Posts Tagged ‘Travelling with Medical Conditions’

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A telegram from the Queen

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
elderly or medical travel insurance comparison

More and more people could have longer to enjoy their retirement, according to official statistics

Do you know anyone who has received a telegram from the Queen because they reached 100? I do know one…

But according to the latest figures, you are likely to know a lot more because one in six will live to be 100. This means 10m people alive today will get a royal telegram, with many even surviving until 110.

Improved living conditions and medical technology are driving the dramatic changes. Modern treatments such as statins, which lower blood cholesterol, and blood pressure drugs are helping to prevent fatal conditions and increase lifespan. Better education and greater awareness of diet have helped many stay healthier. And the decline of jobs requiring heavy and risky manual work has also played a part.

The Department for Work and Pensions figures show that 17% of the population will see their 100th birthday, equal to about 10.6million people.Of these, around three million are currently under 16. Around 5.5million are between 16 and 50, and around 1.3million are between 51 and 65.  There are also about 875,000 who have already celebrated their 65th birthday and can expect to live for at least another 35 years. 

Last year there were just 11,600 people aged 100 or above, a figure which itself was more than four times that recorded 30 years before. Even over the past two years the ranks of centenarians have increased by nearly 25%. By 2066, there will be around 7,700 ‘super-centenarians’ – those who have reached at least 110.

Now this obviously raises a lot of issues in terms of supporting old people, and providing for such a long retirement….But I want to talk about another issue that this raises – that of travel insurance for the elderly, especially if they have medical conditions.

With this long retirement (a third of our lives or more) you are likely to want to go on holidays, and you are more likely to want to have the time to go away. So difficulty in finding travel insurance shouldn’t be an obstacle to that. However, unfortunately, a lot of elderly people, or those with medical conditions, often find it difficult to get the comprehensive travel insurance that they need. If you are looking for travel insurance, make sure you use a specialist provider, so you can get the insurance you need and travel with complete peace of mind. And remember AllClear Options is the first comparison site for medical travel insurance, so you can get a range of quotes here, and make sure you get the travel insurance that suits you.

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Posted in Travelling with Medical Conditions | 2 Comments »

Simple surgery offers hope to millions with high blood pressure

Monday, December 20th, 2010

According to this article, millions of people with untreatable high blood pressure were given hope yesterday by the development of a surgical procedure that can dramatically cut the risk from the condition.

High blood pressure is the biggest risk factor for premature death worldwide, affecting one in three adults. It increases the incidence of strokes and heart attacks and affects 16 million people in the UK.

Most people can reduce their blood pressure by drinking less alcohol, eating less salt and taking more exercise, or with drugs prescribed by doctors. But 10 to 20% are unable to control hypertension with available medicines. The new treatment offers an alternative way of cutting blood pressure without the use of drugs. Though millions could be treated with the new procedure, the NHS would probably limit its application for economic reasons.

The minimally invasive procedure is similar to angioplasty for heart disease but involves deactivating nerves in the kidney which play a key role in regulating blood pressure. A catheter is inserted into a vein in the thigh and threaded through to the kidney. Then a burst of radio-frequency energy is used to disable the nerves.

A trial of the technique run in 24 hospitals worldwide, including in the UK, found the technique cut blood pressure levels by a sufficient margin to halve the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.

The 100 patients in the study, half of whom underwent the procedure, had average readings of about 178/97mm Hg at the start of the study, which were well above the threshold for high blood pressure – 140/90mm Hg. Six months after treatment, 84 per cent of those who underwent the procedure had significant reductions in blood pressure.  Patients in the UK were treated at Barts and the London NHS Trust starting last December.

At AllClear, we know a lot about high blood pressure (or hypertension) because it is one of the main conditions that we cover for people going on holiday. Obviously, a big part of dealing with high blood pressure is making those relevant lifestyle changes, but as this article points out, sometimes the medication and lifestyle changes are not enough. So it is good to hear about these new surgical techniques that could help people with high blood pressure…

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Posted in Travelling with Hypertension | 1 Comment »

Skin Cancer in the elderly on the increase

Thursday, December 16th, 2010
skin cancer

We all enjoy the sun when we are on holiday....

Young or old, a lot of us love enjoying the sun on holiday and getting a gorgeous tan. But there is sometimes that nagging thought at the back of your mind – the risk of skin cancer.

Well, according to this article in the Times, the number of people over 65 dying of skin cancer is at almost three times the rate of 30 years ago, with experts blaming a reluctance among the elderly to have moles checked by a GP.

