How to travel when you have a chronic illness

In this post, I share a few tips on how to travel when you have a chronic illness.

This post is for those who are able to travel. I know there are some autoimmune diseases that hinder travel. These include those conditions for some of us with symptoms such as extreme motion sickness. Others may be in wheelchairs (they can travel too, but might need to skip the hiking trails on their next travel adventure) or severely physically unable to do certain things on a trip. The key to travelling when you have a chronic illness is adaptation – you can do things just differently and a little bit more planning. In this post, I share a few tips on how to travel when you have a chronic illness.

Preparation

  • First things first, make sure your disease is under control before you travel. It’s hard to think of traveling when you’re in the middle of a flare-up and may have to endure long-haul flights. The whole trip is just that – every little bit. From point A to B.
  • INSURANCE. Yep, this point is in capitals because what happened to me when I was travelling to Bali last year, I was so glad I had it. I became a young stroke survivor and travel insurance proved more important than I ever knew.

Planning

  • The itinerary. Planning your trip is just like any other trip for the general population, only with a few more considerations. Choosing a destination? Ask yourself if your body reacts better in cold or warm weather. How far will your hotel be from the activities you want to go to? Think logistics in terms of your energy allowance aka “spoons” etc.
  • Medications. Travelling in and out so often I’ve found that it’s best to bring medications in their original packaging with a print out copy of prescriptions.  Try and get a contact number to the pharmacist or doctor in case of problems at immigration- some of the pain relief tablets are illegal in some countries without proof.  Always bring more than you need in case you find you need to up the dosage for any of them. Another tip is to pack at least an extra week of medication for just in case. Put some in your hand luggage as well as your check-in luggage (make sure you have a doctor’s signed medication list).
  • Doctor’s letter. Make sure to get a doctor’s letter that details your condition and any medications that you’ve packed this will avoid any chance of confiscation by an airport or border security.
  • Wheelchair Assistance. I never realized I could ask for wheelchair assistance ahead of time. I can walk unassisted but when I have late flights, it becomes very hard to walk. Given your doctor’s letter, you may be entitled to a wheelchair assistance. My first wheelchair airport experience was amazing and so much easier. Our 1 am flight was horrible but with wheelchair assistance upon arrival at 4am we were able to get through immigration and customs, hassle-free!
  • Always inform airline special assistance of your needs, especially on a long haul.  This allows for pre-boarding and bulkhead seating (if available) and it makes so much difference says a fellow Autoimmunee.

Luxury Travel

  • I’m not saying you have to book business class or even better yet first class (if you can go for it! lol) but for the general travelling population, we all know that costs you an arm or leg and I don’t think, especially having an autoimmune disease/chronic illness like us, that probably isn’t the price we’re willing to pay (pun intended). But there are ways you can make travel more comfortable without the crazy prices, just a few little additions to pack:
    – Eye Mask. Back in the day, haha ok so not so long ago, remember when aeroplanes used to actually include these in those little packs airlines used to give you when you first boarded? Well, due to cost cuts you gotta remember to bring some yourself and wow it makes sleeping so much easier!
    – Pillow/s. think neck pillows, no explanation needed
    – Noise-cancelling Ear/Headphones. I travel about 10-15 times a year and I only just got noise-cancelling headphones this year. Life-changing stuff. Seated near a crying baby on a long-haul flight? With noise-cancelling headphones, you won’t have to worry about it. I had saved calming music and meditations too, so with my cell phone/mobile on aeroplane mode, I was completely zen.
    – Fluffy Socks. On 10hour+ flights who want to battle swelling feet? You’re right – no one! Especially not those with chronic illness. As soon as I get on a plane, I make the move to swap my travelling shoes for comfy fluffy socks. I would add blankets to the tips but if you ask on the plane, they usually have some.

Conscious decision-making

  • This might sound like common sense to some but it needs to be said. Choose things to eat or drink wisely. E.g Avoid raw food,  street market foods and your inflammatory triggers (in my case, limit alcohol consumption to a minimum). Just because you’re on holidays doesn’t mean normal life stops. Don’t make things worse by completely ditching your routine back at home. Be open to new experiences, just be conscious of how some food and drink choices can affect you.
  • If you have more stringent dietary requirements, consider bringing premade meals or choose places that have a kitchen where you can cook your own meals while on the trip.

Digital helping hand

  • We live in a digital world – take advantage of it! Smartphones and other handheld devices make travel so much easier! And not just for the general traveller, but also for those with chronic illnesses. From searching for gluten-free restaurants in a particular location to enabling you to communicate special needs in a different language (eg Google Translate) using technology is definitely every Autoimmunees’ modern helping hand.

The connection between Autoimmune Diseases and Leaky Gut

For years I’ve heard of a thing called ‘leaky gut’. The first time I heard it, I imagined a dripping pipe. Little did I know, in a way, I was correct but also so far off from the truth. In this post, I explore the connection between Autoimmune Diseases and Leaky Gut.

What is a Leaky Gut?

Leaky gut, also known as increased intestinal permeability, is a digestive condition in which bacteria and toxins are able to “leak” through the intestinal wall. It can be caused by medications. Antibiotics, steroids or over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, can irritate the intestinal lining and damage protective mucus layers. This irritation can start or continue the inflammation cycle that leads to intestinal permeability.

Other causes / factors contributing to leaky gut:

  • alcohol
  • gluten and GMO wheat
  • GMO corn
  • intestinal parasites
  • stress
  • nutrient deficiencies
  • toxins and chemicals in foods
  • glyphosate (Roundup, an agricultural herbicide, which many farm crops are exposed to)
  • and more

What’s it got to do with Autoimmune Diseases?

“The typical medical approach to autoimmune conditions is to suppress the immune system with anti-inflammatory medications, immunosuppressives, corticosteroids, chemotherapy and other medications to try and slow down the damage. But this is a bandaid approach in that it covers up the symptoms and lessens them, but doesn’t do anything for the root cause or any real treatment. Suppressing the immune system is never a good idea as it can lead to a greater risk of other infections.” – Ross Walter

What can you do about it?

1. Get professional help > There is no better guide around Leaky Gut than a Naturopath who can review a holistic strategy of how your individual and unique circumstances might exacerbate or affect a leaky gut.

2. Diet The quickest thing I’ve read one can do is review your diet and what foods or drinks might cause the most irritation or sensitivity eg I don’t eat so much bread as I noticed, I always broke out in my skin the next day after eating it. A naturopath can help you do this by way of an elimination plan. I don’t like to use the word ‘diet’, it shouldn’t be a diet per se but a conscious lifestyle decision. Learn your inflammatory triggers. Becoming aware and more conscious of your food and drink choices is highly enlightening and helps to avoid some symptoms that might be caused by your leaky gut.

3. Probiotics > Add probiotics into your medicine regime with the help and guidance of a professional. Probiotics can interfere with your current medicines so don’t just go out and decide when and how much to take. When you’ve found someone to help you such as GP or a naturopath, my chemist recommends to go for at least 50 billion organisms per tablet and go for strains that include the LGG strain (and note that it’s heat-sensitive).

There are certainly heaps of ways to heal a leaky gut, for some further reading, check out these books:

Leaky Gut Syndrome 

Heal Your Leaky Gut: The Hidden Cause of Many Chronic Diseases

Leaky Gut: A step-by-step solution on how to reverse the leaky gut syndrome, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, restore your gut microbiome and regain energy