doctor to help you with it and ensure you’re able to manage it well. In that case, if you want to travel and you’re not sure whether or not it’s a good idea, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it – and your options.
You’ll need to let your doctor know where you intend to go, how long you’ll be away from home, the kinds of activities you might do while you’re away, and so on. Try to give as much information as possible because the more your doctor knows, the more help and advice they’ll be able to offer.
For some things, like recovering after a minor operation like some types of hair restoration, for example, it will be best to speak to a specialist to be sure, but there’s unlikely to be any issues with traveling. However, for more serious conditions, your doctor can give you some ideas about what your itinerary could consist of, or they might change your medication to ensure you’ll have enough to take with you, for example.
Even if you’re worried your doctor might tell you – or at least advise you – not to go, it’s still best to talk to them. If it’s bad news, it’s better to know than to put yourself in harm’s way.
Pack Your Medication
The last thing you’re going to want is to get to your destination, ready to have a fantastic time, only to find that you didn’t pack your medication (or that you don’t have enough for your entire trip – as we said, your doctor can help with that). Running out might not seem like too much of an issue because you can find doctors where you are and get a new prescription, but although that might seem like something you can do, it’s not always the case.
Depending on where you are, there could be strict regulations in place that mean filling a prescription (or even seeing a doctor to get that prescription) can be tricky, to say the least. It’s far better to have enough with you, just in case, especially if it’s medication you need on a daily basis and you really can’t do without.
When you’re packing your medication, remember you need to keep everything in its original containers so that if your case is searched, the security officers know what you’ve got packed – pills in a plastic bag or in your toiletry bag might take up less space, but they’ll also look terribly suspicious, and you could get into a lot of easily avoidable trouble.
Travel Insurance
If you have a pre-existing health issue, something that absolutely vital if you want to travel safely is to get good travel insurance that covers your particular health problems. Even if you didn’t have any kind of health issues, getting travel insurance would still be a must – you just don’t know what could happen when you’re aware from home, and travel insurance is definitely a case of better safe than sorry. However, if you know you’re sick, having insurance is non-negotiable – some travel companies might not even accept your booking without it.
The issue with this might be that travel insurance will often cost more if you have a pre-existing condition to declare. Since that’s the case, getting quotes a long time before you have to actually buy the insurance will mean you have a rough idea of what you’ll be paying (although the price might change, of course) so you can save up for it and be ready to travel when the time comes.