The excitement starts once you’ve decided to buy that ticket to travel overseas. Your everyday problems seem to melt away even as you dream of that camel trek in Morocco or scuba diving in the Bahamas. You probably won’t even think about your health apart from the travel vaccines you’ll need, depending on your destinations. However, your health and your safety are worth thinking about because if you fall ill, or have an accident, your dream trip could turn into a nightmare. Besides having comprehensive travel insurance (a must), here’s a checklist to consider and tips to keep in mind while you dream on:
How to Stay Healthy While You Travel
Travel vaccines
Exercise? Aww, really?
Drink Clean Water and Eat Well
You-Know-What Protection
Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate. The importance can’t be stressed enough, so get the travel vaccines you need for the countries you’ll visit. Be sure to consult a travel doctor; they have an interest in vaccines for travel and safety and have the latest information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts on outbreaks of disease and other travel hazards. Make sure you get your hepatitis and typhoid shots or boosters and polio vaccine if you’re going through countries where these diseases are endemic or there’s a risk, as advised by the doctor. Also, there’s Japanese Encephalitis, rabies, and be sure to stock up on anti-malarial medication if that’s recommended. There aren’t vaccines for all the potential disease risks out there, so you’ll also hear of the best ways to stay well – whether that’s by using insect repellent or learning about altitude sickness, or more. Falling ill while travelling isn’t worth it, and prevention is always better than cure. Also, remember, some diseases can be fatal.
To function effectively and more easily fight off disease your body needs daily exercise whether you’re on an overseas trip or not, especially if you might be overdoing the parties, sightseeing and sitting around eating the great food. Why not revitalise by doing some stretching and taking an early morning walk or run around the village or city you’re visiting?
Many people forget about their good habits of drinking enough water and eating well while they travel. Maybe they can’t remember their good habits because their timetables are different and there’s so much exciting stuff to do and see. Don’t forget to make sure you eat a balanced meal with vegetables and fruit. Be realistic, even if you’ve had the vaccines, and drink only bottled water in some places where you’re advised to do so, and wash or peel fruit and vegetables if eating them raw. Also, wash your hands often and don’t cuddle, feed, pat, or touch any animals even if you’ve had the rabies vaccine.
Yes, the birds and the bees and all that – travellers do rub shoulders with other travellers and often love blooms, which can be great for some, but not for others if the bloom turns out to be a sexually transmitted disease. Use condoms and the correct lubricant. The wisdom of safe sex cannot over overstated. Moreover, if you have contracted an STI don’t share it; get treatment promptly.
Reference: https://www.travelvax.com.au/find-a-clinic/travel-clinic-doctors/
