hot air balloon ride

[Curates]

hi my husband had stents (x3) over 15 years ago and an ablation for arythmia a couple of years ago. He takes a blood thinner and medication to lower his blood pressure (which is within normal readings) we had planned to take a balloon flight in Morocco next week but after an internet search now wonder if it will be ok. Has anyone else done this? Thanks for any advice. It’s too late to ask our doctor we are already travelling through Morocco.

[Barre01]

how did you get to Morocco? Did you fly?

[MoretonCross in reply to Barre01]

Exactly 💯

[Mountwood in reply to Barre01]

Plane cabins are pressurised aren't they? Are balloons?

[Barre01 in reply to Mountwood]

I think ou wil find planes are pressurised at 10,000 feet, baloons dont go anywhere near that height. So, personally I wouldnt worry. We went an a ballon flight in Egypt - it was brilliant.

[PadThaiNoodles in reply to Barre01]

Most planes are pressurised to the equivalent of about 7,000' (the regulatory maximum is 8,000').

Some newer planes (such as the 787 Dreamliner) maintain a higher cabin pressure for passenger comfort (something like 5,000' I think?).

[Alicant]

balloons don’t fly at 35,000 feet 😉😉

[Blearyeyed]

It really depends on how stable your husband's symptoms are and what usually triggers his Arrhythmias or any increase in blood pressure.Unlike flying in a plane or helicopter there are a lot more environmental factors that can affect how your husband feels. Travel sickness is common in a balloon. There's little space for movement and you have to do quite a bit actively while taking part.

If he's affected by spending long periods standing , if he has orthostatic symptoms, if he gets light headed on standing or has experienced stress from sudden jolts and jerks or mild vertigo in the passed its probably not worth trying.

It's not necessarily the air pressure that is the most taxing part of a balloon ride but other exertion and environmental factors involved in it.

Remember once you are up there it's not like being in a plane with the same access to immediate emergency medical assistance if something does go wrong and it can be quite a trauma if you require an emergency landing.

Personally speaking I'd do two things.

Check what the opinion of your travel and health insurance company is , you may find they are against your husband doing certain physical activities and you may not get coverage because of taking unnecessary risks if things go wrong.

Find out what the opinion of the Balloon Company is and if they have safety precautions in place for someone whom falls ill while in flight.

If they don't have a good protocol it's not worth the chance,

You also need to consider when you would go up and how taxing your trip is altogether.

Over exertion on holidays , particularly in hot or dry environments, can cause more risk of a sudden active episode occurring.

At the very least your husband should plan to have a relaxing day before and after the ride , with no other active sight seeing or physically demanding activities on the day.

Personally speaking I'd think it was a great idea in theory but maybe not in practice. Your husband could always enjoy a relaxing sit at a cafe or at the hotel while you still take the ride yourself. You don't need to miss out.

Have a great trip , Bee

[Millstonemaison]

Wear a hat ! The burner gets very hot.

[Curates]

Thanks for replies. Guess the companies are only covering their backs insurance wise with the health warnings. We are going for it!