Travel health: Tips for staying healthy on holiday

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This was published 9 years ago

Travel health: Tips for staying healthy on holiday

By Michael Gebicki
Updated
Consult a GP prior to your departure so they can advise on medications and vaccinations.

Consult a GP prior to your departure so they can advise on medications and vaccinations.Credit: iStock

Of the 9 million Australians who travelled overseas on a short term break in 2013-14, about half suffered some sort of health-related problem. Many if these were relatively minor, such as sunburn, but on average, one in every 10,000 international travellers requires medical repatriation. If you're a smoker, overweight or under 30, you carry a higher risk. When you travel overseas, you are exposed to a medical textbook full of ailments that you probably will never face at home. Changes in diet and environment and exposure to exotic and unfamiliar microbes can breach your body's defences and lay you low. Getting sick when you're on the road is depressing, and potentially dangerous.

See a Doctor

Consult your GP at least a month before departure. He or she can give you general advice on what precautions you should take for the areas you are visiting, prescribe any necessary medication and advise whether you will need vaccinations. Some countries require proof that you have been immunised before you will be allowed to cross their border. If you have a medical condition or if you take a prescription medication, get a letter from your doctor.

The medical map can change in the blink of an eye. If you're visiting archaeological sites in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia or looking for Siberian tigers in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, your GP might not have all the answers. In that case you need advice from a specialist medical travel service such as The Travel Doctor (traveldoctor.com.au), located in all state capitals plus Canberra and several major regional cities.

Get Insured

Travel insurance is an absolute must. Even a call to the hotel doctor can be an expensive exercise, and the costs can skyrocket for travellers who require emergency hospital treatment in the USA. Most travel insurance policies come with adequate medical cover but if you have a pre-existing medical condition, if you're venturing well off the beaten track or engaging in a high-risk adventure, you may require special medical cover. Even if you're on a cruise ship travelling between two Australian ports, you can only claim cover under Medicare if the ship's medical practitioner is a Medicare-eligible doctor.

Food and Drink

What you put in your mouth can put you on the fast track to ill health. Clean your hands before you eat, either with soap and water or with a hand sanitiser gel. Food that is freshly cooked should cause you no problems as long as it's served on a clean plate. In places where sanitation standards are questionable, eat salads and peeled fruit only if they come from a trusted source. Bottled water is available just about everywhere these days. If not reach for fizzy drinks, and if you can't find any, you're probably lost.

Apps for Healthy Travel

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Travel Health Guide

Developed by Australian travel medical specialist Dr Deborah Mills, this app is a mine of information that covers everything from sunburn to seasickness to chikungunya, with recommended medications and treatments.

Platforms: iOS

travellingwell.com.au

Allergy Food Translator

Create a profile with your allergy by choosing from the list of 86 possible food allergies and the AFT app gives you a translation in either French, German or Spanish that you can show to a waiter.

Platforms: iOS

allergyft.com

Deep Sleep

In a soft and soothing Scottish brogue, Andrew Johnson's Relax and Deep Sleep apps use guided meditation techniques to bring calm and comfort to the jet-lagged and insomniac.

Platforms: iOS, Android

withandrewjohnson.com

Universal Doctor Speaker

When you need a doctor but don't share a common language, Universal Doctor Speaker could help out. Nominate your own language and your doctor's and choose whichever phrases you need to describe your symptoms from 13 languages. Every phrase has an audio function as well as text in the doctor's own language.

Platforms: iOS

universaldoctor.com

Happy Cow

Based on the world's leading vegetarian website, the Happy Cow Veg Travel Guide for Vegan & Vegetarians helps you track down vegetarian restaurants in more than 150 countries.

Platforms: iOS, Android

happycow.net/mobile.html

Medical Kit – the Essentials

  • Hand sanitiser
  • Paracetamol or aspirin
  • Dressing for cuts and abrasions
  • Diarrhoea medication such as Lomotil or Imodium
  • Cold and flu tablets
  • Sunscreen
  • Antiseptic solution such as Betadine
  • Fluid and electrolyte replacement powder or tablets
  • Insect repellent
  • Medical adhesive tape
  • Multivitamins
  • Eye drops

The Extras

  • Medical equipment you use regularly, such as sterile syringes and needles
  • Spare glasses or your eye prescription
  • Condoms or other contraceptives
  • Water purifying tablets
  • Mosquito-proof bed net
  • Thermometer
  • Altitude sickness medication
  • Antibiotics for intestinal infections or for serious respiratory infection
  • Anti-malarial medication

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