Travel Safety
Essential Planning
The most important thing is to plan your trip well in advance. Make sure that you have the correct travel insurance in place to cover your trip and additional coverage needed for winter sports and extreme sports.
Visit your doctor or health centre to find out which immunizations you will require for your trip.
Carry a first aid kit with you and make sure that you immediately clean any cuts or wounds.
Purchase guide books, or visit your library and search online to research about your intended destinations for potential health problems associated with that area.
Check that your Tetanus cover is up to date - the usual recommendation is for a booster every ten years.
There is no excuse to be unprepared as all the information is out there for you but in the excitement of planning your trip you may forget some of the less fun things. The UK Department of Health website at www.doh.gov.uk is a good site to research health issues.
As in travel to almost any new country, be prepared for the usual bout of diarrhea and remember to keep up your fluid intake to compensate for loss of fluids. It goes without saying that in undeveloped countries the risks can be greater, so avoid eating any foods your common sense tells you to avoid and try to stick to bottled water and fruits and vegetables that you can peel. Remember too, that if the water is considered unsafe, the chances are the ice cubes in your drink are made from that same water and are also unsafe!
In general, in certain parts of the world, avoid paddling or swimming in fresh water pools to avoid the risk of catching nasty parasites. Again, do your research on these issues before you go so that you are aware of potential hazards.
In countries such as Western Europe, the U.S. Japan, Australia and New Zealand the health risks are not too bad. However, if traveling to undeveloped countries such as Africa, South/Central America, Asia, Pacific Islands, the Caribbean or the Far or Middle East the standards of hygiene can be uncertain, so you should research and arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before setting off.
Be aware that in certain areas you can contract nasties such as Hepatitis A through contaminated water or food. Malaria is also a problem in some countries, courtesy of the mosquito, so precautions need to be taken. If you need anti-malarial drugs check out lower prices on www.pharmacy2u.co.uk.
If you are out in the countryside, trekking or camping be especially cautious of tick bites which can cause Lyme Disease. Not all ticks carry the disease, and you don’t always catch the disease from a tick bite. However, the ticks that carry the disease are most commonly found in parts of the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. If you are out hiking, tuck your trousers into your socks, and wear insect repellant spray. If possible wear light colour clothing so that you can see the ticks if they crawl onto you. Again, if you think this might be a problem, do your research before you go so that you know what to do and look for in the event of a tick bite.
