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Vacation health care
Planning ahead of time can make your travels smoother and help you avoid problems. Let's talk today about vacation health care.
Always prepare in advance for health problems you might experience when you travel. Ask your health insurance carrier what they will cover or pay for, and consider buying traveler's insurance when you travel abroad. If your children are not traveling with you, leave a signed consent-to-treat form with their caretaker. And if you are taking medications, talk to your health care provider before leaving. Make sure you carry your medications in your carry-on bag, never in your luggage. Research the health care in the country you are visiting. And if you can, find out where you would go if you needed medical help.
So, what should you pack?
Well, you'll want to bring several important items on your trip. Pack a first aid kit, immunization records, insurance ID cards, and medical records for any chronic illnesses or recent medical surgery. Bring a list of the names and phone numbers of your pharmacist and health care providers. Pack any nonprescription medications you might need, along with sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
So, what do you do on the road?
When you travel, know what steps you need to take to prevent different diseases and infections. This includes how to avoid mosquito bites, what foods you can eat safely, where you can eat safely, how to drink water and other liquids, and proper hand washing.
If you are visiting an area where traveler's diarrhea is common, know how to prevent and treat it. Be aware of automobile safety and use seat belts when you travel. Upon arriving at your destination, check the local emergency number. If you're traveling a long way, expect your body to adjust to a new time zone at about the rate of 1 hour per day.
If you're traveling with children, make sure they know the name and telephone number of your hotel, just in case they get separated from you. Write this information down and put it in their pocket. Give them enough money to make a phone call, and make sure they know how to use phones if you are visiting a foreign country.
As always, a little preparation goes a long way to preventing problems.
Vacation health care
Review Date: 1/13/2020
Reviewed By: Laura J. Martin, MD, MPH, ABIM Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Atlanta, GA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Animations
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
- Abdominal pain
- Aneurysm description
- Arrhythmias
- Atherosclerosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Balloon angioplasty - short...
- Blood clotting
- Blood flow
- Blood pressure
- Brain components
- Cardiac and vascular disord...
- Cardiac arrhythmia - conduc...
- Cardiac arrhythmia symptoms
- Cardiac arrhythmia tests: E...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Additio...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Heart p...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Physica...
- Cardiac arrhythmia: Taking ...
- Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac catheterization - a...
- Cardiac conduction system
- Cardiac CT scan overview
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cardiovascular system
- Causes and side effects of ...
- Cerebral aneurysm
- Chest pain
- Childhood obesity
- Cholesterol and triglycerid...
- Coronary artery bypass graf...
- Coronary artery disease
- Coronary artery disease (CA...
- Directional coronary athere...
- Electrocardiogram
- Epinephrine and exercise
- Erection problems
- Essential hypertension
- Exercise
- Hardening of arteries
- Healthy Guide to Fast Food
- Heart attack
- Heart bypass surgery
- Heart failure
- Heart formation
- Heartbeat
- How to use a pill cutter
- Hypertension
- Hypertension - overview
- Muscle types
- NICU consultants and suppor...
- Nuclear stress test
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Percutaneous transluminal c...
- Preeclampsia
- Smoking
- Smoking tips to quit
- Snoring
- Stent
- Stroke
- Stroke
- Stroke - secondary to cardi...
- Tachycardia
- Tobacco use - effects on ar...
- Tracking your blood pressur...
- Type 2 diabetes
- Understanding cholesterol r...
- Vacation health care
- Valvular heart disease (VHD...
- Varicose veins
- Varicose veins overview
- Venous insufficiency
- What makes your heart beat?
Illustrations
- 15/15 rule
- Absent pulmonary valve
- Acute MI
- Adjustable gastric banding
- Aerobic exercise
- Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
- Angina
- Anomalous left coronary artery
- Anterior heart arteries
- Aortic aneurysm
- Aortic dissection
- Aortic rupture - chest x-ray
- Aortic stenosis
- Aortopulmonary window
- Arterial embolism
- Arterial plaque build-up
- Arterial tear in internal c...
- Arteries of the brain
- Artery cut section
- Atherosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis of internal...
- Atherosclerosis of the extr...
- Atrial septal defect
- Atrioventricular block - EC...
- Atrioventricular canal (end...
- Auscultation
- Bacterial pericarditis
- Balance receptors
- Bicuspid aortic valve
- Biguanides
- Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD)
- Biliopancreatic diversion w...
- Biopsy catheter
- Blood pressure
- Blood pressure check
- Blood test
- Bradycardia
- Brain
- Brainstem function
- Breathing
- Bronchial cancer - CT scan
- Calcium benefit
- Calcium source
- Calories and fat per serving
- Cardiac arteriogram
- Cardiac catheterization
- Cardiac catheterization
- Carotid dissection
- Carotid duplex
- Carotid stenosis - X-ray of...
- Carotid stenosis - X-ray of...
- Cataract
- Cataract - close-up of the eye
- Central nervous system and ...
