Travelers’ Health Tips

The excitement of visiting faraway places is often marred by health hazards. But by taking a few simple precautions you can travel with much greater peace of mind.

Dos and Don’ts

• Have the necessary immunizations done – visit your doctor at least two months before you travel.

• Observe hygiene precautions and be careful what you eat and drink, as vaccines do not always confer 100 percent immunity.

• Do peel fruits and avoid salads.

• Drink boiled or bottled water – well known brands of carbonated water should be the safest – but always check the seal in intact.

• Don’t take ice in your drinks; it is probably made of tap water.

• Don’t swallow swimming pool water, or swim in lakes or streams unless you know they are safe.

• Don’t ignore persistent diarrhea; dehydration can be sudden and fatal.

Foods to avoid or treat with caution

• Shellfish and fish unless in a reputable hotel or restaurant.

• Avoid uncooked shellfish, such as oysters, altogether.

• Raw fruits, unless you are able to peel them yourself.

• Undercooked food, or any food which has either been kept warm, or is served lukewarm.

• Food exposed to flies.

• Ice cream from potentially unreliable source, including street vendors or market stalls.

• Un-pasteurized milk.

• Salad unless you are sure that it has been washed in boiled or bottled water.

• Soft drinks which may have been diluted with tap water, such as orange squash.

Travel or motion sickness

The nausea and headaches that some people suffer when they travel by road, sea or air are all symptoms of travel sickness. The condition is caused by a conflict between what the eyes see and what the delicate organs of the inner ear feel during movement.

The eyes adjust to motion, but the inner ear does not, so the brain receives two opposing messages, and the result is nausea.

If you tend to suffer from travel sickness, do not eat a large meal before or during the journey, and avoid alcohol. Instead, take regular small amounts of water or soft drinks to avoid dehydration and eat regular light snacks, to keep energy levels up.