Travelling with health issues may seem like a burden and especially if it is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), you may feel lost and stressed. Worry not, our Kidney Dietitian, Dr Rachana Jasani can solve your travel woes so that you can manage your travel confidently. Below are top 5 tips she wants you to read to manage travel without discomfort.
Top 5 travel tips shared by our Kidney Dietitian
1. Pre-Trip Preparations:
- Consult Your Nephrologist to discuss your travel plans and get tailored advice
- Request for a letter detailing your condition, medications, and emergency guidelines especially if you are flying
- Carry enough medication to last the trip plus a few extra days
- Request your doctor for a list of emergency medicines that are safe for your kidney health
- Always carry a prescription copy for emergency refills
- Book your slots of dialysis well in advance before you plan to reach your destination. Talk to the dialysis technician about your health and share your blood reports as well as doctors prescription papers well in advance
2. Packing the Essentials:
- Pack your medications in your carry-on. Bring enough dialysis supplies if you’re on peritoneal dialysis
- Carry hand sanitizers, wet wipes, and personal comfort items like a pillow or blanket for long journeys
- Carry a letter from your doctor outlining your condition, treatment, and medications. Include emergency contact details
- Pack dry snacks after consulting your Kidney Dietitian
3. On the Road:
- Keep a bottle of water handy, but monitor your fluid intake as per your doctor’s advice
- Keep your kidney-friendly dry snacks handy like roasted makhana, roasted puffed rice or less salted rice crackers or fruits
- Beware of sources with hidden salt as they can lead to swelling (to know more about sources of hidden salt, click here)
- During long flights, train journey or drives, take breaks to stretch and promote circulation
4. At Your Destination:
- Consider your diet, research local cuisine to ensure it aligns with your dietary needs
- Inform restaurants of any restrictions
- Avoid salty and spicy foods, common in Indian cuisine. Do not give in to your tempatations as they may lead to dangerous consequences (to know more about myths and facts associated with kidney diet, click here)
- Have a Emergency Plan, locate the nearest hospital or clinic upon arrival. Have an emergency contact in the area if possible
- Maintain your dialysis or medication schedule without fail
- Prioritise 7-8 hours sleep and rest well if you have travel fatigue
5. Returning Home
- Follow Up with Your Doctor once back from the trip to review your health status
- Note any challenges faced and solutions found to make future travels smoother
Conclusion:
Travelling with kidney disease requires careful planning, but with the right preparation, you can have a safe and enjoyable trip.
At NutriKonnect, we offer specialized nutrition counseling for kidney related ailments including chronic kidney disease, dialysis or kidney transplant. To book a one to one diet consultation for any of these issues, you may call us on 7208363223
We also offer therapeutic diet recipe courses for kidney issues. They recipes including detailed videos about diet and breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options. These recipes are curated our our expert Kidney Dietiitan – Dr Rachana Jasani. To check out our therapeutic diet recipes for chronic kidney disease, click here. To check out our recipes for dialysis, click here and to check them for kidney transplant, click here
