You have thousands of choices when planning your summer vacation, but getting sick is one way guaranteed to ruin your trip. Although you may not be thinking about bacterial infections and viruses when you map out your perfect vacation, you can plan ahead to avoid having your trip spoiled by an illness you could have prevented.
A priority should be to pack a healthy travel kit that will help you deal with chronic illnesses as well as any unexpected ailments, says Dr. Scott Weisenberg, director of the Travel Medicine Service of the Division of Infectious Diseases at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Your supplies should include:
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Keep these over-the-counter meds handy for mild fever or pain. However, consult a physician immediately if you have high fever, severe pain, or bloody diarrhea.
• Imodium for diarrhea. To avoid diarrhea, eat meat that is thoroughly cooked, don't eat raw vegetables, and avoid dairy products sold by small vendors.
• Sunscreen. A severe sunburn can spoil any vacation, so always keep sunscreen — with at least a 30 SPF — in your travel kit.
• Bandages and antibiotic cream. Keeping these on hand for minor scrapes will keep you from spending time hunting a pharmacy.
• Regular medications. You should bring all of your medications in their original pharmacy containers. Be sure to pack extras so you won't run out.
• Travel-related meds. Bring motion sickness medications if you're going to be on a ship. And if you are traveling to a region where malaria is a problem, taking preventive medications can reduce the chance of infection. You should also see a doctor experienced in travel medicine for advice on vaccines against illnesses such as yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis A. "There are 229 countries in the world, and there are different diseases in every country," Dr. David Freedman, professor of geographic medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and director of UAB's Traveler's Health Clinic, told ABC News.
• Insect repellant. Insect repellents reduce the chances becoming infected with insect-transmitted diseases such as malaria and dengue fever. Those with DEET are best.
• Water purification tablets. If you are traveling outside the United States in areas where tap water is unreliable, bring water purification tablets, and don't use tap water in any form, including ice in drinks, and avoid brushing your teeth with tap water.
• Emergency contact information. Have copies of emergency contact numbers and contact information and addresses for local embassies.
For a healthy flight, stand and stretch at regular intervals to avoid blood clots that can form in your legs. Also, drink bottled water or fruit juices to prevent dehydration on long flights.
© 2010 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
