Health Tips for Travellers Before You Go In the Sun Insurance In Water On Your Way Four and Six-Legged Beasts Eating On the Road Drinking Adventure Sports Sick Stories   We all know someone who's been ill on holiday. Probably we've heard tales from friends such as the backpacker who got Delhi Belly on the bus to Bangalore, or the lager-lover who turned lobster-red after falling asleep in the sun. However, as fascinating as these stories can be when related weeks later down the pub, they're usually not so funny at the time. Read our helpful hints below on what to do to avoid anything untoward happening to you. Please note that these tips are meant as a general guide to staying healthy on holiday - for comprehensive health advice, visit your GP. Top Before You Go   Make sure you are healthy before you embark on your journey; this should include visiting the dentist. Consult your doctor at least two months before your departure for advice and to arrange immunizations. All immunizations should be recorded on an International Health Certificate. Pack a first-aid kit including basic items such as plasters, bandages, antiseptic cream, painkillers, tweezers, and treatments for diarrhoea and nausea. If you are travelling far off the beaten track, you may also want to take an emergency medical kit containing antibiotics and sterile syringes and needles. If you need prescribed medicines while abroad, check on their availability at your destination and take them with you if necessary. Medicines should be carried in a correctly labelled container or you may have trouble at customs. Top Insurance   Make sure you have adequate travel insurance before you go. You may like to check if your policy will pay doctors and hospitals directly rather than you having to pay on the spot and claim the money back later on. Find out if your policy includes adventure sports, ambulances and an emergency flight home. If you are visiting a country in the European Economic Area and wish to be able to get free treatment there, don't forget to complete a European Health Insurance Card form – that's the new E111. Top On Your Way   Prolonged immobility on long journeys can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Get up and walk around if you can - if you can't then just moving your feet around may help. Drink plenty of fluids, take a low-dose aspirin tablet (75mg) or wear graded compression stockings for additional protection. You may be at an increased risk of DVT if you or your family has a history of blood clotting, if you have had major surgery in the last three months, or ever suffered from heart disease, cancer or a stroke. If you think you may be at risk, ask your doctor for advice. To avoid travel sickness, eat lightly both before and during your trip. It may help to sit near the centre of the plane, boat or bus. Avoid smoking and reading and, if possible, get plenty of fresh air. Minimise the discomfort of jet-lag by taking plenty of rest before you travel, selecting flight schedules that won't disrupt your sleep and organising a stopover on long-haul flights. Adjust your watch to the destination time during the flight and eat and sleep accordingly. Avoiding alcohol, drinking lots of water and walking around a little during the journey can help. If you can, avoid heavy commitments and stress on the first day after you've arrived. Top Eating   If a restaurant or cafe looks clean and busy, the food will probably be safe. The cleanliness of the toilets should give you some idea about the cleanliness of the kitchen. Only eat foods which have been thoroughly cooked and are piping hot. Avoid foods which have been kept warm and uncooked foods, such as salads and raw vegetables. Avoid food that has been kept cool in ice unless you are sure the ice has been made from water that is safe to drink. Avoid food likely to have been exposed to insects. Be wary of seafood, particularly uncooked or steamed shellfish. Only eat ice-cream that has a reputable brand-name. Be wary of buying ice-cream from street vendors in developing countries. Be cautious with locally made cheeses. If you can peel or shell the food yourself, it is more likely to be safe. If you do get diarrhoea, you can treat yourself using Loperamide (eg Imodium) and an oral rehydration solution (or make your own by adding 8 teaspoons of sugar and one teaspoon of salt to a litre of water). However, if you have a fever, blood in the faeces or the diarrhoea does not settle within 72 hours, you should consult a doctor. Top Drinking   If you have any worries about the water available for drinking, washing food or cleaning your teeth, boil it, sterilise it or use bottled water. Only use water from containers that are sealed. Avoid ice unless you are sure it has been made from water which is safe to drink. Don't drink unpasteurised milk unless you have boiled it first. Take care with fruit juice, especially if water could have been added. Top In the Sun   When you first arrive in a hot country, take time to acclimatise to high temperatures - go swimming often and stay in the shade for the first couple of days. Stay out of the sun for the two hours after midday (three hours in the tropics). Avoid exercise and drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids during this time. Wear loose, cotton clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses that provide protection against UV rays. Use sun-cream for the parts of your body that are exposed to the sun and take some after-sun or calamine lotion to soothe your skin if you do get burnt. Reapply sun-cream after you've been swimming, even if the lotion is waterproof - the effectiveness of the protection decreases after you've been in water. Remember to protect your children from the sun and always keep babies out of direct sunlight. Make sure you drink enough water in hot climates, and always take a water bottle with you on long journeys. Excessive sweating can lead to loss of salt and therefore muscle cramping. Prevent this by taking salt tablets or adding extra salt to your meals. If you go snorkelling, wear a T-shirt to prevent the sun burning your back. Skiers, climbers and trekkers are at extra risk from sunburn because the intensity of light increases at high altitudes. You should wear a hat with a neck cover and sunglasses with nose shields and blinker side pieces. Top In Water   Do not go swimming alone and look out for others who are swimming in your vicinity. Children should never be left alone near water, even if the water is shallow, e.g. at a paddling pool. Alcohol and swimming do not mix. If you are going to dive into water, make sure it is deep enough for you to do so. Water in swimming pools, lakes, rivers and the sea may be polluted so try not to swallow any water when swimming. Beware of fast moving currents and tides when swimming in the sea. Be careful with airbeds and inflatable dinghies - if it is windy they can easily be blown a long distance offshore. Top Four and Six-Legged Beasts   Use an insect repellent (preferably one containing DEET) to protect against malaria and tick-borne diseases. Use the repellent on both your skin and your clothes. After nightfall, keep your arms, legs and feet covered and tuck in your shirt or T-shirt. Use a spray to kill any mosquitos in your room before you go to sleep or a plug-in mosquito killer that will last all night. If you use a mosquito net, it should preferably be impregnated with insecticide. Ensure that your net has no holes in it and it is well tucked in. Seek your doctor's advice on taking anti-malarial medication. Bear in mind that you should usually start taking it a week before departure and continue taking it for a month after you've returned home. Be wary of animals - even tame ones; their bites could give you a fatal infection. If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound immediately using soap, detergent or alcohol and seek urgent medical attention, whether you have had a rabies vaccination or not. Top On the Road   Find out about local traffic regulations before you travel. If you hire a car, check it's in good working order and locate all the controls before you drive. Avoid local habits like travelling on the roofs of trains and buses and jumping on and off while they are moving. Always wear a helmet when riding a motorbike or bicycle. When crossing the road, remember the traffic may come from the opposite direction to the one in your home country and that drivers may not observe pedestrian crossings or traffic signals. Top Adventure Sports   If you are going to take part in any adventure sports, find out if there are any medical facilities on hand and check that your medical insurance will cover you in the event of an accident. Divers should find out if they can be easily evacuated to a chamber in the event of a decompression incident. It is recommended that divers leave 24 hours between their last dive and a flight. Skiers and mountaineers should familiarise themselves with the terrain, including avalanche potential, and observe adverse weather warnings.

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