Find out how to Travel Confidently When You Reside With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Pack an HCM Travel Kit

Medications

“Many HCM patients are on medications like beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers to slow the heart rate and reduce the force of contractions, or diuretics to manage fluid,” says Dr. Kos. “Missing even a single dose can lead to a rapid return of symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations.”

Be conscious that it could be troublesome to acquire sure medication in the event you neglect them or run out. “Some of the medications, such as cardiac myosin inhibitors, come from specialty pharmacies and are not available at a local pharmacy,” says Patrycja Galazka, MD, a heart specialist and co-director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee. “If you lose or forget this medication, make sure to call or message your clinic right away so medication can be delivered quickly.”

Documents

• A abstract of your situation, together with whether or not you’ve skilled an irregular heartbeat, extreme obstruction, or superior coronary heart failure signs, and whether or not you’ve got any sort of implantable units, resembling a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
• A listing of all drugs you are taking, dosing data, and drug allergy symptoms
• Emergency contact data, together with your heart specialist
• Copies of your prescriptions
• The gadget card, when you’ve got an ICD

“A copy of your baseline ECG can also be helpful to doctors taking care of you,” says Victoria Parikh, MD, an affiliate professor of cardiovascular medication at Stanford Medicine in California. “It is also helpful for your travel companions to know about your condition and (be able to) communicate about your HCM diagnosis to doctors in a new location.” She recommends carrying a medical alert bracelet in the event you’re touring alone.

Infection Prevention

Monitoring Devices

Snacks and Drinks