Tips for Traveling When You Have High Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure Requires Extra Planning When Traveling
If you have high blood pressure and rely on medication to control it, you should keep some of the following information in mind this holiday season -- especially if you plan on traveling far from home. Traveling during the holiday season will require extra planning if you take medication daily.
Proper Storage Is Critical
One important consideration if you are traveling this holiday season is where you should store your high blood pressure medication. It is a good idea when you are doing any traveling to keep your medication on you. This is very easy for females who can carry their medication in their purses. Males might want to consider wearing a hip pack and carrying their medication in that. It is almost never a good idea to carry your medication in any luggage that you plan to check in at the airport. In the event that your luggage is lost, you will be without your medication until you can get a prescription filled.
Set a Timer
If your doctor recommends that you take your blood pressure medication at the same time every day, make sure you keep this in mind if you are changing time zones this holiday season. Check with your doctor before you leave about what your best course of action is. If taking your pill at the same time despite a time zone change will ensure that you remember to take it, then that might be the preferred choice.
Bring Enough
Make sure that you take enough pills with you when you go on vacation. Large corporate pharmacies maintain a nation wide database to keep track of your prescription information. If you don’t get your prescriptions filled at a national pharmacy, you might want your doctor to write out a prescription in the event that you are away from home and lose your pills.
Take Care of Yourself
It is very important to take your medication throughout the holiday season. It is within modern etiquette guidelines to remind your host of any diet restrictions or daily medications. This may appear awkward, but most likely your host will truly understand. It’s much more polite to let your host know ahead of time so she knows you will have to excuse yourself from dinner to take your high blood pressure medication.