Travelling Advice For People With Heart Disease
What are the concerns?
What are the concerns?
Youve probably heard the warnings about the effects that air travel could potentially have on your body. As passengers have to stay seated for a long time and they are in an atmosphere with less oxygen than we are used to breathing on the ground, there is the risk of blood clots in the veins such as deep vein thrombosis.
This concern has stretched further to encompass people with heart conditions with doctors expressing fears that a reduced level of oxygen forces the heart to work harder in order to pump blood around the body in turn, this reduced level of oxygen can leave passengers feeling breathless and increase blood pressure levels.
Indeed the guidance on when it is safe to fly has differed between different medical groups, which can cause confusion. This has led to more fears for passengers particularly as it can be so difficult to gain medical treatment while you are flying.
So what advice is available for travellers with heart problems?
A new report has been written by the British Cardiovascular Society and published in the medical journal Heart. The Society is a professional association of doctors that work on heart medicine in the UK and their report examines the risks to peoples heart health from air travel. It has also drawn up guidelines on who can fly safely, how quickly it is safe to fly following a heart attack or heart surgery and it makes new recommendations on how to avoid deep vein thrombosis.
The report suggests that people with mild angina that only occurs during moderate exercise can fly without any special treatment as long as their condition or medicine has not changed recently. Similarly, people with mild heart failure that causes breathlessness on mild to moderate exercise can also fly without any issues as long as their condition has not changed in the previous six weeks. Meanwhile, those with occasional heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat should also be safe to fly as long as their condition doesnt cause fainting and they are being treated.
For other groups of heart-related problems, the report has offered some general advice. For example, those with more severe angina and heart failure, or those born with heart problems, should consider whether they need extra assistance at the airport or increased levels of oxygen during a flight. Any symptoms that indicate their issues might get worse should be taken into account and they should wait before flying.
Anyone who has suffered a heart attack should, in theory, be able to fly after three days if they are under 65 and have had the blocked artery successfully opened with their heart pumping normally. However, anyone older should wait ten days or more and people whose heart is not pumping properly or who are still breathless should await further tests and treatment first.
If you have a pacemaker of defibrillator, or if your arteries have been widened by a balloon or stent, you should wait to fly after two days as long as there are no complications; while those who have a coronary artery bypass are advised to wait at least 10 days assuming there are no complications.
Finally, the issue of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was also examined in the report with advice issued. Anyone at low risk and who has never had DVT before and hasnt had an operation in the last eight weeks is simply asked to keep mobile, drink plenty of non alcoholic drinks, avoid caffeine and drugs that can cause drowsiness and to avoid smoking. Those at moderate risk, including those who are pregnant and who have had surgery in the previous four-eight weeks, are advised to wear compression stockings in addition to the tips given to those at low risk. This advice also applies to anyone that gets blood clots easily and those who are overweight.
In the case of those at high risk, the advice is to seek medical attention before flying as it may be necessary to receive an anti-clotting drug before and after the flight stockings and other safety precautions are also advised. Among those deemed to be at high risk is anyone with a previous case of deep vein thrombosis, anyone who has had surgery in the previous four weeks, and anyone who has suffered from cancer.
Can the report be relied on?
Its important to remember that the report is based on the professional judgment of the authors and is general advice that is applicable to these conditions. It should not be taken as a foolproof guide to avoiding any heart-related issues while you are flying.
To give yourself peace of mind its a good idea to discuss your situation with a doctor before you fly as there may be special factors that apply to you and may make flying less advisable. This is particularly true if you suffer from additional non-heart related problems.
However, the good news is that for the majority of people who have heart conditions it shouldnt be a problem to fly as long as some simple precautions are followed. Indeed even those who feel it is unsafe to fly should not let their condition stop them from taking the break they deserve.
by: Jonathan at UKHolidayPlaces.co.uk
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