8 Easy Ways to Ensure Healthy Travel Out of the Country

By Kalynn Amadio in Travel on April 15th, 2008

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by Kalynn Amadio

Traveling abroad is exciting and fun. Exotic destinations could mean more risk for health problems and more difficulty acquiring good medical care.

Plan your travel health as carefully as your travel itinerary with the Fox News Channel’s Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld suggested 8 Tips for Travel that will ensure a safe, happy and healthy vacation.

1. Have current immunizations.

Current immunizations recommended for every country are available from the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/travel. The CDC site has great information on the various ways to guard your health while traveling abroad.

2. Brush your teeth with bottled water.

Local water sometimes carries parasites and bacteria that can make a non-local ill. For that reason, don’t brush with tap water use bottled water instead. In lieu of bottled water, boiling local tap water for a at least 1 minute will kill any diseases that could cause illness.

3. Don’t eat raw fruits and vegetables with the skin.

Locally grown foods, like the water, can carry diseases that cause illness to a traveler. Dr. Rosenfeld advises removing the skin from raw vegetables and fruits before eating, while the CDC suggests not purchasing food from street vendors. Only eat food that has been fully cooked.

4. Take additional medication with you.

There is nothing worse than running out of needed medication while on vacation. Prepare for the unexpected by taking more medication with you than the number of days you actually expect to travel. Delays and the unexpected can happen, so be prepared.

5. Take a first aid kit.

Build a first aid kit to pack in your suitcase. A smaller kit that you can keep with you is a good idea as well. In your suitcase kit, include anti-diarrheal medication, mild laxative and anti-motion pills as your destination dictates. You should also include antihistamine and decongestant, anti-fungal and hydro cortisone cream in 1% solution. The kit that stays with you through your day should include anti-inflammatory medications, antibiotic cream and the typical assortment of alcohol pads, latex gloves, band aids and moleskin for blisters.

6. Invest in travel insurance.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see into the future? But because we can’t, buy a cushion of comfort in the form of travel insurance. The more expensive the trip, the more important this investment could be.

7. Avoid swimming in ponds or lakes.

It is fine to swim in chlorinated pools and the ocean, but do not swim in still bodies of water like ponds or lakes. Don’t swim in rivers either. The same bacterial and parasitic concerns of drinking water exist in still bodies of recreational water.

8. Combat mosquitoes.

Make sure you pack sunscreen and insect repellent. Repellent should include DEET in a 20-50% concentration which is acceptable for children over 2 months and adults according to the CDC. Apply your sunscreen first then spray the repellent on your body and clothing. Wear long sleeves and pants when possible to avoid mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria are more active at dusk and again at dawn. Those that bite during the day tend to carry dengue fever.

If an injury or unexpected illness hits a member of your traveling party, seek help from one or more organizations that specialize in this type of situation. The International Society of Travel Medicine and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene both have websites and can give you information on clinics in your area. MEDEX at www.medexassist.com is another organization referenced on the CDC website that is worth checking into.

Travel healthy by being prepared. Take pleasure in knowing you are ready for the unexpected which of course means the unexpected can’t happen.

About the Author:

Kalynn Amadio is going to South Korea to take part in the World Taekwondo Culture Expo. See Kalynn’s tae kwon do website, Taekwondo-Network to learn the benefits of a tae kwon do way of life.