At the top of the list of things to consider when preparing for a trip is ensuring health safety. Since you will be moving to new locations, you will be exposed to new climates, environments, and people. Health risks such as insect-borne diseases, STDs, dehydration, traveller’s diarrhoea, and jetlag suddenly become a major concern. Without proper preparation, these conditions can ruin your vacation. Therefore, here is some expert travel health advice to help you steer clear of travel-related health issues.
- Pack a First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is a travel essential that will help you manage injuries in case of an accident. Ensure that your kit has essential things like antiseptics, painkillers, fresh gauze, sterile dressings, scissors, tweezers, antihistamines, insect repellents, thermometer, and plasters. These can come in handy in case you suffer cuts, wounds, and bites from insects/animals. Besides that, if you were undergoing treatment for a chronic condition or happen to be sick within the week of travel, pack the necessary prescriptions.
- Always Practice Safe Sex
Among the things you need to pack in the first aid kit are condoms. Perhaps you will not find the right quality or your preferred brand in your destination. So, carry your own condoms from home to avoid embarrassment. While condoms don’t prevent every sexually transmitted disease, they are effective in managing the risks.
- Get All Your Vaccines Early Enough
It is critical to ensure that all your vaccines are up to date when preparing for a long trip. Do these 4-6 weeks prior to departure because some vaccines may take over a month to take full effect. For some tropical diseases such as malaria, you might want to take medication before embarking on the journey. Antimalarials are a common preventive measure. Other vaccines to look into before traveling include hepatitis B and yellow fever.
- Protection Against Fatigue and Jetlag
Long hours of sitting in a plane can be quite punishing. Extreme cases of tiredness have been witnessed in long flights. In addition, jet lag is a common occurrence especially for trips that traverse different time zones. Usually, it is more pronounced when traveling from west to east because your body will have a harder time adapting to shorter days than it would longer ones.
To reduce fatigue and jetlag symptoms, it is recommended that you get plenty of rest before setting out. You can practice sleeping an hour or two earlier or later than your usual time according to the time of your target destination. This allows you to adjust rapidly to the new time zone.
During the trip get up and pace around the cabin of the plane to keep yourself active. Note that there aren’t specific prescriptions to “cure” jetlag. Sleep-inducing medication might help with insomnia but be wary of addiction.
- Traveller’s Diarrhoea and Vomiting
Diarrhoea and vomiting are common travel symptoms in both adults and babies. They are often caused by bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella or viruses like norovirus. To prevent these conditions, maintain proper hygiene when handling food. Diarrhoea may also be as a result of a change in diet, particularly regarding spicy or oily foods. Such is less serious and will subside quickly. It is good practice to drink lots of water to remain hydrated. In some instances, there may even be some medications you can take with you to help lessen symptoms.
Travel health issues may vary from place to place. For instance, when visiting tropical countries have your sun protection and mosquito nets. Consider browsing some county –specific advice online during your preparation.
