Travel Insurance for Gout

What is gout?

Gout is a form of arthritis that comes on in sudden attacks. It happens when there’s too much uric acid in the blood, and sharp crystals form in and around a joint. The joint at the base of the big toe is the classic spot, though knees, ankles, wrists, and fingers can be affected too. During an attack the joint turns hot, red, swollen and so tender that even a bedsheet can hurt. It sits within our musculoskeletal conditions group.

Attacks often last a week or so and then settle, sometimes with long gaps between them. Alcohol, dehydration, rich food, and some medicines can cause gout. Many people take daily medication such as allopurinol to lower uric acid and for prevention, while other medication is for the attacks themselves. See the NHS gout page for more.

Why do I need to declare gout for travel insurance?

Gout is a pre-existing medical condition, even if you’ve gone months or years without an attack. We need to know about it because attacks can come on quickly, and holidays often bring the usual triggers, from extra alcohol and rich food to dehydration in hot weather. A bad attack abroad could mean seeing a doctor or struggling to walk for a few days, and one just before you leave could stop you going.

If gout isn’t declared, a related claim may be refused or reduced.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance with gout?

In most cases, yes. Whether gout can be included depends on your medical screening. How often you get attacks, when the last one was, and whether gout has affected your kidneys or caused kidney stones can all make a difference.

What we’ll ask about your gout

Our online medical screening is quick and straightforward, and you may only have to answer a couple of questions about your gout. Once this condition is done, carry on and declare any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions.

When the medical declaration is complete, you’ll move on to the quote page. Where your gout and any other conditions are coverable, a list of quotes appears, with the cost of covering your medical already built into the premium. If cover isn’t possible, you’ll find out before you proceed.

If your health changes before travelling

Gout attacks can come out of the blue. If, before your trip, your gout medication changes, you’re admitted to hospital, you’re referred to a specialist, or you receive a new diagnosis, you must let us know. We may need to review your cover or refer your medical situation to the underwriters, and occasionally we may not be able to proceed with cover. Any change in your medical you don’t tell us about could mean a future claim is affected or denied.

What can gout travel insurance cover?

With gout declared and accepted, an attack abroad that needs medical attention can be covered. Picture waking in a hotel in Lanzarote with a big toe so swollen you can’t put a shoe on. Seeing a doctor, emergency treatment and medicines prescribed there can be covered, and repatriation too if it came to that. Everything is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits and excess.

An attack just before departure that leaves you unable to travel, on your doctor’s advice, may be claimable under cancellation cover for non-refundable costs.

You won’t be covered for routine supplies of your usual tablets bought abroad, planned treatment, or anything linked to a condition you didn’t declare.

Will gout affect the cost of travel insurance?

Gout could alter the price of a policy. To find out how much, complete our online medical screening, which may ask how your gout is treated and how well controlled it has been lately. Like any quote, yours will also take in your age, your destination and the length of the trip. You can then see the cost and choose whether to buy.

Single trip or annual cover with gout

For a one-off trip, choose single trip cover. If you travel regularly, annual multi-trip insurance may be the easier option, if your screening allows it.

Travelling with gout: practical tips

The following is general advice and not part of your insurance.

Dehydration is a well-known trigger, and holidays make it easy to get. Hot weather, long flights and sightseeing all add up. Keep a water bottle with you and drink regularly, especially in the sun. On the plane, choose water over alcohol.

All-inclusive buffets and holiday drinking are the other usual suspects. Beer, spirits and sugary drinks raise uric acid, as do large amounts of red meat, offal and shellfish. You don’t have to avoid them completely, but spreading them out and having alcohol-free days helps lower the chance of an attack.

Take your preventive medication as normal and don’t stop it because you feel fine. If your doctor has given you medicine to take at the first sign of an attack, pack it in your hand luggage so it’s ready. Ask your GP or pharmacist how to take it while you’re away and what to do if an attack starts.

Comfortable, roomy shoes or sandals are worth packing in case a foot swells. An attack is easier to cope with if you have a cold pack, can rest with the joint raised and don’t have a long walk to the beach or the restaurant.

1. pack enough tablets for the whole trip and a few days more
2. keep a copy of your prescription in case you need a doctor abroad
3. check how far your accommodation is from a pharmacy and a clinic

How to get a quote

Add your travel details, answer the screening questions about gout and any other conditions, then choose your cover. You’ll see the full price before you commit.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Musculoskeletal Pages

• Arthritis Travel Insurance
• Back and Neck Pain Travel Insurance
• Baker's Cyst Travel Insurance
• Broken Bones Travel Insurance
• Bunions Travel Insurance
• Bursitis Travel Insurance
• Fibromyalgia Travel Insurance
• Frozen Shoulder Travel Insurance
• Gout Travel Insurance
• Knee Pain Travel Insurance
• Osteophyte Travel Insurance
• Osteoporosis Travel Insurance
• Plantar Fasciitis Travel Insurance
• Repetitive Strain Injury Travel Insurance
• Sciatica Travel Insurance
• Slipped Disc Travel Insurance
• Tendonitis Travel Insurance

Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.