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TRAVEL HEALTH

Everyday Health tips for travelling abroad

EVERYDAY HEALTH

There are some travel-related illnesses that cannot be prevented through vaccinations or tablets. Here are some simple, every day, tips to reduce the risk and help you return home feeling refreshed and healthy. After all, isn't that what holidays are all about?

 

 

 

Food and drink

Contaminated food or drink is the cause of the most common travel illness you're likely to experience: Traveller's diarrhoea. Although it's not life threatening, it makes you feel terrible and you can be in bed for several days. When a holiday has cost you a lot of money, it's a high price to pay. You can also get diseases like cholera, typhoid and hepatitis A from contaminated food and water.

To reduce the risk, the Department of Health recommends the following precautions:

  • Always wash your hands after going to the toilet and before handling food or eating.
  • If you're not sure whether the water is safe, sterilise it by boiling it or using purification tablets, or use bottled water (preferably fizzy) instead. Always use clean water for washing food and cleaning your teeth as well as drinking.
  • Avoid ice unless you're sure it's made from treated, chlorinated water. This includes ice used to keep food cool as well as ice in drinks.
  • Make sure food has been freshly and thoroughly cooked and is still piping hot - avoid food that has been kept warm.
  • Avoid uncooked food, unless you can peel it yourself.
  • Avoid food that is likely to have been exposed to flies.
  • Avoid ice cream from unreliable sources, such as kiosks or street traders.
  • Avoid - or boil - unpasteurised milk.
  • Fish and shellfish can be suspect in some countries. Uncooked shellfish, such as oysters can be especially risky.

Sun Smarts

Suffering through a holiday with painful sunburn is not the only reason to play it safe when it comes to the sun. Too much sun can age your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer. Remember, the sun is extremely strong in many holiday destinations - don't underestimate its power. Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses with proper UV filters and follow the SunSmart code, as recommended by Cancer Research UK:

Stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm.
Make sure you never burn.
Always cover up.
Remember to take extra care with children.
Then use factor 15+ sunscreen.

Other tips:

  • Babies should never be exposed to direct sunlight.
  • Protect yourself from heatstroke and sunstroke: Don't do anything too energetic during the hottest part of the day, usually between 11am and 3pm, and make sure you keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of non-alcoholic liquids.
  • People who are most at risk include those with fair skin, lots of moles or freckles, or those with a family history of skin cancer.

Insect and animal bites:

Many infectious diseases are spread through insect bites. Protect yourself by wearing insect repellent with up to 50% DEET and keeping your legs and arms covered if there's a chance of being bitten. Follow the precautions on avoiding malaria listed on this website and remember, you can catch tick-borne diseases in cooler countries, not just in the tropics.

Animal bites can also lead to serious - even fatal - infections. Rabies, for example, is present in many parts of the world. Once the first symptoms of rabies appear, death is almost 100% certain.

There are three rules when it comes to rabies:

  1. Don't touch ANY animal - even dogs or cats and even if they seem tame
  2. If you're licked on broken skin, scratched or bitten by an animal in a country which has rabies, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water for at least five minutes. If possible, apply an antiseptic solution.
  3. Seek immediate medical attention - even if you've previously had a rabies vaccine.

Visit the Department of Health website for more information on rabies

Existing medical conditions

Take a written record of any medical conditions you have, such as angina pectoris, diabetes and haemophilia. You should also bring the proper names - not just the trade names - of any medication you are taking. Keep the record with you.



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VCG/WEB/08/34723/1 April 2008