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The elderly travellers.

Cooper MC

Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, 100 East 77th Street, New York 10021, USA. mediquest4u@aol.com

As the population increases, older people have the opportunity to travel for longer periods and to destinations that are quite different from what they are used to. Older people do indeed have more ongoing medical issues and some limitations due to the aging process. Most of the time these chronic conditions are not a contraindication to travel. Preparing for travel frequently involves starting an exercise program, updating routine immunizations such as tetanus, pneumonia, and influenza as well as getting destination specific immunizations such as hepatitis, yellow fever and typhoid. Medications should be reviewed as they relate to altitude, climate and concurrent travel medications including malaria prophylaxis. There are many organizations and foundations that deal with travel and specific medical problems such as diabetes, asthma, dialysis and for those with spinal cord injuries. The traveler would be wise to seek the advice of specialists related to their specific medical condition as well as a travel medical physician. One should also be sure that their medical insurance would cover them in a foreign country.

Published 4 August 2006 in Travel Med Infect Dis, 4(3): 218-22.
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