5 Healthy Travel Tips

It’s December at last and the countdown to the holiday you’ve been fantasising about for the last few weeks is finally drawing to a close. In order to keep your fantasy trip from turning into a sickly nightmare, here is a list of five things you can do to help you stay up to snuff while living it up abroad.

1. Get packing

So you’ve set aside a few outfit changes, a couple of pyjamas, towels and some snacks to go into your suitcase. You’ve even remembered to take a toothbrush this time and you’re feeling all set! But before buckling your bag up and putting it on the scale for the final weigh-in, make sure you’ve also added some safety must-haves.

Key safety must-haves include sun protection such as sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. Remember to also throw in some antiseptic cream, plasters and painkillers because cuts, grazes and other minor injuries can happen even if you’re having the time of your life.  Hotels and other places usually have a first aid kit on standby, but you can also get your hands on a private one for you and your entourage just in case.

2. P is for prevention

Making a doctor’s appointment a few weeks before your trip isn’t just a great way to score some ‘adulting’ points, it can also save your life. The risks of contracting different diseases vary worldwide and depending on your destination, you might need to make sure that you’re up to date on all your vaccines or get some new ones altogether.

Vaccines usually take some time to work, so it’s recommended to have yours sorted at least a couple of weeks before your trip. Your doctor might also prescribe some preventative medication like antimalarials or antibiotics, so make sure you take these as instructed.

Hamad Medical Corporation’s Communicable Disease Center (CDC) has a travel clinic that operates every Monday where you can get your shots for free, in addition to general medical advice for your travels. It operates on an appointment-only basis, so call +974  4025 4003 to book your slot.

3. …And prescription

Sadly, travel can’t cure all your woes and chances are you’ll still need your meds while you’re away, so make sure you’ve made enough time to arrange your prescriptions. As some countries may have restrictions when it comes to bringing in some medications, plan ahead by making sure you know the rules and have any necessary documentation ready beforehand.

4. (Sensibly) savour local flavours

Trying new food is almost a part and parcel of the travel experience and can even become one of the highlights of your trip, but do you know what’s also a common travel experience? Traveller’s diarrhoea. The good news is that there are a few things you can do to lower your chances of being exposed to some of the nasty bugs that cause it, such as:

– Practising good hand hygiene by thoroughly washing your hands before eating, when handling food and after using the toilet. Don’t forget to carry a hand sanitiser and/or wet wipes;

– Making sure that you only eat and drink using clean cups, plates and utensils;

– Eating thoroughly cooked food that’s served piping hot;

– Sticking to pasteurised dairy and cooking unpasteurised types or at least buying them from trusted companies;

– Washing and peeling fresh fruits and vegetables.

5. Be water wise

Tap water safety varies across the world, so it’s important to take precautions before drinking straight from the tap or drinking drinks with ice, as the cubes have likely been made with tap water. Bottled water is generally a safe option, but if that’s inaccessible, there are a few things you can do, courtesy of the NHS’s Fit for Travel website, to make the water you have safe to drink:

– Boil it: Keeping the water on a rolling boil for one minute kills enough microbes to make the water safe to drink. If you’re going somewhere with an altitude that is more than 2000 m high, you’d need to keep the water boiling for three minutes. Cover the water after boiling to prevent recontamination and allow it to cool and bam! Clean water. Remember, boiling won’t remove any debris.

– Use a filter: Water filters can get rid of debris and depending on the size of the pores on the filter trap, they might be able to get rid of microbes as well. For best results, make sure you follow the instructions on the manual that comes with your filter. Filtered water should always be boiled or chemically treated before use.

– Use water treatment tablets: Treatment tablets are a cheap, safe and effective way to get rid bugs, but some may not work against certain parasites, so it’s important to do your homework before deciding on a particular brand. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s advice on using the tablets. This method can also be used in addition to a filter.

So there it is, five (relatively) simple ways to help you stay in the pink and make the most out of your holiday! What are some of your go-to holiday health hacks? Share them in the comments!

By Tesneem Ayoub | Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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