The rise of the package holiday in the 1970s could be behind a five-fold increase in cases of skin cancer among today’s elderly compared to their parents and grandparents.  However, the higher death rates are thought to be the result of the over-65s not having the cancer diagnosed until the disease is in its later stages, when it becomes harder to treat. Younger people appear to be responsive to calls to visit their doctor with early signs of the disease.

Every year, for more than a decade, many more older people have been diagnosed with malignant melanoma at a late stage than those under 65, according to Cancer Research UK. About 20% of over-65s have malignant melanoma diagnosed at a late stage, compared to about 7% of younger adults. The earlier the cancer is diagnosed the easier it will be to treat.

While in 1979 there were four deaths from skin cancer per 100,000 people aged over 65, the rate has now risen to 11.4 per 100,000. For younger adults, however, the rate has remained constant at about around two deaths per 100,000 people.

These are pretty worrying statistics. It does remind us all though how important it is to be safe in the sun when we are on our holiday, especially as now, more than ever, we travel to exotic, hot locations all over the world. And if we do notice anything suspicious, to get it checked out by a GP as soon as possible…

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | No Comments »

Marmite – Do you love it or hate it

Thursday, December 16th, 2010
travelling with medical conditions

"Do you love marmite or hate it?"

Yes, Marmite, the brains behind a very brave advertising campaign, inviting you to either love or hate their product. But an interesting article in the Daily Mail tells that if you love marmite, this may also boost heart attack victims chances of survival.

This is because of a vitamin, a derivative of vitamin B1, which speeds up the healing of tissue following heart damage. In addition, the substance, called benfotiamine, can prevent heart failure as a complication of diabetes.

The discoveries mean a supplement containing benfotiamine could become part of diabetes treatment. The research was by a team at Bristol University, and published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology.

Good sources other than Marmite include the ­vegetarian ingredient Quorn, pork, milk, cheese, eggs, dried and fresh fruits and wholegrain breads.

The thing is, we often hear of different superfoods that will help with different conditions. The way I look at it is its worth a try, and if it works for you, or even if you think it works for you, then great. But if not, then no harm done really ( as long as you are consuming the food in moderation of course!).

And seeing as we are a travel insurance company, what does this mean for you when you go on holiday? Well, to be honest, this study is still clearly in its early stages, so I can don’t think we can draw that much from it at the moment. But if you do have diabetes, or a heart attack, it maybe worth sticking a jar of marmite in your suitcase (I am not sure how international marmite is so probably is a good plan to stock up before you leave the country). In the future, it may be that benfotiamine is provided in tablet form instead, so it will be even easier to transport for your holiday….

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Posted in Travel Health News, Travelling with Medical Conditions | No Comments »

New cancer therapies and treatment

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

As you know, we like to bring you the latest cancer treatment news, and this blog is no exception.

This article in the Times talks about a new prostate cancer treatment  which doesn’t even involve any new therapies. It is just a new combination of therapies compared to the standard treatment. Men treated with a combination of radiotherapy and hormone therapy were 43% less likely to die from the disease than those treated with hormones alone.

Prostate cancer is the UKs most common cancer among men, with about 36,000 cases diagnosed each year, up to a third of which are in the advanced stages.  Currently, less than half of men with advanced prostate cancer receive radiotherapy, with most having only hormone therapy or surgery.

A team from Cardiff University studied 1,205 men with locally advanced prostate cancer in the UK and Canada. All were given hormone therapy and half were also given radiotherapy. After seven years, 90% of men given both treatments were still alive, compared with 79% of those given only hormones.

There is also a new way to operate on pancreatic cancer, according to this article in the Daily Express. Of all the cancers it has the lowest survival rate and only about 15% of patients live past a year. The actor Patrick Swayze died aged 57 from the disease last year. By the time many sufferers of pancreatic cancer realise anything is wrong, it is often too late.

In Ann Clark’s case though the tumour happened to form near her bile duct eventually causing a blockage as it grew and giving a life-saving early warning sign. Her whole body turned yellow almost overnight as the blockage caused jaundice.

       

She was told that she was among the 10% of pancreatic cancer sufferers who are suitable for a complex type of surgery called Whipple’s Procedure which involves removal of the head of the pancreas, duodenum, part of the stomach and ducts to the liver and gut. Conventionally it means major open surgery which carries a risk of infection and involves several months recovery time. Another problem is that chemotherapy to destroy the remaining traces of the cancer is often delayed while the patient recuperates from the operation which typically leaves a 30cm scar around the ribcage.

