HEALTHY TRAVEL TIPS
What you need to know
to avoid illness and stay healthy when traveling
by Andrew Mersmann
SARS, Norwalk Virus, Avian Flu, malaria, yellow fever,
dengue fever…it’s enough to make you want to
go home, pull the drapes, unplug the phone, and never
venture forth again. It’s not a huge leap in logic
to conclude that there are far too many threats to your
health when you’re traveling to make the risk vs.
reward equation come out in your favor. Sure you occasionally
get the sniffles at home, but your body knows, at least
at home, it can fight a flu—better the devil you
know than the devil you don’t.
If somehow, against all logic, you get
over the hypochondriac hurdle and decide to leave the
comfort of your Barca-Lounger, there are a few things
you can do to minimize your risk of contracting mysterious
ailments or needing a medical evacuation to get your
ailing self home again. There are two main routes to
take for travel health: preventative measures to avoid
illness, and steps to take to maximize your comfort
and well-being when in unfamiliar environs.
Your best weapon against illness is
knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel)
can give you an overview of the health profile of your
destination as well as suggested or required immunizations
and preventative medicines for visitors to the region.
Be sure to plan ahead, as most general physicians are
not authorized to give exotic injections, like the yellow
fever vaccination. You may, depending on your trip itinerary,
have to make an appointment at a travel medicine clinic.
Appointments at these clinics can be hard to come by
on short notice, so call a month before your departure.
Some vaccinations and medicines have to be started before
you go (malaria, typhoid, altitude sickness medications,
etc.) so it is best to speak to your own doctor as well
as seeing any specialists long before you start packing
your bags.
If you have a medical condition for
which you carry a wallet card or wear a Medic Alert
bracelet (diabetes, seizure disorders, etc.) be extra
sure those identifiers always travel with you. It would
be a good idea to translate ID cards explaining conditions
into the language of the country where you’re going
in case a situation arises when you can’t speak
for yourself. Even without special health circumstances,
you might consider one of the many services that can
consolidate your entire health history on one card or
a USB data stick, as well as creating a password-protected
online health record that you can allow hospitals and
doctors to access (http://www.medicalsummary.com).
Always carry your medicines with you
in carry-on luggage, never in checked bags. Be sure
you have enough for the length of your trip plus a cushion
of a few days in case your return gets delayed. Also,
check with your doctor before leaving so you understand
if you’ll need to change dosage or timing of medicines
if your meals and sleep schedule are changed. Have copies
of the prescriptions with you as well as noting the
generic name of medicines you take since they may go
by alternate brand names in other countries.
Immunocompromised travelers with HIV
or other conditions that might complicate basic health
decisions need to be sure to do a little extra legwork
before departing. While it may not behoove you to broadcast
your HIV status in every nation you might visit, be
sure you have had a thorough conversation with your
physician at home before you go concerning any particular
risks of infection that you might encounter.
If you do get sick while traveling,
don’t wait until illness becomes an emergency to
ask for help. Hotels have doctors they can vouch for
that are only a phone call away. In most nations that
Americans regularly visit, healthcare is MUCH cheaper
than at home. The fear of the unknown while you’re
writhing in a hotel bed can be daunting, but there are
trusted sources of medical help in almost anyplace you’re
likely to venture. Don’t let fear of expenses or
quality of care stop you from getting relief. If you’ve
purchased trip insurance, the company you chose likely
has 24-hour, toll-free phone access and operators who
can find qualified medical care in your location (http://www.travelguard.com,
http://www.medjetassist.com).
Similarly, medical evacuation companies have lots of
pre-trip planning tools when you become a member, so
they are there for you before an emergency (http://www.internationalsos.com).
In addition to being prepared to tackle
any health emergency when it arises and practicing good
preventative care, there are measures to take and products
to try to optimize your health and comfort while you
are traveling. Every part of your body can take a beating,
from serious sunburn to stomach woes, so it makes sense
to pamper each part of you.
EYES
Tranquileyes are hydrating therapy goggles
that come in a travel pouch with botanical waters that
can be used warm or cool to ward off fatigue, dry eyes,
and reduce puffiness and sinus pressure, all while serving
as a sleep mask to block out light (http://www.eyeeco.com).
Artificial tears can be your best friend
on a long flight. The unnaturally dry, recirculated
air in a plane cabin dehydrates you and can leave your
eyes scratchy and red. Don’t use “get the
red out” drops, which are vasoconstrictors and
limit blood flow but don’t moisturize. Refresh
Artificial Tears lubricate and soothe to maintain
optimal eye comfort (http://www.refreshbrand.com).
EARS
During flight, if the cabin pressurization hurts
or blocks your ears, try decongestants (flying with
a stuffy nose can be agony on landing), chew gum on
descent (have it in your pocket since your carry-on
will be stowed), and give babies pacifiers or bottles
to suck on. EarPlanes have become indispensable
in many seasoned traveler’s kits. Rubber pressure-regulating
gaskets that fit into the ear canal like a headphone
bud, EarPlanes normalize the air pressure inside and
outside the ear canal, thus eliminating most popping
and blockage. (http://www.earplanes.com).
If you just want to block the noise
of screaming infants or roaring engines, the rubber
earplugs in the on-board amenities kit for overnight
flights can work marginally well, but upgrade to BioEars
for even better noise blocking. They come with pliable
silicone as well as anti-microbial agents so you don’t
add ear infection to your list of maladies (http://www.bioears.com).
NOSE
It may not look pretty when you do it, but a dab
of petroleum jelly rubbed inside your nostrils can maintain
moisture and help block airborne dust agents. An upgrade
would be Nozin, a germ-blocking travel product
that is a nasal sanitizer. Your nose is the main access
route for cold and flu germs, so this travel pack, easy-to-use
medicated swab is a must (http://www.nozin.com).
Saline nose spray can also give a quick
hit of moisture, but be sure to only take along liquid
products in containers that are three ounces or less
to get them through airport security.
MOUTH
Airplanes have incredibly dry, re-circulated air,
so you will suffer dehydration in-flight more rapidly
than you will on the ground. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic,
non-caffeinated beverages, even if you’re not thirsty
(alcohol and caffeine both dehydrate you).
Alcohol will have a stronger effect
in the pressurized cabin, and food will taste blander,
which is why the rubber chicken and overcooked pasta
are also over-salted…making you thirstier…and
maybe drunker. Be moderate, and then celebrate once
you get to your destination.
An easy-to-use water purification system
can be a trip saver for many outdoor destinations.
Steri-pen couldn’t be much easier as you simply
dip the UV purifier in a glass of water and swirl it
around to kill nearly every viral and bacterial agent
in water (http://www.steripen.com).
“Just Drink” water purification products eliminate
more than 99.99% of viruses and bacteria from water
with no chemicals or boiling, and their in-line filter
can be used with your hydration pack or water bottle
(http://www.sawyer.com).
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