ARTICLE 3 OF 4 · PUBLISH JUNE 14, 2026 · CHRONIC DISEASE
One Trip, Two Possible Outcomes. How Fans With Chronic Disease Can Stay Safe at the World Cup
For most fans, prep means booking a hotel. For patients with chronic conditions, it means a few more steps.
I’m an internal medicine physician. Most of my patients have at least one chronic condition. Top on the list are diabetes mellitus, heart failure, hypertension, kidney disease, atrial fibrillation and so on. Several fans with these conditions just like my patients are planning to be in Houston for the World Cup.
Travel messes with everything: sleep, meals, medications, routines. Houston in June and July adds heat and humidity on top of that. A World Cup match, the noise, the crowd and the tension can put cardiovascular stress on the body roughly equivalent to moderate exercise. That’s not a reason to stay home. It’s a reason to think ahead.
If You Have Diabetes Mellitus
Blood sugar management depends on consistency: consistent meals, consistent activity, consistent sleep. Travel breaks all three. For patients on insulin or sulfonylureas, where low blood sugar is already a risk, that disruption matters.
Before you go:
- Get a letter from your physician listing your diagnosis, medications, and devices (including insulin pens or pumps). You will need it for airport security and in case you need a US prescription bridge.
- Pack double your expected supply of medications and test strips. Insulin brands and glucose meter cartridge types are not interchangeable across countries and may not be available here in the same form.
- Confirm your CGM or pump is compatible with US electrical standards if it needs charging.
- Keep insulin in a cooling case. A bag sitting in the Houston sun for an hour can degrade it.
During matches:
- Heat speeds up insulin absorption. You can go low faster than you expect. Check more often on outdoor match days.
- Carry fast-acting glucose tablets, juice, candy. Don’t depend on stadium vendors when you are mid-episode.
- Shakiness, sweating, confusion, or rapid heartbeat in the heat could be hypoglycemia or heat exhaustion. They look alike. Check your glucose first.
WHEN IN DOUBT, TREAT FOR LOW BLOOD SUGAR FIRST Give glucose and reassess. If there’s no improvement in 15 minutes, shift to heat exhaustion management and get medical attention.
If You Have Heart Disease or High Blood Pressure
The combination of heat, dehydration, disrupted sleep, physical exertion, and the emotional intensity of a World Cup match can genuinely stress the cardiovascular system. I’m not saying skip the match. I’m saying don’t skip your medications.
- Don’t adjust or stop cardiac medications without talking to your cardiologist first. Skipped doses of antihypertensives or rate-control drugs during travel are a common and avoidable problem.
- Know your warning signs and take them seriously: chest pressure, jaw pain, left arm discomfort, sudden shortness of breath, or a severe headache that comes on fast. These are not “excitement.” Call 911.
- Atrial fibrillation patients: alcohol and dehydration are both common AF triggers. Be deliberate about both.
- Pacemaker or ICD: carry your device card. US emergency staff need that information quickly.
- Avoid ibuprofen (Advil). It raises blood pressure and can worsen heart failure and kidney function. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the safer choice for pain if you have cardiovascular disease.
If You Have Kidney Disease
Dehydration is more dangerous with compromised kidneys. Long outdoor hours, alcohol, and irregular fluid intake which are classic of a standard World Cup fan day fun activities can trigger acute kidney injury in someone with already reduced renal function. Drink water consistently, not just when you are thirsty. Electrolyte drinks with potassium can be a problem for some CKD patients. Water is safer if you are unsure.
If you are on dialysis, arrange your Houston sessions before you travel. This is not something to sort out on arrival.
If You are on Blood Thinners
Warfarin (Coumadin) patients should know that big dietary changes especially leafy greens high in Vitamin K, or alcohol can shift INR in unpredictable directions. If you are on a DOAC (apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran), the management is simpler but time zones still affect dosing consistency. Discuss this specifically with your prescribing physician before you leave.
A Few Things That Apply to Everyone
- Carry a one-page summary in English: conditions, medications with doses, allergies, your physician’s contact, insurance info.
- Nearest hospital to NRG Stadium: Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute, about 4 miles away. Level I Trauma Center.
- Travel with someone who knows your medical history and your warning signs.
- Do not let the situation delay you from seeking care. Every emergency medicine doctor has a version of the same story about the patient who waited too long because they did not want to worry anyone.
TELL YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION BEFORE KICKOFF What your warning signs are. What to do if they appear. Thirty seconds of conversation upfront is worth more than trying to explain it mid-crisis.
My patients travel. They run races, climb things, fly across the world. The ones who do it without incident are the ones who did not pretend the chronic condition was not there. Plan around yours and go watch some football.
Texas Integrated Care Group sees medically complex adults in the Montgomery county and Harris county areas, including via telehealth. texasintegratedcaregroup.com.
