Traveling is a great way of expanding your horizons and perhaps the best use of your vacation days. However, we often forget about health precautions when we pack. Younger people often tend to travel carefree and this can lead to some very dangerous situations, not to mention expensive ones, especially when traveling abroad. The truth is that, regardless of our age, we need to take certain steps before embarking on a plane or a ship.
One of the first things you should do is have a doctor on call. Of course, this can be difficult in a foreign country, so you should have some sort of medical support online. To find the best medical advice and treatments when you’re abroad using a platform like yourdoctor.online. They will provide you with medical care when you are away from home.
Check with your doctor is there any vaccines or boosters you need for your location. Doctors keep an updated list of countries in risk and they can cross-reference it with your files to see if you need any extra shots.
Is there any risk regarding food or water where you are going? Some countries don’t have potable tap water and you have to use bottled water. Also, certain cultures can have cuisines that don’t agree with you. This information is critical and you have to do your research unless you want to risk gastroenteritis, hepatitis A, cholera or typhoid.
Incest is next on our list to consider when making travel plans. Mosquitos can carry diseases like malaria, dengue fever, zika virus and yellow fever. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease. Make sure you ask your doctor about the best ways to protect yourself from these risks if you are visiting a country known for such problems.
If possible, it is always a good idea to have a small first aid kit available. When you traveling with children, this is especially important. It doesn’t have to be much, headache medication, antiseptic lotion, cotton wool, Band-Aids, SPF 30+ sunscreen and an appropriate insect repellent will usually do the trick, but having it and not needing it is far better than needing it and not having it. In this case, it is always better to err on the side of caution and pack even the things you may not need.
Chronic patients should make sure they have enough medication for the entire trip. Getting their prescription abroad will often be very hard, if not downright impossible, so it is smart to carry your small pharmacy with you. Explain to your doctor why you need extra medication and they will be happy to write you a prescription.
Finally, once you are backing home, it would be smart to monitor yourself for some symptoms, just in case you have picked up an illness while traveling. Things like fever, diarrhea, vomiting, swollen glands, or skin rashes can be symptoms of some rather serious diseases.
