Medically Reviewed by Anil Om, MD

After declining for a few decades, heart problems are once again on the rise, thanks to an aging population and obesity. At the same time air travel for business and leisure continues to increase with more than 2.2 billion domestic trips forecast for 2019. As a result, more heart patients are faced with the question, “Is it safe for me to fly?”

“In general, if your heart condition is stable, you should be able to fly,” says McLeod Cardiologist Dr. Anil Om. “For patients who have recently undergone a procedure or changed medication, it’s best to check with your cardiologist and make a plan.”

BEFORE YOU FLY
Appropriate preparations will help make your trip both enjoyable and successful. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Prepare and carry a list of your doctors and their phone numbers.
• Carry copies of all your prescriptions.
• Make sure you have more than enough medications for your entire trip. (Your flight might be delayed or canceled)
• Keep your medications in a carry-on bag. If possible, keep the medications in their original bottle from the pharmacy, which will carry label information about the medicine and dosage.
• If you have a Pacemaker, Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator (ICD) or Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), have a note from your cardiologist. When you pass through TSA screening, notify the TSA agent that you have one of these devices.
• Almost everyone finds flying stressful these days. Avoid your stress as much as possible by arriving at the airport early.

SPECIFIC HEART PATIENTS
Certain patients should delay air travel after a procedure, including:

• People experiencing pacemaker or ICD implantation can medically fly a day or two after the procedure. However, if they’ve been told to avoid lifting their arm for a few weeks, waiting will avoid limitations with carry-on luggage and overhead storage units.
• Atrial fibrillation patients should avoid flying for one to two weeks after an Ablation procedure. Alcohol can be a trigger for afib and should be avoided during a flight.
• Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) patients can generally fly with their cardiologist’s permission two to four weeks after the acute event.
• In a person who’s had a coronary stent to repair a blockage, it’s probably best not to plan travel for two weeks and may even be advisable to wait 4 to 6 weeks to travel.

Remember, these are only guidelines. It is safest to verify with your cardiologist.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE ON THE PLANE
If you have made the appropriate preparations, there’s not much to worry about during the flight…except deep vein thrombosis, blood clots in your legs often caused by long periods of sitting. Individuals with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or congestive heart failure are especially susceptible to this problem. You can help avoid DVTs by 1) getting out of your seat and walking a bit once per hour and 2) wearing compression stockings.

The airplane cabin has very low humidity of 20% or less, compared to a normal house of 40%-50%. This can lead to dry air passages. Be sure to stay hydrated. To make sure you don’t have to wait for beverage service, carry a bottle of water onto the plane.

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Sources include: McLeod Health, International Association for Medical Assistance for Travelers, American Heart Association, Travel Medicine & Infectious Disease Journal, National Institutes of Health