Christmas travel is such a delight! However, there are a few things for travelers to consider before embarking on holiday pilgrimages. As a physician, one of the most important things to consider is general state of health. If you feel good and have no problems, then hit the open road. However, if you are not well, if you have a suspicion that a significant illness has arrived or is imminent, please think twice. Few things are harder for patients than being in a strange town with doctors they do not know. Furthermore, when visiting relatives who are ill, check with them first. Generally, viral illnesses like colds don’t matter. But for those with poor immunity — loved ones on chemotherapy, for instance, or with HIV — a simple illness brought to their homes could lead to serious complications.
When traveling, it’s wise to have an up-to-date list of all medications. This can be done at home on the computer or printed out by a family physician or pharmacy. When visiting ERs or urgent care facilities out of town, a current medication list is invaluable. Furthermore, it’s helpful to have a list of all significant illnesses, as well as a discharge summary from any recent hospital stays. Despite the dream of an electronically connected medical world, few hospitals are linked, and it can be difficult to obtain critical information. The more you carry along — on paper, phone or flash drive — the better.
Make sure to have full prescriptions when traveling, as well. Refills — particularly refills of pain or psychiatric medications — are hard to obtain when one’s physician back home is on vacation for the holiday. And narcotics can’t be “called in” — they require a physical prescription in hand.
A few things are must-haves while traveling. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Advil, for pain or fever, can be very helpful. I also suggest an allergy medication like Benadryl. For those with dangerous allergies, it’s important to remember the EpiPen. One never knows when allergies, particularly food allergies, will strike. Personally, I also believe in having nausea medication. A family physician may be willing to prescribe a medication like Phenergan or Zofran to take on trips. It can certainly help limit unnecessary ER visits in the night! It’s also a good idea to update annual flu and pneumonia vaccines, since Christmas travel coincides with times when we see those illnesses more.
While traveling, remember the possibility of DVT (deep venous thrombosis) and its cousin, PE (pulmonary embolus). A DVT is a blood clot that forms, typically in a leg, due to prolonged immobilization — like sitting during travel. PE occurs when that clot travels north to the lungs and causes chest pain or dangerous difficulty breathing. Travelers should make sure to move, stretch and take frequent breaks to walk along the way.
Finally, for those traveling significant distances, it’s wise to make sure that one’s health insurance covers visits out of network, and what to do if it does not. For particularly long distances (overseas or across the country), relatively inexpensive insurance is available to pay for medical transport home, which can cost staggering amounts of money.
May your travels be uneventful and free of illness or injury as we celebrate the birth of our Great Physician, Jesus. Merry Christmas!