Affiliates
Contact Us
Century International Hotels
TravelSmart.NET

PHILIPPINES
HONG KONG
CANADA
EUROPE
USA
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
THAILAND


THE WEBSITE
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.
 

Indonesia Thailand USA Europe Canada Hong Kong Philippines