How Not to Get Sick on Your Summer Trip

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Planning for a summer vacation is time-consuming business—coordinating schedules, researching destinations, booking reservations, packing clothes. The last thing we want is to get sick while away from home, especially with illnesses that confine us to our room and render us unable to enjoy the vacation.

Physicians at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center International Health Care Service have prepared information necessary to minimize the change that your vacation will be disrupted by illness.

If your trip will involve a long airplane trip, the following steps should be taken to avoid health problems:

* Stand up and walk and/or stretch for several minutes every hour or so.

* Avoid drinking excessive alcohol or overeating during the flight.

* A light diet and good initial night’s sleep at your destination helps minimize jet lag.

“Don’t drink the water” is a common warning for vacationers, and it holds true in several instances. Try to pay attention to the following rules about food and drink to avoid common ailments such as diarrhea:

* Avoid drinking tap water by the glass or in mixed drinks, and refrain from using ice that has been made with tap water.

* Avoid brushing teeth with tap water.

* Hot beverages are relatively safe even if full boiling is not assured.

* Drink carbonated water, bottled or canned beverages as opposed to tap water.

* Avoid raw vegetables including salads and fruits that do not have a thick, disposable outside covering.

* Avoid rare or raw meat or fish. Eat meat and fish that is thoroughly cooked.

* Avoid dairy products from small, independent vendors, or any dairy products that seem to have been left out in the sun.

In case you are unfortunate enough to come down with a bout of diarrhea, don’t panic since most episodes are self-limited. To ease the symptoms, take an over-the-counter medication such as Pepto Bismol or Imodium, which you can buy in tablet form and pack for the trip. However, you must seek medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms: bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, high fever or dehydration. If you are going to be more than 48 hours away from any medical care, ask your physician to prescribe medications to take with you in case of severe diarrhea.

Even when avoiding tap water, be sure to stay hydrated, since re-circulated airplane air often causes dehydration. To treat dehydration, drink fruit juice (canned or boiled) or bottled water. Make sure the bottle’s seal is in tact before taking a sip.

Travelers tend to overlook that even healthy, athletic people can become ill at altitudes over 10,000 feet. To avoid headaches and shortness of breath, rest during your first 12 to 24 hours at a high altitude to adjust to the oxygen content in the air. If you suffer from chronic heart and lung disorders, consulting your physician before traveling to altitudes over 3,000 feet.

Source: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

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