A trip overseas may mark time for you to have fun or relax, but illness can throw your plans pit the window at any time.
Don’t risk being holed up in your hotel room!
These tips will safeguard your health.
Before you go
• Check any health warnings for the country you’re visiting, and also any places where you’ll be stopping over. The Ministry of Health has updates about health alerts on its website health.govt.nz.
• Get any vaccinations needed as well as malaria tablets if this is an issue where you’re going.
• If you’re on medication, make sure you have enough to cover your stay, plus a few days more in case you get stranded.
• Assemble a first aid/medical kit. Include painkillers, antiseptic cream, plasters, bandages, sunscreen, insect repellent, hand sanitiser and anti-diarrhoea medication.
• Check your health insurance thoroughly to ensure you know what you’re covered for. If you’re worried it’s not enough, talk to your insurance company about upgrading your policy.
• Jot down details like your blood type, medications and a brief medical history. Leave them at hand on your phone or on paper in your bag in case of emergency.
When you arrive
• Try to adjust to the new
timezone as quickly as possible. Even if you are feeling jetlagged, do your best to stay up until it gets to the time you’d normally go to bed. If you really need a nap to keep going, set an alarm to wake you within two hours or you’ll find it very hard to wake up and your body clock will end up out of whack.
• Find out how far it is to the local doctor or medical centre and figure out the easiest way to get there in case of an emergency.
• Eat smart. In some countries, you need to be wary of any foods that aren’t cooked, such as fruit and salads, which can harbour bacteria that will make you very sick. If this is a risk in the country you are visiting, make sure you only eat foods that have been heated to a high temperature.
• Only drink boiled or bottled water, and make sure to use it to clean your teeth.
• If you’re in a hot country, use plenty of sunscreen. Remember to reapply frequently, and be aware that UV rays can penetrate cloud cover and you can still get sunburned.
• Stay out of the sun between noon and 3pm, which is the hottest part of the day – if you’re not used to it, you can develop heat stroke. Drink plenty of water.
• If mosquito-born diseases are an issue in the country you’re visiting, be vigilant about using insect repellent and covering up with long-sleeved tops and trousers.
• If you are going somewhere cold, wear layers of clothing rather than just one big jacket – heat gets trapped between the layers.
• If you’re going somewhere that is high altitude (ie 8000ft above sea level), if possible, try to get there over the course of a couple of days, giving your body time to get used to the low oxygen levels. If it is not possible to take your time getting there, ask your doctor about altitude sickness medication. Once you arrive, don’t drink alcohol or do any arduous exercise for the first 48 hours.
When you get home
• If you start feeling unwell shortly after returning from a trip, make sure you tell your doctor you have been away. You may have picked up something that takes anything from a few days to a couple of weeks for symptoms to show up. If you develop a fever, it is particularly important to seek medical help.
