Top Travel Tips to Stay Healthy

 

Dr. Andrew Devine, from The City Hospital, sees patients regularly who’ve picked up illnesses from travelling, says, “If you’re spending so much money on your dream holiday, you’d be silly not to spend a little bit more to ensure you’ve had all the relevant vaccinations before you go. Nowadays there are great websites that give you accurate information about your destination such as the required vaccinations, the weather and the types of diseases you need to guard against.”

Stay up to date with your vaccinations! Dr. Devine recommends booking an appointment with your family doctor several weeks before you go away to ensure there is plenty of time to have all the vaccinations required.

“Vaccinations are not foolproof but the risks of contracting something serious are reduced ten fold when you are vaccinated. You also need to make sure you have enough medication for your existing medical requirements as well. Packing a first aid kit that contains basic medicines such as painkillers and antihistamines is also a wise idea. Remember when you visit a new place, your body is not conditioned to the local environment and will succumb to illness more easily than someone who lives there; so basic precautions such as avoiding tap water and using insect repellent and mosquito nets are key.”

Hepatitis A, B and C

An inflammation of the liver usually caused by a virus, hepatitis can cause mild symptoms or severe liver damage depending on the type you have. Hepatitis A occurs in places with poor sanitation and is caught by consuming food or water contaminated with the faeces of someone already suffering form the condition. While the flu-like symptoms can be unpleasant, it is rarely serious.

Hepatitis B and C can be found in bodily fluids like blood and saliva and can be passed from one person to another through needles, toothbrushes or any implement that has blood on it. While patients recover from Hepatitis B within a couple of months, Hepatitis C can lead to complications such as liver damage and even liver failure.

Prevention: Vaccinations are available for Hepatitis A and B and are recommended for those travelling to affected areas. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. Dr. Devine says, “I regularly see people with Hepatitis A and it’s something that will floor you for three months, yet it’s easily prevented with a vaccination.”

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Yellow Fever

A potentially fatal viral disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes in tropical regions of Africa and South America. Yellow fever can affect the sufferer in two stages. In the first stage, patients suffer a high temperature, chills, nausea and loss of appetite and see their condition improve within four days. In the second, more toxic stage, symptoms include jaundice, high fever, kidney failure and bleeding. Up t o 50% of people who enter the toxic stage die within two weeks. Those who recover are immune to the disease for the rest of their life.

Prevention: The condition is easily avoidable with a vaccination and a single dose will protect you for ten years. However, the vaccine is not suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women and babies under six months. Some countries demand an International Certificate of Vaccination as a condition of entry. “If you fly back from a country where the condition is endemic and you haven’t got your certificate, you could be held in quarantine for a couple of weeks”, explains Dr. Devine.

Typhoid

A potentially fatal bacterial infection, typhoid can be picked up from food contaminated with bacteria called Salmonella typhi. The disease is usually found in developing countries with poor sanitation and the Indian sub-continent has the highest incidence in the world. Symptoms include sudden fever, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, constipation and diarrhoea. Suffers treated promptly with a dose of antibiotics will recover quickly, but with out treatment, their condition can deteriorate dramatically, leading to internal bleeding, multiple organ failure and death.

Prevention: Vaccination is recommended for travellers visiting high-risk areas. Basic precautions include only drinking bottled water, avoiding raw or uncooked meats, salads, ice cream and ice-cubes.

This is a tropical disease spread by night biting mosquitoes. Malaria kills one million worldwide every year and affected approximately 3,000 people from the UAE who took overseas trips in 2008. It takes one bite to be affected and symptoms can develop between eight days and up to a year later, depending on the type of parasite you are infected with.

Malaria symptoms are similar to flu with high fever, muscle pain, diarrhoea and vomiting, but the deadly Falciparum malaria can develop quickly with complications such as fits, breathing problems, liver failure and eventually coma and death.

Prevention: If the country you are travelling to is a malaria area, speak to your doctor about anti-malaria prophylaxis. “Most of the deadly malaria cases are imported from Africa”, says Dr. Devine. He advises using insect repellent, mosquito nets and wearing loose clothing to avoid being bitten in the first place.

Despite living in the UAE, holidaymakers still make the mistake of spending too much time in the sun while on holiday. This can lead to sunburn which is caused by too much exposure to ultra violet rays in the sunlight. Those with fair skin and young children are particularly at risk.

Sunburned skin is red and painful to touch but severe burn can cause blistering, swelling of the skin and fever. There may also be symptoms of sunstroke such as dizziness, headaches and nausea. The long-term danger of too much sunbathing is premature aging and skin cancer. Remember if a small baby or child has been sun burned or is suffering from blisters or fever, head to a hospital immediately.

There is a whole host of critters that can bite or sting during your travels such as snakes, scorpions, jellyfish or disease-carrying insects. Some insect’s bites cause severe allergic reactions; others cause tropical diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and West Nile virus. If the bit becomes infected, you could end up with cellulites or impetigo.

A bite from an infected animal with rabies is also very serious and requires immediate medical attention. Rabies attacks the central nervous system and is potentially deadly.
 

Stings from marine creatures such as jellyfish, stingrays and stonefish can cause mild symptoms such as itching, pain and fever and more serious problems such as breathing difficulties, an irregular heartbeat and anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.

Caused by a range of bacteria and parasites, traveler’s diarrhea, otherwise known as gastroenteritis, is an infection of the stomach and bowel. This hampers your intestines’ ability to absorb water from the contents of the bowel into the body leading to watery diarrhea and dehydration. The condition is caused by poor hygiene or consuming water or food that has been contaminated with feces. The most common symptoms are repeated episodes of sickness and diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever and patients rarely need medication. However, if the condition continues for longer than two days or the sufferer experiences symptoms of dehydration such as dizziness, muscle cramps, a dry mouth, sunken eyes and a rapid heartbeat, they should visit a doctor.

Prevention: Parts of the world with poor water hygiene include the Indian sub-continent, southern Africa and Central and South America so make sure you avoid drinking tap water or fruit juices and eating shellfish, eggs, salads, uncooked meats, ice cubes, ice cream or sauces.

Dysentery is a much more severe form of diarrhea, where mucus and blood can appear in the stool. Dysentery symptoms usually include stomach cramps and fever, and you should seek immediate medical help if you contract this illness.