If you have ever had the awful experience of getting sick while travelling, then you will appreciate the following 8 tips:
1. Hot Water Hand Washing
It may sound simple, but you would be surprised how many people get infected by a lack of basic hygiene. Diarrhea, food poisoning and hepatitis A are all things you could contract just by neglecting cleanliness of your hands. If you get into the routine of hand washing for a minimum of 30 seconds with hot water and soap after going to the toilet and before and after meals, then you will be in good stead for avoiding such illness during your travels.
2. Avoid Local Water
Yes, local water is cheaper. No, drinking it is not a good idea. Why? Because your stomach may not be equipped with the right bacteria to deal with it. Some areas do not have great sanitation or purify their water so you may even want to avoid ice cubes when you are out and about. Even brushing your teeth can cause a problem. It saves a lot of unnecessary risk if you just buy bottled water or a water filter for all your water needs. If you buy bottled water, be sure the seal is intact to avoid bottles that may have been refilled with tap water.
Read also: Pre-Existing Medical Conditions: How to Travel Safe?
3. Be Food-Wise
You should be aware of how your food is prepared if it has not been prepared by you. If your salad has been washed in local tap water, your buffet food is undercooked or the rice is reheated, these are all things that could send you straight to the bathroom, hospital or worse. Yes, that street vendor sells unusual and tempting local food, but do they handle money then serve the next customer instantly? How is the raw food stored? Is it fresh? These are all questions to consider before you decide where to eat.
4. Eat a Mixture
If you dive right in to a completely different way of eating, your digestive tract may not thank you for it. By all means try that curry, but if you are not used to a lot of hot spice then beware. If you have not built up a resistance to these new ingredients, then you may spoil your vacation. Cramps, vomiting, gas and heartburn can result from not mixing new foods in around your regular diet.
Read also: Top 8 European Foods worth Travelling
5. Avoid Getting Burnt
High factor sunscreen is your best bet to avoid getting burnt to a crisp by your holiday sun. This may seem obvious but many unfortunate tourists will tell you that it is painful and can lead to heatstroke and a hospital visit. Drinking plenty of water will also help to fight heatstroke. Set alarms to reapply the sun cream regularly. Glowing red and sleep deprivation is not a good look.
6. Prevention with Vaccines
Whether or not you need a specific vaccine depends on where you are travelling to. Check out what vaccines are necessary with your doctor well in advance before you travel. You may require a course which should start weeks before you travel, so the earlier you check the better. If you are entering into a country which has yellow fever, then a certificate of vaccination is a requirement before entry.
7. Avoid Mosquitoes
If you are going to a place with malaria, you will need to be smarter than the mosquitoes. Get a room with air-conditioning, wear light but long sleeved clothes, avoid going by the water at dusk and at night, as that is mosquito heaven. Use mosquito nets over your bed, buy repellant with a high deet content and wall plug-ins and keep topping up on repellant. It may sound like a hassle, but these bugs don’t mess around. Your holiday will be completely ruined if you get dengue fever, so minimise the chances of contracting it.
8. Boost Your Immune System
You are going to a place where everything is different. The bed, your routine, air quality, water, food, time zone. Your immune system is on high alert so give it a helping hand. Take a first aid kit and multivitamins with you on your travels and build up a decent level of fitness before you go. This will all help keep your body in the best condition to avoid sicknesses.
The last but not the least step to a successful trip is obtaining travel insurance that will give you peace of mind and help in case you have an unforeseen illness, injury or mishap before or during a trip.
Follow this advice to stay ahead of the game and may your holidays always be sickness-free!