- Cerebellum - function
- Cerebral aneurysm
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol producers
- Circle of Willis
- Circulation of blood throug...
- Circulatory system
- Clubbing
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Conduction system of the heart
- Constrictive pericarditis
- Coronary angiography
- Coronary artery blockage
- Coronary artery disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Coronary artery fistula
- Coronary artery spasm
- Coronary artery stent
- Crossed eyes
- CT scan
- Culture-negative endocarditis
- Cyanosis of the nail bed
- Cyanotic heart disease
- DASH diet
- Deep veins
- Deep veins
- Deep venous thrombosis - il...
- Developmental process of at...
- Dextrocardia
- Diabetes and exercise
- Diabetic emergency supplies
- Digestive system
- Dilated cardiomyopathy
- Double aortic arch
- Double inlet left ventricle
- Double outlet right ventricle
- Drug induced hypertension
- Duplex/doppler ultrasound test
- Ear anatomy
- Ebstein's anomaly
- ECG
- ECMO
- Effects of age on blood pressure
- Eisenmenger syndrome (or co...
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Emphysema
- Endarterectomy
- Endocrine glands
- Enlarged view of atherosclerosis
- Exercise - a powerful tool
- Exercise 30 minutes a day
- Exercise can lower blood pr...
- Exercise with friends
- Eye
- Facial drooping
- Fast food
- Fish in diet
- Food and insulin release
- Food label guide for candy
- Food label guide for whole ...
- Foot swelling
- Fruits and vegetables
- Glucose in blood
- Glucose test
- Healthy diet
- Healthy diet
- Heart - front view
- Heart - section through the...
- Heart attack symptoms
- Heart beat
- Heart chambers
- Heart valves
- Heart valves - anterior view
- Heart valves - superior view
- High blood pressure tests
- Holter heart monitor
- Hypertension
- Hypertensive kidney
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Infective endocarditis
- Insulin pump
- Insulin pump
- Intracerebellar hemorrhage ...
- Intracerebral hemorrhage
- Janeway lesion on the finger
- Jaw pain and heart attacks
- Left atrial myxoma
- Left cerebral hemisphere - ...
- Left heart catheterization
- Leg pain (Osgood-Schlatter)
- Lifestyle changes
- Lobes of the brain
- Low blood sugar symptoms
- Low nasal bridge
- Lower leg edema
- Lower leg muscles
- Lung mass, right lung - CT scan
- Lung mass, right upper lobe...
- Lung nodule, right lower lu...
- Lung with squamous cell can...
- Lungs
- Lymph tissue in the head an...
- Male reproductive anatomy
- Mitral stenosis
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Monitoring blood pressure
- MRI scans
- MUGA test
- Muscular atrophy
- myPlate
- Neck pain
- Neck pulse
- Normal anatomy of the heart
- Normal heart anatomy (cut s...
- Normal heart rhythm
- Normal lung anatomy
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Otoscope examination
- Pacemaker
- Pericarditis
- Pericardium
- Pericardium
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy
- Pharmacy options
- Pitting edema on the leg
- Plaque buildup in arteries
- Post myocardial infarction ...
- Posterior heart arteries
- Post-MI pericarditis
- Prevention of heart disease
- Progressive build-up of pla...
- Ptosis - drooping of the eyelid
- Pulmonary nodule, solitary ...
- Quitting smoking
- Radial pulse
- Read food labels
- Respiratory cilia
- Respiratory system
- Retrocalcaneal bursitis
- Right atrial myxoma
- Right cerebral hemisphere -...
- Roux-en-Y stomach surgery f...
- Saturated fats
- Secondhand smoke and lung cancer
- Shin splints
- Slit-lamp exam
- Smoking hazards
- Smoking hazards
- Sodium content
- Sources of fiber
- Stable angina
- Starchy foods
- Striae in the popliteal fossa
- Stroke
- Sulfonylureas drug
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Swan Ganz catheterization
- Taking your carotid pulse
- Thiazolidinediones
- Thoracic organs
- Thromboangiitis obliterans
- Thrombus
- Thyroid cancer - CT scan
- Tobacco and cancer
- Tobacco and chemicals
- Tobacco and vascular disease
- Tobacco health risks
- Totally anomalous pulmonary...
- Totally anomalous pulmonary...
- Totally anomalous pulmonary...
- Trans fatty acids
- Transient Ischemic attack (TIA)
- Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Tricuspid Regurgitation
- Type I diabetes
- Ultrasound, normal fetus - ...
- Ultrasound, ventricular sep...
- Untreated hypertension
- Varicose veins
- Vascular ring
- Venous blood clot
- Ventricular septal defect
- Ventricular tachycardia
- Vertebra, thoracic (mid back)
- Vertical banded gastroplasty
- Vertigo
- Visual acuity test
- Visual field test
- Vitamin B1 benefit
- Vitamin B1 source
- Vitamin C benefit
- Vitamin C deficit
- Vitamin C source
- Vitamin E and heart disease
- Warming up and cooling down
- Wine and health