Tag Archives: travel health

Dealing With Driving Pains

Within the next month or so, I plan to be taking a cross-country drive. I’m relocating from east coast U.S.A. to west coast U.S.A. with my two dogs, Moose and Lally, and after considering all the options, we’re going to be doing it by car. In theory, I’ll leave New Jersey on a Monday and be in Oregon by Friday. According to the AAA website, the journey will take me a little over 42 hours. Splitting it up over five days gives me a little more than eight hours of driving time each day. Yikes! Driving is gonna be my … Continue reading →

Travel Health: Safe Food

Contaminated food and drink can be an easy way for infection to slip into a traveler’s body. Among the common infections that can come from contaminated food and drink are dysentery, E. coli, noroviruses, and hepatitis A. Other diseases like cholera, parasites, and typhoid fever are less common, but may still be a danger. How do you keep your food safe? Be selective. Any and all raw food may be a source of contamination. That includes salads, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk, cheeses, shellfish, and raw fish. Even food that has been cooked can be bacterial playgrounds if the food has … Continue reading →

Travel Health: Children

Will you be bringing the whole family outside the country for a vacation, extended stay, or even a business trip? Traveling abroad with children can expose your kids to some unique health risks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, nearly two million children travel abroad each year! What kind of things do you need to be concerned about? Certain travel vaccines that are safe for adults are not recommended for children Certain preventative medications that are safe for adults are not recommended for children Children may not be as careful about what they eat or drink, putting them … Continue reading →

Seeking Health Care Abroad

If you are planning a trip overseas, you may want to check with your health insurance provider first! Some health insurance carriers in the United States may cover emergencies that happen while traveling; most do not cover general medical expenses relating to pre-existing conditions. You should know what your insurance company will and will not cover before you actually need medical attention. Chances are, if you need medical attention outside the country, it will be considered “out of network” by your health insurance company. Will you need authorization for treatment? Will you need a second opinion before obtaining treatment overseas? … Continue reading →

Travel Health: Safe Drinking Water

If your travel plans include a destination where water is not chlorinated or sanitation is not the greatest, you have several alternative methods for making sure your drinking water is safe. Travelers’ diarrhea, the most common traveler’s illness, is often contracted after drinking water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and/or parasites. Drink bottled water, bottled juices, and bottled sodas. Make sure the caps are sealed — if the seal has been broken, the bottle may have been refilled with unsafe water. Boil your water before drinking. Boiling kills most of the water-born causes of travelers’ diarrhea. Make sure the water boils … Continue reading →

The Most Common Travelers’ Illness

If you’ve ever been out of the country, you may have experienced the most common illness affecting travelers: travelers’ diarrhea. As many as ten million international travelers develop travelers’ diarrhea. The illness most often begins during the first week of travel but can strike at any time while traveling, and even after returning home. I was lucky enough to experience travelers’ diarrhea on a family trip to the Caribbean; for at least half of our time on a lovely island, I was curled up in the hotel room. My brother and cousin laughed at me, but once we got home, … Continue reading →

A Traveling Health Kit

When you are going to be away from home, you should prepare a traveling health kit. Your traveling health kit has two purposes: to let you continue to take care of pre-existing medical conditions and to treat minor health problems that may arise while you are away. The contents of your traveling health kit will vary based on where you are going, how long you’ll be away, and your own personal health issues. For example, if you tend to get headaches more frequently than an upset stomach, it will be more important for you to have a painkiller than a … Continue reading →

Stay Healthy At Sea

Is a cruise in your future? You may be concerned about recent news stories about illnesses on board cruise ships. Traveling on cruise ships not only brings you into a new environment, but surrounds you with large numbers of people. Infectious gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and small intestines that can spread quickly and easily in the contained environment of a cruise ship. It can be spread through contaminated food or water, or even personal contact. An infected individual can leave germs on handrails, elevator buttons, and other objects around the ship. So how do you reduce the … Continue reading →