5 Tips For Flying With Medical Conditions

elderly couple walking through airport with masks onHaving medical conditions mustn’t stop you from flying and seeing the world. No matter how severe your illness is, there are ways you can still travel by air. As long as you know what and how to prepare for such, you can safely travel. With such, here are some tips you can do:

Plan Before Flying

Before flying, you must have a solid plan, including backup plans for situations that may arise. This means you must think of the worst-case scenarios you should be prepared for.

Here are some examples:


  • In case you suddenly experience your sickness, how should you deal with it if you’re alone? One remedy would be to wear your basic medical information or medical alert bracelet. When flight attendants see such things, they can better know how to respond. Moreover, they’ll know that you may have specific medical aid or medicines in your baggage to alleviate your condition.
  • What if you lost your bag containing your medical information? The best remedy is to memorize your physician’s contact number so you can easily ask for a replacement.

While you wouldn’t want to experience such, planning for these scenarios will help you if they happen because you’d know what you should do instead of panicking. And that’s better so you can prevent worsening your condition.

Inform TSA Officer Of Your Medications

Airlines have tight security such as prohibiting travelers to bring bottled liquids and the like. If your medication falls into their list of prohibited items, then the best you can do is inform the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer. Before the screening process, you should also check the laws regarding properly labeling your prescription medicines. That way, you can make the screening process much more manageable.

In addition, you must also inform the TSA officer that you may need to bring them with you, especially for chronic pain medications. This includes other medication paraphernalia like syringes, pumps, IV bags, freezer packs, and the like, depending on what your medication requires.

However, you may still have to undergo the visual screening process. This includes TSA officers checking your medications so they can verify them. And you must comply with such.

man sitting on chair waiting at airport

Check Time Zone Changes To Adjust Medication Schedule


If you’re flying to a place with a different time zone, it’s essential to adjust your medication schedule. This means you have to change the time you’ll be taking your medicines. And this will depend on how far you’re traveling.

You may also have to consult with your physician if there are different formulations you can take less often during the day for at least a month before your travel. That way, you can adjust much easier to time zones without the risk of missing a dose.

Or, if you have regular consumption times for your medicines, then list them down. That way, you can organize your medication based on how frequently you’re taking them. For instance, if you have to take medications thrice a day, then record the time you’ve taken each. Then, count how many hours before you take another so you can follow such a pattern.

Travel With Someone

One recommended tip is to travel with someone. Your companion should know what your medical condition is. They must be familiar with the gravity of your condition as well. They should also know how to support or provide aid in case your illness persists during your travel.

When you have a companion, you can keep yourself safer. That’s because you know that someone will come to your rescue any time.

Have An Insurance

Lastly, you must have medical insurance suitable for travelers with medical conditions. This is essential so you can cover your expenses related to your illness while you’re traveling. That way, you can be sure you’d get compensated if anything happens.


Or you may also opt for travel insurance. If something happens that your condition didn’t cause, you can still have something to claim. For instance, if the airline causes an accident and you incur an injury, you can use your travel insurance to cover expenses for your injuries. You can also use this helpful resource to understand further how you can file claims against the airlines.

Knowing the tips above will help you when flying with medical conditions. By being prepared, you can ensure that your travel will be free from risks. And that way, you can enjoy your travel. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare for your trip.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *