Travel and Asthma: Make Plans Before Leaving Home

Jan 20, 2011
Michael Koger

Young lady with inhaler - With permission from Centers for Disease Control

Individuals who have any medical illness should consider their condition before they travel, and this is especially true for patients with asthma.

Bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood, and careful management will ensure that these patients have minimal problems with the disease. When they travel, it is important to make plans for medical care in the event of an emergency.

Travel by Plane

If the patient travels by air, he or she should personally carry the medication, rather than leave it in the suitcase, as the time of arrival may not coincide with the hour to take the medication. Travel by plane may also cause pain when sinusitis or ear infection is present because of the changes in air pressure during the flight.

If the patient has sinusitis or ear infection, he or she may consider postponement of travel until after those conditions have resolved and there are no more symptoms. Moreover, when on a plane, the cabin air tends to be quite dry, and patients will usually benefit from saline nasal spray to moisten the mucous membranes.

It is best to carry two doses of injectable epinephrine on the airplane to treat an asthma attack should it occur. This is of concern particularly if the patient has an allergic reaction to food such as nuts which are a common snack on airlines. Injectable epinephrine is advisable if the patient goes camping during the trip as bees, wasps, and yellow jackets may sting the traveler.

Supplemental oxygen on an airplane should not pose a problem if the physician recommends it, but it is necessary to arrange this in advance.

They should not camp during high pollen seasons. Walking and hiking are good, but the patient should not exceed 5,000 feet above sea level as the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere decreases too much beyond that altitude. People with bronchial asthma should avoid cold weather sports.

For travel by car, a patient with bronchial asthma should not ride with anyone who smokes.

Hotel and Housing Accommodation

Hotels can have a variety of irritants such as molds, animal dander, and fumes from cleaning products. It may be best to request special accommodation before departure so these situations will not precipitate an attack. That would include a room that has been without pets or one which is not near swimming pools as the moisture will enable mold to grow. Some hotels will provide an environmentally friendly or “green” room.

Pet allergies can pose a problem when one stays with friends or relatives who have animals. In these cases, the patient should stay somewhere else. To deal with food allergies, the traveler should notify, in advance, family at the destination of any foods to which he or she is sensitive.

Finally, the traveler should locate a physician at the destination before departure and discuss insurance requirements and other matters that may arise should illness occur on the trip.