But there was another option…Zak Rahman, Ann’s consultant at the Royal Free Hospital in London, told her about pioneering keyhole surgery. She became one of the first dozen patients in the country to have an operation in which six small holes, of 1cm each and a larger one of about 5cm are made to allow the Whipple’s Procedure to be performed. Keyhole surgery is only an option when the tumour hasn’t spread, so early diagnosis is important. After her surgery, she was  out of bed the following day and walking and eating normally within 48 hours.

The common theme with both these treatments is the hope that these cancer treatments mean that people can get on with living their lives, as far as possible. This is good news, and hopefully makes it easier for you to enjoy a holiday, if you have cancer, as a way to recuperate. For more information on travelling with cancer, or cancer travel insurance, check out these blogs.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | No Comments »

A tale of travel traumas and travel insurance

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Comprehensive travel insurance

What happens if something goes wrong on your relaxing holiday and you dont have adequate travel insurance?

Unfortunately, I am talking today about a familiar story. We have all heard of people travelling without adequate travel insurance and then the horror stories if they then fall ill abroad. It really makes you stop and think… This time a British woman from Liverpool had a heart attack while on an American cruise and is now stuck in Mexico with escalating hospital costs. The couple were not covered by their HSBC travel insurance as Valerie already had angina.

The 67-year-old grandmother may be able to travel by air ambulance to a UK hospital soon,  if her health improves, but the cost has been estimated at £62,000.  The hospital bill currently stands in excess of $126,000 and is rising daily by a minimum of $3,500. HSBC say they have advised Mrs King that she would not be covered under her travel insurance policy for her pre-existing illness, and confirmed this with her.

That story makes this next article all the more worrying – The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has presented new research, polling over 2000 people, which shows that around one in five holidaymakers is taking a risk by going abroad without any travel insurance. Other worrying statistics were also revealed by the travel organisation, including the fact that 16 per cent of respondents believe the UK government would cover the cost of medical expenses incurred abroad.

Lynda St Cooke, part of the UK Foreign Office’s Know Before You Go campaign, which is aimed at educating travellers, also said she see many cases where holidaymakers are faced with bills of tens of thousands of pounds for medical treatment and repatriation.

So what if you do have adequate travel insurance? Well hopefully you would not need to use it, but at least you know you have peace of mind if you do need to make a claim. ABTA’s survey also found that in the past five years, 12 per cent of respondents had made a claim on their travel insurance policy, with three per cent claiming over £500.

We would agree with the Foreign Office – it is so important that you get comprehensive travel insurance that includes your medical conditions, because otherwise medical treatment could work out so expensive, and can turn a holiday, that you have planned and looked forward to for ages, into a nightmare. We know it is said many a time, but it is really important that you make sure that you read the small print to check that your medical conditions are included in your insurance, and if you are not sure don’t be afraid to grill your insurance provider – that is what they are there for! And make sure that you don’t just rely on an European Health Insurance Card, it is not enough and won’t cover certain things, like travelling home in an air ambulance etc…

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | 4 Comments »

World Heart Day

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

The 26th of this month is World Heart Day, organised by the World Heart Federation. World Heart Day was created to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.1 million lives each year. The World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled.

This year is the 10 year anniversary of World Heart Day. At this 10-year milestone, the World Heart Federation is urging governments, healthcare professionals, employers and individuals to reduce the burden of heart disease and stroke.  They are calling for everyone to take responsibility for their own heart health.

Their particular focus this year is on work heart health but at Globebloggers

Travelling with heart conditions
Why not try a walking holiday to help keep your heart healthy?

we are all about holidays. Now when you are on holiday, it can be even harder for you to think about keeping your heart healthy – what with all the new gourmet food to try, and nights out. But there are some things you can consider when planning your destination that might help. For example, what about going on a more active holiday where you can indulge in some exercise? A walking holiday for example – Madeira is meant to be good for a walking holiday – or what about a biking holiday in Holland – at least it is flat! Although, make sure that your travel insurance will cover you for any activities you consider….

But what else can you do? If you do suffer from a heart condition or are simply trying to keep your heart healthy, please share your holiday experiences below and any useful tips for other Globebloggers readers.

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Posted in Travelling with a heart condition | No Comments »

Know your numbers

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Do you know your phonenumber? Your pin number? Your alarm code? Your height? Your weight? There are a lot of numbers that we hold in our head, but there are some that matter more than others.

 The 13th to the 19th September is Know your Numbers week, the nation’s biggest blood pressure testing event, run by the Blood Pressure Association.

The week encourages adults across the UK to know their blood pressure numbers and take the necessary action to reach and maintain a healthy blood pressure. The event provides free checks for around 250,000 adults across the UK. Since its launch in 2001, Know your Numbers! Week has ensured more than 1.5million people have had their blood pressure checked so that they know their blood pressure numbers in the same way as their height and weight.

