September 2, 2024, 3:55 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
City trips, mountain tours, beach vacations – people with heart disease also want to travel. What should they look out for, and when should they avoid traveling?
The good news first: even if you have heart disease, you don’t have to miss out on traveling. However, there are a few things to bear in mind when preparing.
Individuals with heart disease should plan their vacation carefully and seek advice from their doctor beforehand. “Your cardiologist can give you specific recommendations tailored to your risk profile,” says heart specialist Prof. Thomas Meinertz, member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Heart Foundation and editor-in-chief of the magazine “Herz heute.” Heart patients should have a medical check-up around three weeks before traveling.
Traveling with heart disease – What should you bear in mind?
Choosing the right destination
Which destinations are unsuitable? Heart specialist Meinertz recommends choosing a vacation destination with a familiar climate. People with heart disease should avoid tropical and arctic regions of the world. Three factors pose a particular risk for heart patients:
1. Heat
Very high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and above can be dangerous for chronically ill individuals with cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and coronary artery disease (CAD). There is a risk of circulatory collapse or cardiac arrhythmia. Heat can also be a problem for people with high blood pressure.
2. Altitude
High altitudes can stress the heart and blood vessels. This applies not only to mountain hikes but also to stays at higher altitudes. As the altitude increases, the air pressure decreases, and less oxygen reaches the bloodstream, which increases the heart rate. People with a weak heart are particularly at risk.
3. Air quality
When traveling to a city, it can be useful for heart patients to find out about the air quality at their vacation destination. Pollutants in the air can promote inflammation and fuel vascular diseases. Patients with CHD, cardiac arrhythmia or high blood pressure should pay particular attention to this.
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When It Is Better to Avoid Traveling
Even if it’s difficult, if you experience the following symptoms and conditions, it’s advisable to avoid traveling and to consult a doctor:
- tightness in the chest area (angina pectoris) during light exertion, such as when climbing stairs
- chest pain that becomes more severe
- shortness of breath during light exertion
- increasing shortness of breath or increasing water retention (edema)
- repeated attacks of dizziness
- sudden loss of consciousness (syncope)