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Travel health tips
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BEFORE LEAVING
- Bring nonprescription medications that you might need with you.
- Take insurance ID cards.
- Take a medical first aid kit.
- Take sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses.
- Check with your health care provider before leaving if you are taking medications. Carry any medications with you -- not in your luggage.
- Take the name and phone numbers of your pharmacist and health care provider.
- When traveling to another country, research the accessibility and quality of health care there.
- If you are leaving your children, leave a consent-to-treat form with whomever is caring for your children.
- If you are planning to travel a long distance (East or West), jet lag can be minimized by scheduling your arrival at your destination at roughly your usual bedtime, according to the clocks in the time zone to which you are flying.
- If you have an important event at your long-distance destination, plan on arriving 2 or 3 days in advance, if possible, so that you will be fresh for your appointment.
- Take immunization records, along with any other important medical records--especially when traveling to another country.
- When traveling to an underdeveloped country, make sure that everyone in your traveling party is adequately immunized against any infectious disease you might encounter. Some countries require certificates of vaccination against diseases such as cholera and yellow fever. Check with your health care provider and see the section on immunizations.
ON THE ROAD
- Upon arrival, check the local emergency number. Not all communities use 911.
- When traveling with children, make sure that they know the name and telephone number of your hotel in case they get lost. Give them enough money to make a phone call and make sure they know how to use the phones if you are in a foreign country.
- When traveling to other countries, don't drink the water if you want to avoid the risk of diarrhea. Remember the ice may also be contaminated if there is concern with the water. Bottled water may be safe, as long as it is factory bottled. Traveler's diarrhea can also result from drinking beverages that contain ice. Bottled carbonated sodas, beer, and wine (without ice) are safe.
- Cooked foods are usually safe, but raw foods and salads (lettuce, raw vegetables, fruit with peel, unpasteurized milk, milk products, undercooked seafood or meat) can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Eat in restaurants that have a reputation for safe cooking.
- If you come down with diarrhea, drink plenty of bottled liquids. Broths and carbonated beverages are good for maintaining your strength.
- When traveling long distances, expect your body to adjust to a new time zone at the rate of about 1 hour per day.
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A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
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The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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