Don’t let your medical condition hinder your ability to have a fun time on your next vacation. Continue to make your health a priority on vacation without stressing out too much about it. Here are Tripping.com’s six tips for traveling with medical conditions.
Use These Tips To Travel With A Medical Condition
1. Inform someone you are traveling with
Telling another person about your medical condition can help ease your mind. Confiding in someone else could also potentially save your life if something were to happen, since that person could immediately inform a doctor of what condition you have and what medication you are on. That person could also remind you to take your medication if you forget since you probably aren’t following your normal daily routine while on vacation!
2. Pack ahead of time
Don’t wait until the last minute to pack all of your bags and suitcases. It is easy to forget medication or other items you might need to treat your medical condition. By making a list of what to pack throughout the days leading up to your trip, you can prevent rushing around and potentially forgetting important items that help keep you healthy.
3. Research your destination’s healthcare system
If you are going out of the country, it’s not a bad idea to look up how insurance works in other countries. Research the local doctors that can specifically treat your condition if there is an emergency or if you run out of medication. Know the potential cost of visiting a doctor in another city or country before you go so that you can budget accordingly. Research if you need to bring any type of documentation with you to see a different doctor.
4. Bring extra medication
Running out of medication is the last thing you want to be worrying about while on vacation. Vacation is a time to relax and unwind from daily life. If you don’t have enough medication to bring extra, try visiting your doctor before you travel to see if you can get more medication. You should also make sure that if you are going on a long trip, and have a monthly prescription for example, that you ask your doctor for the next month’s prescription as well if you won’t be home in time to pick it up.
5. Notify your doctor
If you are going to be traveling for a long period of time, it may be wise to contact your doctor first. You can ask them for extra medication or if they have any tips for how to deal with your particular condition while traveling. They also may be able to refer you to pharmacies or doctors in the area you are going to be on vacation in. They may even be able to transfer prescriptions temporarily to a pharmacy near where you are staying.
6. Store medication in strategic locations
Don’t put all of your medication in one place. What if your luggage gets lost or stolen and all of your prescriptions and pills are in one bag inside of your suitcase? By spreading out your medication and carrying some with you at all times, you can prevent the potential crisis of not having any medication.
This article was written by Colleen Regan.