Why you should use our high blood pressure (hypertension) travel insurance
Firstly, what exactly is high blood pressure (hypertension)?
The term “blood pressure” refers to the pressure that our blood exerts as it presses on the walls of our arteries as the heart pumps blood around the body. Maintaining this pressure is vital for both our circulation and our heart function. High blood pressure is also referred to as “hypertension”.
Blood pressure varies naturally throughout the day depending on what you’re doing and the position of your body, for example sitting or standing.
The condition of high blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when our blood pressure is persistently higher than normal. An optimal blood pressure reading is 120/80mmHg or less. Values of 139/89mmHg are considered high.
There aren’t any symptoms of high blood pressure. You can have it and be completely unaware of it. That’s why it’s important to have regular check ups with a healthcare professional so that it can be monitored.
High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for coronary heart disease. As we age, the chances of suffering from high blood pressure increases.
What causes high blood pressure?
The exact causes of high blood pressure aren’t always clear. However it is most strongly influenced by:
- family history
- excess body weight ( A body mass index (BMI) of above 25 is considered a risk factor)
- how much exercise you do and general levels of physical activity
- eating patterns (especially of salty foods)
High blood pressure and travel insurance
Having high blood pressure should not stop you from having a great holiday, particularly as insure4less specialises in providing affordable travel insurance for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.
For your own peace of mind, you can relax in the knowledge that you have the protection of one of the world’s largest insurers and medical emergency teams to support you whilst overseas if you suddenly suffer from an illness related to high blood pressure. These include heart attacks and strokes. We ask you to declare if you suffer from high blood pressure/hypertension when completing your online travel insurance and then when you receive your policy via email it will confirm in writing exactly what your cover is. You can then simply travel and relax.
Here are a few high blood pressure travel tips
- When flying, ensure you pack your medication for high blood pressure in your carry on bag.
- Ensure you have extra medication that will cover you in case of travel delays.
- Select healthy eating choices that are low in sodium and drink plenty of water.
- Don’t forget to exercise on the plane (select an aisle seat so that you can get up and move around easily) and do plenty of walking at your destination.
For more information on other medical insurance policies by insure4less, please see the related links below:
