Health Tips

An adventure vacation can be disrupted for a number of reasons related to health, climate, food, living conditions, stress, allergies and an unfamiliar diet, water, drink and hygiene.

When I was in traveling in Indonesia someone I met gave me a great bit of advice: Don’t drink the water. Don’t put ice in your drink. Order hot water or a hot black tea and always put a spoon or fork into hot water/tea, before you use it.

She have been ill there a few too many times. She was talking about a particular place where the water was not treated and was fed from an area that was open and not protected. In many remote areas water is fed from deep wells and is very good for drinking, but if in doubt be safe.

In many places you may not be able to avoid tummy upsets and the runs. But if you take precautions and remember that eating food off the street, while tasty, is not always healthy. Street food is often not up to international standards and in many places it is not monitored or controlled by any heath authority. Even though local eat it and never suffer, you may be may not get away with tempting a bug or two. Locals build immunities where you will have none.

Here are some precautions.

1. Check with your doctor for shots you may need when visiting a far away place. Go well in advance of your trip as you may need some time for the shots to take effect.

2. Always wash your hands. Take along a use hand sanitizer and use it often. Germs lie on door handles rails and on any flat surface.

3. Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth. When you blow your nose, cough or sneeze wash your hands immediately. Do not to cough or sneeze into your hands as you will then pass that along to others and to yourself. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw it away immediately. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your sleeve or elbow and sanitize immediately.

4. Take along vitamins. When I travel I take lots of vitamin c and does myself with Oil of Oregano. This has made a big difference. I also find a vicks inhaler helps ward off germs that may be on the airplane. Vitamin ‘C’ helps strengthen your immune system.

5. If you are in contact with people who are ill, wash your hands if you had any physical contact.

6. Eat well, eat lots of fruit and veg that are straight from a tree. Wash them if you buy them in a market.

Travel Destinations; Heath Warnings and Alerts

Health alerts and warnings for adventure travel destinations