Asthma: Traveling with Asthma

Traveling with Asthma

If you’ve got wanderlust, don’t let asthma keep you at home. You can travel for fun or business just like anyone else. The trick is to plan ahead. Ask your healthcare provider for tips on traveling with asthma. A few weeks before your trip, spend some time to do the following:

Think about your destination. Are you visiting family members who share home and hearth with a cat? If animal dander causes you to have severe asthma, think about staying in a hotel--in a nonsmoking room. At the very least, make sure the cat stays out of your bedroom. If the cat has been in the bedroom recently, you may notice a worsening of asthma symptoms. Don’t sit on upholstered furniture. And keep your medication close by.

If you’re seeking sun, remember that warm climates also tend to be humid--which makes them ideal for pollen and mold. If you have allergic asthma, that can mean trouble. How do you know what to expect? Get up-to-date pollen counts from the National Allergy Bureau by calling 1-800-9-POLLEN or checking their web site www.aaaai.org.

Checking into a hotel? Make sure you get a non-smoking room. If you’re traveling overseas, try to find a hotel with air conditioning. You’ll breathe best in a clean, cool room.

Check Your Medication. Stock up on asthma medication before you head out into the great unknown. If you use an inhaler regularly, consider taking two--one could get lost. Keep medications in their original containers and within easy reach, in case you have an asthma attack. (It’s a good idea to carry medication on the plane, in case your bags get lost.) Also, keep a list of your medications and dosage schedule in your wallet or purse. If you need oral steroids for flares, pack a course of steroids to have in case you develop worsening symptoms.

If you’re traveling to a different time zone, ask your doctor how your medication schedule will be affected. Is it okay to skip a day, to adjust for a time difference? Is it better to keep with your regular schedule, which means taking medication at a different time of day while you’re away?

Talk With Your Doctor. Ask your health care provider to write a brief letter that explains your medical history, medications, and general asthma management plan. Keep the letter in your wallet or purse. That way, any health care provider can get a summary of your health status.

Be sure to get the name of a qualified doctor and hospital wherever you’re traveling. Your health care provider may be able to suggest someone. If you’re a member a health maintenance organization, call customer service a few weeks ahead of time to get information on out-of-area care and to find out whether they have the name of any physicians in the place you’re visiting. If not, try a physician referral system, like the kind offered by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology(1-800-822-2762).

Give yourself a check-up. Does your asthma seem under control? If not, now’s the time to make changes. Review your asthma management plan with your health care provider. Make sure you’re avoiding the right triggers, taking the right amount (and kind) of medication, and using your inhaler properly. If you feel fine when you leave, you’re likely to be the same while you’re away.

Reviewed Jan.1998 by Douglas S Paauw, MD, University of Washington