I remember vividly my encounter when I embarked on an international trip all alone as a young adult. I was going on holidays and was rather ecstatic about my trip. My hotel had been booked and tickets had been paid for but I failed to prepare for what was to come as I travelled that day.

Much later, I got to understand that in sickle cell anemia high altitudes could actually trigger a crises due to the reduced oxygen levels and cold cabin temperatures. This is because there are fewer oxygen molecules in the same level of air we inhale at high altitudes hence, the body produces more red blood cells to counteract the lower oxygen saturation in the blood at high altitudes. To my understanding, this rate of red blood cell production could actually trigger a crises at the joints because the blood cells of the SCD patient would be losing its oxygen content and becoming sickled in shape more rapidly.

Anyhow, as I boarded the flight that day, I realized to my dismay that I had not come prepared for the extremely cold temperature in the aircraft. Yes I had dressed warm to my better judgement but for me it wasn’t enough to withstand the seven hour flight that I had to sit through. All through the flight, I kept wishing that I had brought long socks for my ankles and a much more thicker sweater. I also wished that I could request for a bottle to be filled up with more water because I felt completely dehydrated by the trip. It wasn’t that water had not been provided by the cabin crew but it just wasn’t adequate for me. Being so young and not having anyone to complain to, I bore my ordeal until I arrived at my destination.

On arrival at my destination, I kept slipping in and out of a crises and had to endure the pain in my stomach walls and joints throughout the duration of my stay. Of course, I had my pain relievers with me and tried very hard to stay hydrated but it wasn’t as effective as I hoped it would be. It wasn’t until I returned that I had a discussion with my general physician that he explained the reason for my ordeal during my trip.

So what then are the ways that one can prepare for such high altitude trips? Here are a few points I learnt from my experience that day.

Be prepared in advance for your trip. Always dress as warm as possible and ensure you have a thick sweater that you could use on the flight. The cold temperatures of the cabin could actually gain entrance through your exposed feet/ankles and chest regions so ensure you have a pair of socks or are wearing thick stockings (whichever the case) and your chest area is properly covered during the trip.

Try to stay hydrated as much as possible for the duration of the trip. Be bold to request frequently for room temperature bottled water from the cabin crew and minimize drinking sodas for the duration of your journey.

Ensure you carry your pain relievers with you incase of a crises. This could help you with temporal relief pending when you can get access to medical care upon arrival at your destination.

Have a small heat balm as part of your hand luggage to frequently rub on your joints to open up the blood vessels and promote blood flow.

It’s imperative that when you get to your destination that you try to have a hot shower. This would help to regulate your body temperature and keep you warm.

Always bear in mind that exposure to extreme levels of temperature could trigger a crises. Hence, it is necessary to always avoid extreme cold or extreme heat.

They say experience is the best teacher and it really is. Sometimes if necessary care is not taken by an SCD patient before embarking on a high altitude trip, it could actually ruin their plans as they may find themselves either being hospitalized upon arrival at their destination OR having to endure a crises for the duration of their stay.
So ensure you take adequate precautions and keep in mind these tips. Until my next post, take care.