Hazards While Traveling
Immunizations and other personal health issues - When traveling in foreign countries, you will be exposed to all sorts of health hazards you normally don't encounter at home. read more
How to Cope With Homesickness While Traveling
Most people experience some degree of homesickness while traveling, even when they're away for brief periods of time. Homesickness does not have to ruin your trip; it can instead offer you an opportunity for growth and an enriched travel experience. read more
How to
Sleep Comfortably in an Unfamiliar Place
Life on the road is challenging enough, even with a good night's sleep.
Here are some ways to make sure you sleep soundly, no matter where you
are.
read more
How to
Obtain Medical Advice While Traveling
The sudden onset of illness or injury can be frightening when traveling,
especially if you are in a country where you don't speak the language. A
few pretrip preparations and some resourcefulness on the road will help
you obtain the best treatment possible.
read more
How to Avoid Traveler's Diarrhea
When visiting areas with poor sanitation, avoid traveler's diarrhea by taking extra precautions with water and food. read more
Europe Travel: Women's Health on the Road
By Rick
Steves
More and more women are traveling to Europe, either solo or in groups.
They're a grand group of adventurers, making their own discoveries, and
enjoying the freedom to explore what they like. Here are some tips to
help women stay healthy when they're on the road. Thanks to the women in
my office who offered the following advice.
read more
Europe Travel: Traveler's First-Aid Kit
by Rick
Steves
You can buy anything you need in Europe, but it's handy to bring along:
Band-Aids, soap or alcohol preps (antiseptic Handiwipes), moleskin.
read more
Useful Travel Tips
Always take out Travel Insurance well in advance of travelling. The policy will cover you for any medical expenses that you incur should you be involved in an accident or become ill and require hospitalisation. Sometimes medical costs can be astronomic and without sufficient insurance cover you could end up in serious trouble. read more
Travel Health Recommendations
If you are travelling internationally you should be aware that conditions in other countries, both natural and man-made, may be significantly different from those in Canada and may seriously affect health and personal security during travel. Standards of hygiene may be different. Food and water may be contaminated. The climate or environmental conditions may favour disease organisms which do not occur in Canada. read more
Health Advice for Travellers
Every year, residents of the United Kingdom go on more than 56 million overseas journeys. Travel across the world is now so common that it is easy to forget the health risks which can be involved and the fact that very few countries offer such easy access to medical facilities as Britain. This area of the website contains advice for travellers about planning ahead, staying healthy and getting treatment elsewhere in the world. Also in this area is information about the E111, UK citizens’ passport to free or reduced-cost emergency care in most other European countries. read more
Travel vaccinations and medications - Q & A
This article lists a range of questions on travel vaccinations and medications which were posted by visitors to the Better Health Channel. Our experts provide the answers. read more
Gastroenteritis - amoebiasis
Gastroenteritis (gastro) can be problem for travellers to countries with poor sanitation. Amoebiasis, a type of gastro, is a cause of diarrhoea among travellers to developing countries. It is caused by a parasite known as Entamoeba histolytica that infects the bowel. Amoebiasis most commonly affects young to middle-aged adults. read more
Travel health tips
People who travel overseas have a 50 per cent chance of suffering a travel-related illness. While most travel-related illness is minor, some very serious infectious diseases are endemic in some parts of the world. All travellers should be prepared for travel and be aware of health issues and measures to protect themselves from sickness. read more
Routine Vaccinations Before Travel Important to Avoid Mumps and Similar Diseases
Each traveler should be fully up to date with routine childhood vaccinations before travel because diseases covered by these vaccines that are now rare or nonexistent in the United States are still common in other areas of the world. The risk for exposure to mumps outside the United States can be high. Because only 38% of countries use vaccine, mumps remains a common disease in many parts of the world. read more
The
Post-Travel Period
Some diseases might not manifest themselves immediately. If travelers
become ill after they return home, even many months after travel, they
should be advised to tell their physician where they have traveled.
Fever in a traveler returned from a malarious area should be considered
to be a medical emergency; malaria should be evaluated by appropriate
laboratory tests. Most travelers infected abroad become ill within 12
weeks after returning to the United States. However, some diseases such
as malaria might not cause symptoms for as long as 6–12 months after
exposure. Since most primary-care physicians have little expertise in
tropical diseases, a newly returned, ill international traveler should
be evaluated by an infectious disease or tropical medicine practitioner.
read more
Illness Abroad
Preparation: Before going abroad, travelers should be advised to learn what medical services their health insurance will cover overseas, as well as any policy exclusions. For example, the Social Security Medicare program does not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs outside the United States. If the health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States, travelers should be advised to obtain copies of their bills and receipts (preferably in English) and carry both the insurance policy identity card (as proof of insurance) and a claim form. read more
Travelers' Diarrhea
Travelers' diarrhea (TD) is the most common illness affecting travelers.
Each year between 20%-50% of international travelers, an estimated 10
million persons, develop diarrhea. The onset of TD usually occurs within
the first week of travel but may occur at any time while traveling, and
even after returning home. The most important determinant of risk is the
traveler's destination. High-risk destinations are the developing
countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Persons
at particular high-risk include young adults, immunosuppressed persons,
persons with inflammatory-bowel disease or diabetes, and persons taking
H-2 blockers or antacids. Attack rates are similar for men and women.
The primary source of infection is ingestion of fecally contaminated
food or water.
read more
Risks from Food and Drink
Contaminated food and drink are common sources for the introduction of infection into the body. Among the more common infections that travelers can acquire from contaminated food and drink are Escherichia coli infections, shigellosis or bacillary dysentery, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, Norwalk-like viruses, and hepatitis A. Other less common infectious disease risks for travelers include typhoid fever and other salmonelloses, cholera, rotavirus infections, and a variety of protozoan and helminthic parasites (other than those that cause giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis). Many of the infectious diseases transmitted in food and water can also be acquired directly through the fecal-oral route. read more
10 Tips
for Healthy Traveling
5 Do.. and 5 Don't..
Do
-Alwasy wash hands with soap and water before eating.
-Eat only thoroughly cooked food
-Drink only bottled or boiled water and avoid tap water, fountain
drinks.
-Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and hats to protect yourself from
mosquito bites.
-Bring medicine with you.
Don't
-Eat food purchased from street vendors.
-Drink beverages with ice.
-Eat dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized.
-Handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats), to avoid bites and
serious diseases.
-Swim in fresh water. Salt water is usually safer.
Health Information for Travelers to Central Africa
Food and waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness in travelers. Travelers’ diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which are found throughout Central Africa and can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites), fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). Make sure your food and drinking water are safe. read more
Tips prevent unwanted travel companion
By
Abbie Heller, Herbert L. DuPont, MD
Hot, sticky weather. No holiday in sight. It’s time for a vacation.
Travel destinations in the United States are always popular, but many
people opt for more exotic locations. They leave the country.
read more
International Travel: Tips for Staying Healthy
Here
are some tips to help you stay healthy when you travel to other
countries:
Before you go. Plan ahead. See your doctor at least 6 weeks before you
leave. Some vaccines don't reach the highest protection until about 6
weeks after you get the shots.
Have medical and dental check-ups before your trip, to be aware of
problems and to find out about medicines you might want to take along.
read
more