Vacation should be a time to relax, have fun and enjoy yourself. But all too often, travelers find themselves confined to a hotel room, battling a cold, flu or stomach bug. Whether your trip takes you two hours from home or halfway across the world, knowing how and where you're most likely to get sick goes a long way toward ensuring a healthy and enjoyable vacation.
Step 1
Make an appointment with a travel medicine specialist. Do this at least two months before vacation. If you're traveling to a foreign destination, you may need certain immunizations, which this type of health care provider can administer. She can also offer specialized information and tips on how to avoid illness and stay healthy in a given country or city.
Step 2
Pack a small medical kit. Include pain reliever, cold medicine and other over-the-counter drugs you usually stock at home. If you're traveling to a foreign country, it can be difficult and confusing to track down the medications you're used to taking.
Step 3
Drink only bottled water. Do this especially if you're traveling outside the United States or Europe, since water in other countries may contain pathogens that could make you sick. In addition to sealed, bottled water, stick to beverages that have been boiled or carbonated. To steer clear of water-related illnesses, don't drink any beverages with ice, be sure to use bottled water for brushing your teeth and take care not to ingest any water when showering or washing your face.
Step 4
Avoid eating raw or undercooked foods. These could contain the same pathogens that water carries. You'll also need to watch out for foods that have been handled a lot, like those found at a buffet table. Be particularly careful about salads, raw vegetables, undercooked meats and fruits that can't be peeled; it's safe to eat peeled fruits, as long as you're the one doing the peeling and you wash your hands thoroughly beforehand.
Step 5
Wash your hands frequently. Carry antibacterial hand gel for those times when you can't wash. This is particularly important when you're flying, taking a train or bus or using any other type of public transportation, since you're constantly touching the surfaces thousands of other travelers touch.
Tips and Warnings
- If sea sickness strikes on a cruise or boating trip, stay above deck, keep your eyes on the horizon and try to anticipate the motion of the boat so you can move your body along with the waves.
Things You'll Need
- Pain reliever
- Cold medicine
- Bottled water
- Hand sanitizing gel
