Trip with doctor

Relaxed sitting in a sun chair, strolling through foreign cities, marvel at sights, discover new landscapes and exotic countries - when the health has first weaknesses, you often do not dare to travel. Too big is the fear that complaints could worsen on the way, that maybe even in a foreign country an emergency situation occurs. How do you quickly find a doctor? How good is the medical care? And how do you agree in medical practices and clinics?

One way to avoid being burdened with such worries is to go on holiday in Germany only. Then there are no language problems, your own family doctor is reachable if necessary. If you prefer to travel abroad, you do not have to do without a German-speaking doctor who can be reached at any time. Such trips are offered by some tour operators. During the entire time, a specially trained physician is present - and 24 hours a day responsive. It helps with minor health problems such as wounds or a sprained ankle and provides first aid in emergencies. If necessary, he can control blood pressure or sugar, listen to the heart and lungs, or administer medication. He is familiar with the medical conditions at the resort and mediated and accompanied, if there a doctor or hospital visit should be necessary.

This way of traveling can be useful especially for people with chronic illnesses. "They always have complaints and are therefore insecure," says dr. Jutta Karl. "The attending physician can assess whether dizziness or shortness of breath require only a small break or more action." From her practice, the general practitioner and diabetologist from Bendorf knows that, for example, many insulin-dependent diabetics are overtaxed on long-distance travel. "Time shifts and strangers make it harder to calculate insulin requirements than at home." "Blood sugar fluctuations become more likely." It is a great help for them if they can easily get advice from an expert.

Also, heart patients appreciate this service. "Anyone who has always wanted to travel far, will want to do this again after a heart surgery," Dr. Felix-R. Golling, heart specialist in Dortmund, noted. "This is after a few weeks usually nothing in the way - even without medical assistance." Anyone who is unsure about the disease, however, benefits in his opinion from a doctor on board. And should use such an offer. "That's always a very individual decision."

This applies to physical restrictions of all kinds: "For us, this was the only way to realize our dream of an Israel trip," says Monika Kriz. "After my husband's stroke five and a half years ago, we had not expected such a long journey." The 68-year-old traveled a lot with her husband, mostly individually and self-organized. But since his stroke, Wolfgang Kriz can not walk well. At the Israel tour in February, such handicaps were taken into account. "We did not have to use the traveling doctor," says Monika Kriz, "but it was very reassuring that she was there."

The cost of medical support is included in the package, on average, the trips are five to ten percent more expensive than comparable without a doctor. For ship trips there is a similar service for a long time; Large cruise ships have a complete miniature hospital aboard: doctor, nurse and operating room. Infusions, X-rays, plaster casts - no problem.

For kidney patients who require regular dialysis, ships with special equipment are often the only way to relax. The whole journey is organized in such a way that it is possible to go on shore trips. The blood wash on board is built into the daily routine. Similar round trips, for example through Turkey, with stops in certified dialysis centers on site. The arriving patients do not need language skills; the treatment is already organized. The health insurance usually takes over the costs after consultation.

In any case, it is important that the quality of the offer is correct. It is good if the holiday destination, especially for long-distance travel, is reached as far as possible without a stopover. A small tour group and breaks between the companies make sense. If the hotels are named in advance, bad surprises on the ground are less likely. Positive comments from people who have already made the trip, and many years of experience of the organizer are also quality criteria. But not all travelers have the same expectations - in terms of food or planned activities, for example, claims often vary considerably.

In general, however, so that even chronically ill people enjoy their holidays and recover well, detailed information and information before the trip is important. For individual providers, the accompanying physician will contact you prior to the trip to be aware of the health problems of the participants at an early stage and to be able to take appropriate precautions. Other providers attach great importance to a good network of doctors in the target area and the knowledge of the traveling physician about the regions. And finally, there are also special offers, for example for the heart disease. When planning your trip, you need a considerate mix of sightseeing and rest breaks, exercise and healthy food, and health information.

Nevertheless, unnecessary health risks should be avoided on vacation. Whether accompanied by a doctor or not - good planning and preparation are important for every trip. For example, long-haul flights are a challenge for the body. The air is dry and the oxygen pressure decreases. It says: Drink a lot of water and often move in the square and in the corridor. For asthmatics and heart patients, emergency medications are always in the hand luggage. It is best to put all the necessary funds in there, possibly in a cooler, so that the temperature does not fluctuate too much and everything arrives safely at the resort. For liquid preparations you need a - possibly multilingual - certificate from the doctor, so that they are allowed in the hand luggage.

If you are dependent on medication, you should stock up on it at home for the duration of the entire vacation. Not all funds are available elsewhere, and a changeover may lead to difficulties. For insulin-dependent diabetics and epileptics a time shift can be quite problematic. This must be discussed in any case before the trip with the family doctor. Vaccinations are especially important for pre-existing conditions. "Infectious diarrheal diseases such as typhus and cholera can lead to severe diarrhea and in diabetics then easily to metabolic lapses," says Jutta Karl. "There are effective vaccines, and travelers should discuss this with their GP soon enough."

In addition, the family doctor should write down the cornerstones of the medical history. This document - preferably in English translation - can quickly inform every doctor in the holiday country about everything important. One possibility for this is the "world medical card" (for € 34.50 per year at www.wmc-card.com): It contains all the essential information. In which countries an extra health insurance is required, you can ask at his health insurance. Absolutely you should get the emergency numbers and addresses in advance and note in the phone and on a note that belongs in the wallet.

First aid on vacation

If the pressure on the ears does not go away when swallowing, yawning and blowing on the plane when taking off and landing, nasal spray will help. It causes the mucous membranes to swell, thus freeing the passage to the middle ear.
To prevent dehydration when traveling with diarrhea, drink lightly sugared tea or diluted fruit juice - with a little salt. In the pharmacy there are also electrolyte powder for mixing.
Cool sunburn with moist towels and cream, possibly a cortisone cream helps. You should also drink a lot.
In contact with jellyfish, it is best to rinse with vinegar or seawater; when in contact with freshwater, the nettle capsules burst.
Chipped teeth can be provisionally repaired with a dental adhesive set from the pharmacy. This holds up to the dentist's visit at home.

More info

www.kalina-reisen.de - Royal Touristik GmbH, Tel. 02 21/73 71 91; www.mediplusreisen.de, travel phone 02 28/68 83 35 00 (daily 8-22 o'clock); www.tui.com, Tel. 018 05/88 42 66, TUI travel center in all major cities; www.gebeco.de, Tel. 04 31/544 60; www.rundreisen-mit-arzt.de - Travel building blocks Onlineholidays KG, contact person Cyrus Nuriiskad, Tel. 026 64/993 18 21, www.fitreisen.de, Tel. 069/40 58 85 88; certified allergy-friendly communities by the European Foundation for Allergy Research (ECARF), www.ecarf.org/en/