Heart patients are naturally particularly concerned about their “most important organ.” Especially if they have already suffered a heart attack and do not want to take any more risks. Even more so if they are going on vacation and – depending on the destination – the quality of medical care is difficult to assess. For this group of people, medically supervised vacations are an alternative to the not entirely voluntary vacation on “Balcony”.
Travel with medical assistance
For heart patients who want to enjoy their vacation without fear and worry after a heart attack or bypass surgery, two operators in Cologne and Würzburg offer travel programs with medical accompaniment. The vacationers are cared for around the clock by doctors arranged by the German Heart Foundation, and the emergency equipment is always with them. Gymnastics and relaxation exercises as well as cardiac seminars are almost always offered by qualified specialists on the road or directly at the vacation destination. The vacation trips are carefully tailored to the wishes and needs of people with heart disease. They offer a high degree of safety thanks to medical support. Destinations include the Algarve, Sicily, La Palma and Tenerife. In addition, river cruises on the Danube and Rhone as well as cruises in the Mediterranean and Black Sea can be booked. Further information on the individual destinations is available from the German Heart Foundation. Addresses of rehabilitation clinics for cardiovascular diseases that offer vacation packages in addition to rehabilitation are also available there.
Emergency phrasebook of the German Heart Foundation
Not only in the case of a heart attack every minute counts, but also in other cardiac emergencies help must be summoned immediately. This can be problematic, especially when traveling abroad, if a lack of language skills leads to misunderstandings and thus prevents timely help. So that heart patients can nevertheless travel to foreign countries without worrying, the German Heart Foundation is offering a free phrasebook for the second time that contains the most important medical phrases for cardiac emergencies and will fit in any wallet. Around 40 phrases such as “Please call the emergency services immediately,” “Where is the nearest doctor?” or “I have severe shortness of breath” are translated into Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Polish and Czech in the new volume. The first volume had already included the five national languages of English, French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish.
Good planning in advance
But to prevent emergencies from occurring in the first place on vacation or business trips, the German Heart Foundation advises all heart patients to talk to their doctor about the destination country beforehand. Not every region is equally suitable for heart patients. Hot regions in particular can put a great strain on the circulation and provoke heart problems. It is also advantageous to go to a place with a quickly accessible emergency clinic that offers state-of-the-art treatment, such as cardiac catheterization or thrombolysis techniques. In addition, one should inquire about the medical emergency number of the respective destination before departure, in order not to lose valuable time in case of emergency.
Some tips for a successful trip
- In principle, every cardiac patient should discuss his or her vacation plans with the physician treating the patient. General rules are hard to establish.
- Before a long-distance flight, heart patients must communicate with the doctor whether the load is justifiable and how to minimize the risks.
- People who have had heart surgery should avoid flying for a few weeks. What times are necessary in the individual case, the doctor decides.
- To avoid stress at the airport, heart patients should arrive early and avoid physical exertion.
- Do not stow medications in your suitcase, but keep them easily accessible in your carry-on luggage so that they can be taken during the flight at the usual times.
- At the vacation destination, you should take it slow and relaxed and first get used to the foreign climate.
- Also on vacation always carry the emergency preparations and the emergency phrasebook.
