Traveling While Using Coumadin

Sitting for lengthy periods in an airplane can lead to blood clots in uncommon cases, as circulation is reduced nevertheless, patients already using an anticoagulant this kind of as Coumadin may have less to fear than other people, as blood thinners assist stop clots from forming, even if you sit on a plane for several hrs. Examining your prescription with your physician prior to you leave and taking precautions while you're in the air can keep your blood circulation and your body wholesome during your journey.

Prior to You Depart

Depending on your present condition, flight length and travel destination, your doctor might adjust your Coumadin dosage before you consider off. Make an appointment with your physician to have your blood tested and speak about your dosage. You should also inquire about refilling your prescription at your destination, in situation you will be absent when your present bottle is completed or you shed your medication throughout your travels. If you do not have compression stockings, your doctor might suggest them for during and after air travel.

Packing Your Medication

You probably currently know that it's wise to take Coumadin at the exact same time every day to keep your blood regularity even, and missing doses can be dangerous. For these reasons, Cleveland Clinic recommends maintaining your medicine with you at all times during journey. Pack your Coumadin in your carry-on luggage rather than your checked baggage, just in case your checked suitcases don't make it onto the flight with you. Consider your prescription with you in case you need a refill throughout your trip, too.

Airport Suggestions

The Transportation Security Administration enables you to bring medical help gadgets onto the airplane, including International Normalized Ratio (INT) and ProTime (PT) meters, which allow you to self-check your clotting time. If you have one of these meters, maintain it in your carry-on bag and show it to airport safety for a visible inspection -- alongside with your medicine -- instead than pushing it via the X-ray device. Though you don't need to label your medicine or devices, it can expedite the security verify to do so.

In the Air

Though taking Coumadin makes the odds of creating a blood clot very low, it's still intelligent to take safeguards on your flight. These include wearing your compression stockings if you have them, flexing your feet and calves whilst sitting and shifting around the cabin every half hour, when it is secure to do so. This retains your blood circulating to prevent blood clots. Drink tons of water to remain hydrated and keep your blood flowing, too. The National Well being Service's Whittington Health also recommends wearing your compression stockings for 3 days subsequent your flight to improve circulation.

Hands-free devices while driving not necessarily safer

With hand-free devices such as BlueTooth, and other entertainment media kits and packages available for most vehicles, drivers are now faced with multi-tasking between driving and either talking or texting.

In India, the law is plain and simple: no use of mobile devices while driving. Unfortunately, either because of drivers' attitudes or even worse, poor enforcement, most drivers typically do so. As more consumers purchase mobile phones, the need to be connected on the go has also grown. Many forget that driving isn't a right, it's a privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility.

It's a well known fact that India's roads are some of the most dangerous to maneuver in the world, because of the sheer volume and traffic, leading to congestion. To further illustrate this point and drive it home, imagine a three lane highway or road, that doubles up into a six lane frenzy with both pedestrians and vehicles of all sorts fighting their way through. Sometimes, there are even animals too.  

In addition to this, there's the even larger group of drivers who simply don't obey the rules of the road, with jumping red lights a common occurrence.

Add drivers using hands-free devices to that mix, and there will be just accidents waiting to happen.

Drivers who talk using a hands-free device made significantly more driving errors, compared with just driving without using the devices, according to a study by a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta, Yagesh Bhambhani and his graduate student Mayank Rehani, cited by TechGig.com.

According to the DailyMail, in this study, the researchers examined the brain activity of 26 participants using a Virage VS500M driving simulator. The 26 participants were first tested in a control condition, that is using the simulator to drive through virtual city streets and using no mobile devices. Then, they were then tested again while talking on a hands-free device. Finally, the participants were engaged in two-minute conversations that avoided emotionally charged topics. The researchers found there was a significant increase in brain activity while talking on a hands-free device when compared with the control condition.

Participant errors included but were not limited to: crossing the median, changing lanes without using indicators, and speeding. The jump in errors also correspond with a spike in both brain activity and heart rate.

In my opinion, If devices such as speed detector radars in vehicles can be banned, similar action for hands-free devices should also be taken. Or perhaps another option would to make these devices inoperable when driving a vehicle, as hands-free devices such as BlueTooth can still be useful and less dangerous in other scenarios and situations, such as boardroom meetings.

Then again, it would probably take years of boardroom meetings to outlaw these devices from the roads to begin with. If anything at the least, mobile operators should educate users with more advertisements and material about the dangers of using their mobile device and even hands-free devices whiles driving.