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| SCD AND TRAVELING |
People travel for many reasons, including work, sports events,
tourism, visits, business and more. However, not everyone can travel
comfortably without taking critical measures to protect their health. A good
example is people with sickle cell disease (SCD) because they may find traveling
stressful. While flying, aspects such as bad weather can trigger SCD complications.
Does going
on a trip increase the risk of SCD complications?
Sickle cell disease patients run the risk of increased SCD
complications during a trip, unlike people without SCD.
In a study involving up to 150 travelers with SCD, it was
found that almost 2 out of every 3 people suffered from an acute complication before
their return from abroad. In addition, about 1 in 10 people were either
hospitalized or required hospitalization while abroad.
Does flying
increase the risk of SCD complications?
If you have SCD, choose pressurized airplanes for your trips
because they are safer. However, staying hydrated and performing leg exercises,
makes a lot of sense. You can take periodic walks through the cabin, provided
your health permits you to do so.
SCD patients can easily encounter SCD complications in high
altitudes. Note that at mountain elevations, acute pain crisis risk is nearly
40 percent. Spleen damage can also trigger high altitude complication.
Travelling for too long in an airplane increases the risk of
triggering venous thromboembolism (VTE). It’s a blood clot that forms in the
veins and goes to the lungs. Consult your healthcare provided on the best
techniques to prevent travel-associated VTE.
What are
the reasons going on a trip can trigger acute pain episodes?
One of the common complications travellers with SCD face is
an acute pain crisis.
Here are travel-related
factors that can trigger an episode:
·
Infection
·
Dehydration
·
Weather changes
·
High altitude
If you have SCD, your risk of having a low amount of blood
circulation (hypovolemia) increases. Conditions like this can be worsened by heat
exposure, inadequate or unavailability of safe drinking water, and diarrheal
illness. During hypovolemia, red blood cells can easily sickle, resulting in acute
pain episodes.
Do
international travellers have a higher risk of infection?
If you live with SCD, your risks of contracting infections
during international travels increase, especially in the case of children. So,
it’s generally important to get vaccinated for infections that can easily touch
SCD patients.
Here are some of the common infections you may catch abroad:
·
Staphylococcus
aureus (staph)
·
Malaria
·
Salmonella
·
Shigella
Discuss with your healthcare provider well in advance about
your travel plans in order to get advice on whether to get additional vaccinations
or take certain medications with you such as antimalarial drugs. Your doctor
will enlighten you more on the best ways to reduce the risk of infections, such
as avoiding drinking water from unsealed water bottles or taking other
medicines with you.
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