Safety Tips for Travelling

You are on a vacation and all you need to pack along with you is loads of fun, picnic mood, spirited energy, a travel plan and what else? Surely some information on how you are going to ensure a healthy self throughout your travel. Here are some of the tip you may follow for the same:

• Visit a travel medicine clinic near you. It is highly suggested to see a health-care provider who focuses in Travel Medicine. You should share with doctor your travel plans that you are presently seeing for various other medical reasons in case of former medical condition.
• For the utmost assistance of suitable vaccines to take effect, do keep in mind to see a health-care provider, roughly around 4-6 weeks prior to your trip.
• Take utmost precautions to guard yourself against various illnesses and injuries while travelling. Consult your health-care provider to help you with vaccines and other needful medications.
• During a single trip if your travel plans take you to various country i.e. more than one country, you should make it a point to inform your health-care provider. 

NOTE: Those who plan to study abroad or work and are long-term travelers and are looking forward to study abroad or work might need additional vaccinations as advised by their employer or educational institute.

Here are some of the tips on being healthy throughout your travel:

Averting Insect Bites:

Tick and sandfly bites are the main causes for the spread of diseases like:

• Leishmaniasis
• Tickborne encephalitis (TBE)  

Here are some of the ways in which you can prevent such bites:

• One should always use insect repellent with 30%-50% DEET. Picaridin, available in 7% and 15% concentrations and should be applied on regular basis.
• Proper clothing is an essential.
• You should keep in mind to wear boots not sandals
• Tucking pants into socks is a must.
• You should wear long-sleeved shirts which should be tucked in.
• Long pants and hats should be used to cover exposed skin.

Averting Animal Bites and Scratches:

Diseases like rabies can be caused by straight and direct contact with animals. It can also lead to serious injury or illness, thus it becomes important for you to take due precautionary measures to prevent animal bites and scratches. Such as:

• Tetanus vaccination: a must to be ensured of.
• Do not approach a strange animal. Even healthy looking pets can also have rabies or other diseases, so always be alert.
• Small children should stay safe from them and should be supervised carefully around all animals.
• Water and soap should be used, in case of wound caused by an animal bite or scratch. Do consult a doctor right away in such case.
• If at all you were bitten or scratched while travelling, do make it a point to inform your doctor or state health department after your arrival. 

Healthy food and clean water is a must:

Diseases caused while travelling and eating are the leading cause of illness in travelers. Here are some of the precautionary measures you should take to ensure safe consumption of food and water:

• You should stay away from unpasteurized dairy products.
• Before consuming any meal, make sure to wash your hands with soap and water. In case you want to substitute soap and water you can use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).
• Vomiting and diarrhea are the diseases one often gets from the consumption of contaminated food and water.

Averting Injuries:

Foremost cause of injury among travelers is car crashes. Shield yourself from such injuries by following few very easy steps, such as:

• Drinking and driving should be simply avoided.
• You should particularly check on wearing your seat belt.
• Use car seats or booster seats in the backseat for children.
• Abiding to local traffic rules is an essential.
• Do ensure to wear helmets while you are riding bikes, motorcycles and motor bikes.
• Hire a local driver, whenever in need.
• Avoid night driving; preferably schedule your outings in the day time.

 

Health Tips and more:

•  Infections such as HIV and viral hepatitis can be easily avoided by not sharing common needles for infections, tattoos and body piercing.
•  It is always advisable to use latex condoms to further reduce the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.

Fixing the Disease:

• After returning back home if you are not feeling well, you should see your doctor specifically mentioning that you have recently traveled.
• Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease and can often turn into a deadly illness. Continue taking your antimalarial drug for 4 weeks (doxycycline or mefloquine) or seven days (atovaquone/proguanil), if you have visited a malaria-risk area.
• Also do update your doctor if you were bitten or scratched by an animal or have suffered from any kind of disease while traveling.

Consulting your physician becomes a must; in case of any disease you suffered during your travel as he will guide you in seeking immediate and appropriate medical attention.

 

Items to carry along with you:

 

Medicines you might need:

 

Here are some of the tips on the medicines you may need to carry along with you:

 

The prescription of your daily intake of medicines. Throughout your trip you should have enough amount of stalk to last. It is advisable to carry them always in your carry-on luggage and storing them in original prescription bottles. If the medicines are liquids, be sure to follow security guidelines.

Medicine for diarrhea, usually over-the-counter.

 

Other items you may need:

• If bottled water is not available, iodine tablets and portable water filters to disinfect water.
• Sunglasses and Sun block are a must for protection from unsafe effects of UV sun rays.
• Always make it a point to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol and antibacterial hand wipes.

Tips on avoiding insect and mosquito bites:

• Also carry with you a hat to wear outside, whenever possible. Long pants and lightweight long-sleeved shirts should be preferred.
• Flying-insect spray helps in quickly killing flying insects and mosquitoes as it contains pyrethroid insecticide.