Wanderlust, that urge many of us experience to travel to exotic foreign lands is at long last calling you! For many Americans, especially those of the baby boomer generation this call to travel is not a screech but a full throated, top of the lungs scream! Despite their age older Americans are traveling outside of the United States at a frenetic pace. As we all know the older we get the more health concerns we face on a seemingly daily basis.

Unfortunately, as grand as we would like them to those health issues don’t disappear when we travel. As a matter of fact these health related issues seem more likely to exacerbate while we are traveling than when we are sitting in our recliners dreamily pondering our next foray beyond the boarders of the good old U.S. of A, or any other land we call home. It is for this reason that when traveling abroad you must develop a plan to manage your health. If you’re knowing you will begin planning long before you depart for your next trip.

Common health related issues that require planning at a level above and beyond your general health concerns are: Diabetes, Heart Disease, Pregnancy, Pulmonary Disease, Stomach Disorders, and Immune Deficiency. If you have any of these medical issues pre-planning for travel abroad is an absolute imperative! I strongly urge you to begin your travel related medical preparation at least six months in advance of your planned departure date. Let’s recognize a few considerations you must attend to in order to plan effectively for your health while traveling.

First and foremost the importance of consulting with your health care provider regarding your travel plans cannot be understated. Your health care provider typically can provide a letter indicating your medical condition, your prescribed medications, and treatments regarding your condition. Your health care provider can also offer medical advice related to planning for your shuffle, they may also be able to refer you to additional resources to assist you in developing your idea.

One item your health care provider will probably be familiar with are “Medical Alert Tags”, these are tags that are engraved with medical conditions and / or drug allergies you might have, they are typically wore around the neck as necklace like dog tag, or on the wrist as a bracelet. If you have any of the conditions identified above I would support you to obtain and wear a Medical Alert Designate, actually it is a good idea to wear one not only during go abroad, but at all times if possible.

Good travel planning not only concerns identifying your medical conditions and having documentation of your health issues, medications, and treatments. You must also plan for accessing health care while traveling. It is a obedient idea to contact your airlines, cruise lines, and hotels about any special needs you might have regarding your health care. You might also inquire about medical facilities aboard your cruise line, and medical facilities available near the hotels you thought on using while you travel.

While you are in the mode of checking for health care availability, contact your health insurance company to identify if your current level of medical insurance coverage includes travel insurance for health care abroad. If it does not it would be wise to capture additional temporary travel insurance coverage that extends at least a week beyond your scheduled return date. This is true regardless if you have pre-existing health issues or not.

You have probably been researching all of the exciting opportunities to see and do new things in the country or countries you plan to visit. The pyramids in Egypt! The ruins of Mayan culture in South America! The Great Barrier Reef in Australia! You’re anticipating the unique, unexpected surprises that lay off the beaten path, which only exploring distant lands and cultures can bring! Have you considered the unwelcome surprises that are often to be found “off the beaten path”? While researching these opportunities of personal enlightenment while abroad, you might also want to do a bit of research regarding areas with high risks of infection.

If you have one of the medical conditions we identified earlier you may have a heightened risk of contracting one of many infectious diseases. Additionally, people who have these types of medical conditions are utilizing their immune system at its maximum capacity. If you were to contract an infectious disease endemic to the area you are visiting, such as Malaria or Typhoid for example, your immune system may not be able to fully engage the disease in order to protect you at the level it typically would, were you not dealing with your pre-existing health care condition. I would suggest starting your research at the Center for Disease Control web site (www.cdc.gov),there you will find a wealth of information related to travel abroad. Hopefully, your research will identify which “beaten paths” you would do best to avoid!

Finally, as your departure date approaches it would be wise to visit your health care provider for a final evaluation prior to embarking on your long awaited journey. Based upon the recommendation of your health care provider you must make what could be your most primary decision regarding your trip. Are you well enough to travel or does your current condition warrant delaying your trip until you are healthy enough to travel? Ultimately, only you can effect this decision.

It would be nice if we could input all the variables regarding your health, health care facilities available, and possible health threats in the areas you plan to visit into a computer, wait a few minutes for the computer to makes its computations, and it spit out an reply that would bring a smile in your face and a skip in your stride. However, with through preparation and planning for your health care related issues while abroad, you can originate your decision with confidence knowing you have indeed planned well for all contingencies!

So off you go on your merry method to the land of enchanting excitement, skipping down that wanderlust trail strewn with vistas of the worthy, and memories that will last forever! I’m going to resolve down into my cozy recliner and conjure up a few memories of my most memorable travel experiences, let’s explore just last week I went down to the neighborhood grocery store, yes that was quite a trip. Oh your still here, my apologies. I wish you all the very best in your future travel adventures. Be kindly, have fun, and Bon Voyage!