Welcome to Travelturtle, the travel health advice site that provides you with country specific medical and vaccination reports usually only available to registered UK healthcare professionals.
Use this page to find information when travelling with chronic lung disease.
- Find a range of generic information in regards to travelling with COPD.
- Find preparatory guides to dealing with chronic lung disease abroad.
- Find tips and hints on COPD management whilst abroad.
- Find tips in regards to differing environments and how they can affect COPD.
- Find information on how to minimise COPD risks abroad.
COPD |
When travelling with COPD, avoid - over-ambitious travel plans
- travelling when unwell or with a chest infection
- travelling without insurance
To stay safe, patients should: - order airline oxygen in advance
- keep some antibiotics with them in case of chest infection
- avoid altitude or air pollution
- keep medication in hand baggage
Before leaving patients should: - Visit their GP or specialist to review their COPD and discuss travel plans - patients should be able to walk 50m at a steady pace without getting breathless before they consider flying
- make sure they have sufficient quantities of medication
- check their destination's normal climate and pollution levels
- make sure they are immunised against flu whatever the time of year as the timing of epidemics varies in different parts of world.
Getting there - Oxygen levels are reduced in aeroplanes so patients should book oxygen on board if they are likely to need it - there may well be a charge.
- Patients should ask for assistance at the airport, as long walks with heavy bags can leave them breathless and exhausted.
- Patients should keep medication in their hand luggage at all times.
- Steroids increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis from flying, so patients should keep mobile, wear flight socks and take plenty of non-alcoholic drinks.
Climate and environment - Pollution is a problem in many cities in Asia and Latin America, such as Mexico City. Patients should be aware of extra pollution risks such as rainforest-burning in Indonesia and Borneo.
- Ozone levels may be increased on hot summer days.
Altitude and depth - The reduced oxygen levels at high altitude can cause severe problems - if patients need to travel at altitude they should ascend slowly to allow acclimatisation.
- Patients with severe COPD should not travel to altitude.
- Patients with COPD should not dive.
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