|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HONG
KONG
|
|
|
|
|
|
CANADA
|
|
|
|
EUROPE
|
|
|
|
USA
|
|
|
|
INDONESIA
|
|
|
|
|
SINGAPORE
|
|
|
|
|
|
THAILAND
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Philippines |
|
Health tips for travelers |
|
Source: Inquirer |
Author: Joey G. Alarilla |
Date: 2000-07-08 |
|
|
WHILE some people
might be afraid of flying
or of security conditions
in other countries--particularly in these troubled
times--most of us can't do without some form of
travel. This is particularly the case among
businessmen with globalization making our world an
even smaller, connected place. Also, compared to
just a few decades ago, more people are also
touring foreign shores, attesting not only to the
cosmopolitan nature of today's society but also
the convenience of modern travel.
Whether traveling for business or pleasure,
however, you can make your experience much
more pleasurable and worry-free if you don't forget
your health habits at home. More so if you're
visiting a country for the first time, particularly one
with a climate a lot different from where you live.
The Johns Hopkins online health network at
www.intelihealth.com provides healthy travel tips
straight from the Johns Hopkins International
Travel Clinic.
One thing that people might forget in the
excitement of rushing off to an exotic destination
is the value of always being prepared, as Boy
Scouts know. The site says that you might
consider getting pretravel vaccinations before
going overseas. It's important to think ahead,
because some vaccines must be given up to a
month before you actually go to another place.
While the types of vaccines you might get depends
on the specific area you'll be visiting, some of the
more common types of diseases that travelers
should be wary of are hepatitis, diphtheria, typhoid
fever and cholera.
The site notes that Hepatitis A is the most
common type of this viral infection of the liver to
afflict travelers. You usually get infected by
contaminated water and ice, raw salads and other
uncooked vegetables, raw shellfish, unpeeled
fruits, and ice cream. Thank God the food at the
Newton Plaza hawker's center wasn't only delicious
but apparently hepatitis-free. Either that or I was
too busy wolfing down the food to notice.
In children six years and below, Hepatitis A is
usually mild or without symptoms, while older
children and adults might experience fever, fatigue,
nausea, lack of appetite, dark urine and jaundice,
with symptoms lasting about two months or
sometimes longer.
While vaccines can help you before your trip,
getting there can also be a challenge. Apart from
jet lag--which I have yet to experience-- what
you might call ''un-motion sickness" is also another
problem caused by long flights. The site mentions a
French study published in the February 1999
edition of Chest, which said that airplane flights
longer than four hours can cause blood clots in the
legs. To prevent this, drink plenty of liquids during
the flight and get up and walk up and down the
aisle every so often. Of course, with all that
drinking, you can't avoid but get up all the time to
go to the bathroom.
Speaking of bathrooms, the most common
traveler's disease is also the, uh, messiest. Yup,
we're talking good old diarrhea here, which, while
usually not fatal, can suck out all the joy out of
travel--not to mention using up your Joy bathroom
tissue. Dehydration can also be a problem if your
bout with diarrhea lasts several days or even
weeks.
The usual culprit is bacteria, though viruses and
parasites can also be involved. Like our dear old
mothers keep warning us, make sure you're drinking
clean water and that you wash you're hands
before eating. This, of course, can be a problem
when visiting other countries, which is why I know
a number of people who insist on drinking mineral
water. I mean, hey, many of us use water purifiers
or get water from a distilling station right here in
our own country.
You might also want to check out the site of Dr.
Deborah Mills, author of the book Travelling Well at
www.travellingwell.com.au. Apart from excerpts
from the book, the site offers a list of simple health
tips or golden rules for travelers.
Rule No. 13 is particularly witty: ''Safe eating
means 'Boil it, Cook it, Peel it or Forget it.''' Others
are direct to the point, like Rule No. 14: ''Wash
hands before eating'' and Rule No. 17: ''Don't go
near or touch local animals, and seek rabies
vaccine immediately if bitten.'' Of course, nothing
beats the matter-of-fact Rule No. 15: ''Practice
safe sex--always use a condom.''
Lastly, always remember that some things are
beyond your control and that it's better to be safe
than sorry. The weather is one of these things,
and I can speak from experience because our flight
on a small, chartered plane out of Palawan was
postponed twice last weekend due to bad
weather. While this was a terrible hassle, we knew
that this was for our own safety--as well as of the
pilots and the passengers coming from Manila.
After all, the best healthy travel tip is that you
can't plan for everything, but try to make the best
of any situation--whatever life sends your way.
|
|
|
|