Summer is just around the corner and many of us start planning our summer vacation trips.
There is no doubt that preparing for traveling abroad
is an exciting time, whether you are going on an annual vacation or backpacking on a round-the-world trip.
Trips expose you to different cultures, provide you with a sense of adventure and allow you to enjoy fun new experiences.
Good health abroad is essential in order to make the most out of your holiday.
An upset stomach or other common bug will have a major impact on you while abroad and can lead to you missing out on once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
A serious infection or tropical disease can turn your dream trip into a nightmare.
There are many things you can do while you are still at home to help make your trip a happy and healthy one.
Tip #1. Vaccinations and Immunizations
Before traveling abroad, make sure you are immunised against diseases which are prevalent in the country you are visiting.
These include diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and rabies.
Vaccinations can give you peace of mind on vacation and in some cases are requirements for entering the country.
For example, many countries require a yellow-fever certificate.
Some vaccinations will only work if you have had your injections many weeks beforehand, so your body has enough time to develop protection against the disease.
You should ideally be looking to have your jabs about two months before traveling abroad.
If you are traveling with children, they should receive their immunisations up to three months before traveling.
Start by making an appointment with your doctor, who will then be able to review your medical history and let you know whether your routine vaccinations are up to date and whether you need additional ones for your vacation destination.
If you are traveling to a country where there is a malaria risk, anti-malarial tablets are a must.
You should request these tablets from your doctor and ensure that you begin taking them before you go away.
The tablets provided will depend on the country you are traveling to.
Tip #2. Precautions to Avoid Insect Bites
These include staying indoors during the time when bites are most likely (dusk until dawn), using insect repellent with DEET and using a mosquito net.
Tip # 3. Travel Insurance
You should also ensure you have adequate travel insurance before traveling abroad.
There are few things worse than being ill abroad, but being unable to access medical care due to the costs.
If you plan to participate in any activities, make sure they are covered by your travel insurance, particularly if you enjoy adventure sports.
Specific holidays such as climbing, ski or walking holidays often require you to have this insurance in place.
Some may offer to help you to arrange it.
Tip # 4. European Health Insurance Card
If you are traveling within Europe, you should also make sure you have your European Health Insurance Card.
This card will give you free or heavily discounted medical treatment throughout the continent.
It does not, however, cover circumstances such as trip cancellation, baggage insurance and flight accidents, so make sure you buy additional travel insurance.
Tip #5. First Aid Kit
It is also a good idea to prepare a basic first aid kit before traveling abroad.
This should contain medication for common travel illnesses such as diarrhoea.
If you are on an active trip, for example walking or hiking trip, you may need further first-aid supplies.
Many travellers leave health-related issues until the last minute and this can lead to unnecessary stress and possible illness.
Give yourself the best chance of a holiday of a lifetime by protecting yourself early on.
How do you protect yourself while traveling abroad?
Do you have any health tips that you would like to share with us?
// ]]>
_____________________________________________
Pin It If you like this article and find it useful, please feel free to share it on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ using floating social buttons bar on the left or simply leave a comment – we would like to hear from you!
More Articles on Traveling:
Image Source: Kokorowashinjin’s Photostream
_____________________________________________
We hope to see you again. Check back later for the new updates to our Adventure Travel Blog. There is so much more to come!
The post 5 Things to Keep In Mind before Traveling Abroad appeared first on Happy-Healthy-Successful.
