If, like me, you have lots of allergies to cleaning products and other chemicals, traveling can be very stressful, and even dangerous.

• Planes are disinfected and cleaned with harsh chemical agents, and some may even use pesticides in the cabin to ward off cooties, etc.
• Hotel and motel rooms are notorious for using tons of cleaning agents on a constant basis, with cleaners and powders accumulating in the bedding, furniture, and especially the carpeting. I prefer to stay at a bed and breakfast-type place as they are usually much more conscious of both allergies and the environment. Some inns are also okay for me, but you have to check to make sure they suit your needs. Sometimes it’s better to just go camping, if you have camping equipment you can deal with.
• Check to make sure your accommodations don’t have:
  • new carpeting
  • new vinyl flooring
  • fresh paint
  • new furniture made from pressed wood
  • towels and linens washed in bleach or other detergents that may bother you
  • a television, if this will give off too many VOCs from the plastic, etc.
• Bring your own pillows, or at least bring allergen-barrier pillow encasings.
• Consider bringing your own sheets and blankets if you are staying at a hotel, since they are sure to wash these in some regular brand of detergent, and probably also in bleach. You can also bring a mattress encasing, but make sure you get the right size for the bed you will have. You can also just bring a sleeping bag, if you have one that is safe for you.
• Bring a mask that filters out pollutants from the plane (fuel, cleaning agents) as well as the hotel (cleaners). Hopefully you won’t need it, but it is reassuring to know you have a back-up plan.
• Rental cars are often both new and recently cleaned with chemical agents. However, you can negotiate the newness and the recency of the cleaning with your rental agency.

 

Related posts:

1. Travel Checklist
2. Chemical Allergies to cleaning products, new carpeting, and VOCs

• Make a list of all your medications before you travel, and make sure you update it for your next trip. When you are packing you can refer to your list so you won’t wonder if you have forgotten anything.
• Bring ALL medications on the plane with you that you would need for at least 48 hours. You never know if the connecting flight will get cancelled and you will be stuck away from your destination and also away from your luggage. Also, consider what you would need if the airline loses your luggage. Can you get another supply from a national drugstore chain that has your prescriptions on file?
• Bring dust masks, just in case you encounter some allergens you don’t expect. You can even get a more heavy-duty mask that filters out smaller particles from chemical exposures.
• Anti-histamines - You should bring your normal anti-histamines, but also consider a more heavy-duty one, like Benadryl, in case you react to something. You will want to make sure you know how you react to Benadryl before you take it on a trip.
• If an Epi-Pen may help you in case of allergy and anaphalactic shock, then bring an Epi-Pen. You can check with the doctor to see if this would help in your type of allergies.
• If you have asthma, consider getting a portable nebulizer that operates on battery power. Don’t expect to use a regular nebulizer (one that plugs into an electrical outlet) on the plane. Planes are not equipped to handle regular plugs.
• If you have asthma, bring your peak-flow meter so you can see if you are just stressing from the travel or if you are really having problems breathing.
• Your own pillows, or at least allergen-barrier pillow encasings.
• Bring a snack to keep your energy up in case there is no food available where you are going. Also, bring some water so you can take your medicine as well as keep hydrated.
• Write down an “emergency plan” and keep it handy. This plan will include all the names, phone numbers, medications, etc. you will need in case of emergency. Since you will be frazzled from travel, you may forget some of the key things you need to do when you are having real troubles.

GET AN EMERGENCY PLAN:
Have a plan for what you will do if you are having allergic reactions. If your reactions are not severe, you may be able wait patiently until they pass. If you have more serious reactions, you should be able to take care of yourself while you are on the plane, and be able to get medical help when you land.
Do you know which hospitals or doctors you can go to if you are feeling ill? If you have health insurance, check with your insurance company before you leave to see if there are any providers at your destination. You should bring your insurance card with you when you travel. If you don’t have health insurance available to you at your destination, consider temporary health insurance just for the trip.

You can discuss an “emergency plan” with your health provider before you leave for your trip. You should write it down since if you are having a problem when you travel, you will be less likely to remember what you need to do.

 

Related posts:

1. Travel and Chemical Allergies

Traveling with allergies can be problematic sometimes, and you may not have considered the potential pitfalls.

• If you are very allergic to animals, make sure the destination (hotel room or friend’s house) has not had pets recently, depending on your sensitivity. Many hotel chains allow pets in their rooms, so it is important to check on this.
• You can check the pollen counts at your destination and compare them to pollen counts in your area to gauge if you may have problems. You can also see which plants are most active in the area.
• If you have mold allergies, check the mold levels of your accommodations. Your hotel staff may not be forthcoming with this information unless you stress the importance of it to your safety. You may want to check with a manager on this.
• If you are allergic to down fillers in pillows or comforters, check to see that they are removed (if this will help you), or make sure you stay someplace where there hasn’t been any down-filled bedding for the past few months or more, depending on your sensitivity.
• Bring your own pillows, or at least bring allergen-barrier pillow encasings. You may even want to bring your own linens and blankets, depending on your sensitivity.
• Consider bringing an air purifier with you. Some purifiers with HEPA filters can be small enough to fit into a suitcase. You can use it in your hotel room to filter some of the pollutants and allergens.
• En Route:
  • Food Allergies:
    If you have food allergies, you will can call the airline and ask them to direct you to find the contents of the meals. Many airlines make this information available on a website for just this purpose. Since fewer and fewer meals are served on planes, you will probably do well to pack your own food anyway. This will save a lot of hassle in the airport restaurants. And, you don’t want to be at 30,000 feet discovering that the waitress at the sandwich shop didn’t actually know what was in your food.
  • Peanut Allergies:
    If you have extremely severe peanut allergies, there are airlines that serve pretzels now instead of peanuts. Check with your airline.
  • Getting an oxygen supply on the plane:
    If you are very seriously asthmatic, you may even want to consider having a supply of oxygen made available to you on the plane. It may run about $100 per flight for this service (so, $200 if you are changing planes once), but with a doctor’s note, many airlines can make this accommodation.
  • Portable Nebulizer:
    Consider a portable nebulizer for the plane, car, or other places where you can’t plug in a regular nebulizer. These run from $100 to over $500, depending on the model.

 

Related posts:

1. Travel and Chemical Allergies