Know your Numbers! Week involves hundreds of nationwide organisations signing up to provide free blood pressure tests and information at venues known as Pressure Stations. Pressure Stations are located throughout the community including pharmacies, workplaces, GP surgeries, hospitals, health clubs, leisure centres, shopping centres and supermarkets.

high blood pressure and travel insurance

Get your blood pressure checked during Know your Numbers week!

Ok so you can find out your blood pressure numbers, but why does this matter?

At AllClear we know the importance of high blood pressure, it is one of the most common conditions that we cover when people are travelling – 1 in 3 adults in the UK (16 million) suffer from it.

High blood pressure  is the biggest known cause of premature death and disability in the UK due to the strokes, heart attacks and heart disease it causes. It is also a risk factor for kidney disease and dementia. People with high blood pressure are 3 times more likely to develop heart disease and stroke and twice as likely to die from these as people with a normal blood pressure.

So while it is important then to know your numbers like your pin code or an important phonenumber, even more so you need to know your blood pressure, and make the required lifestyle changes – and that is why we think this is a great campaign.

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Posted in Travelling with Hypertension, Travelling with Medical Conditions | 1 Comment »

A False Eye, that looks real

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

I read this amazing article, about a false eye that I thought I would share with you. It was all about Teddie Stroud, a 3 years old boy who last year he was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of eye cancer. This led to his right eye being removed in March.

Thanks to medical advances, he has now got a false eye which look almost real, with precise colour-matching, accurate shaping and some eye movement possible. Modern surgery means that, if possible, the tear glands are not removed, so people with a false eye can still cry.

Mr Ashwin Reddy, consultant paediatric ophthalmologist at Barts, who performed Teddie’s operation, explained that eye implants today are made of a bone-like material called hydroxyapatite. The tissues around the eye and the blood vessels then grow into this. The implant is stitched between the muscles at the back of the socket so that the patient can move their ‘eye’

Teddie can still do all the same things as other children his age, including swimming. The only thing he should avoid is contact sports. Travelling with medical conditions

It is nice to hear a medical good news story, which I why I thought I would share it with you, even though I would admit that it doesn’t really have much to do with travel. Nice to think though that medical advances like these make it a lot easier for people with medical conditions to enjoy going on holidays, and doing whatever activities they want to do when they are there…

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Posted in Travelling with a disability | 1 Comment »

A controversial cancer drug

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

When we hear the word ‘cancer drug’, this is often combined with the word ‘controversial’. And this recent news article is no exception.

Suzie Mackenzie is a journalist and writer who recently wrote a biography of Gordon Brown. Fifteen years ago, she was diagnosed with the highly invasive skin cancer, malignant melanoma. When it recurred five years later, statistics and medical opinion said she would be dead within two years. However, she underwent a controversial therapy which, she says, is the reason that she is still alive today.

Melanoma is a systemic cancer, meaning it can travel to any organ. It begins on the skin, sometimes in a pre-existing mole but commonly on normal skin and looks like a mole. Usually darkly pigmented, it will typically have an asymmetric border. Melanoma is now the fastest growing cancer in the world. Two thousand people died of it in Britain last year, out of 10,000 new cases diagnosed.

Nowadays, we are all a lot more aware of the risk of sun exposure and it is relation to skin cancer – you only have to look at professional cricketers or the signs at your doctors surgery. Nevertheless, it is still not necessarily the main thing that we think about when we are on holiday. But we do really need to be cautious as Melanoma is directly linked to UV-ray exposure. A major trigger seems to be intense bursts of sun, particularly when young. Sunburn and sunbeds both increase risk.

Suzie underwent High-Dose Interferon (HDI) therapy, an experimental treatment that some studies had shown could extend life in some melanoma patients. High Dose Interferon is a form of immunotherapy, which boosts the patient’s own immunity to attack cancer cells. Suzie’s treatment took a year. One month having HDI intravenously for five hours a day, followed by 11 months of self-administered injections every other day. There are a number of side effects: extreme fatigue, nausea, hair loss, weight loss, and serious depressive illness to name but a few.

Most people agree that with Stage 3 Melanoma, HDI improves the odds of survival a small amount, but the drug is controversial as side effects are regarded as disproportionate to benefits. The NHS does not fund HDI as trials have proved inconclusive, but in many US states, HDI is the standard treatment.

If you are considering travelling abroad for treatment for skin cancer, then you might want to take a look at this blog www.thetravellingpatient.wordpress.com which is all about medical tourism.

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Posted in Travelling with Cancer | 2 Comments »

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