5 Tips for Traveling with Cardiac Issues
- Know the “real” name for all of your medications, not just the generic. Make sure you take enough for your trip plus 3-4 days, in case you have delays.
- Jet lag and time changes can be miserable. Allow time for rest. Check with your doctor about how to adjust your medication times. If you carry nitroglycerin, check the dates.
- Easy does it. Your trip is not the time to start a weight-training program. Pack your carry-ons lightly and be aware of the difference between those aches and pains and actual heart issue. Ask for help on board if you need it!
- Move. Walk on the plane if you can. Travelers on long flights risk blood clots. At the very least stretch and point your toes. Once you’ve reached your location take lack of sleep, jetlag, altitude and climate into consideration before exercise. And hydrate!
- Whether you use an app or bring files, make sure you have your current cardiac records; cath lab locations in the area you are traveling; emergency numbers; and have provided adequate information to your travel companion.
“With the levels of heart disease on the rise in the U.S., the medical community must remain vigilant in our efforts to provide patients with tools and information that can help improve the quality of their lives,” says Jack Stroh, an Interventional Cardiologist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Jersey, and advisor to CathMaps+.
CathMaps+ is the world’s first mobile app for people with cardiac risk, and is HIPPA compliant. It is available now for download from the App Store and Google Play. For more information, go to cathmaps.com.