Whether for business or pleasure, many Americans will be traveling internationally this year—and your fun and efficiency will go further if you make sure the basics of health and safety are not neglected.
How to Travel Well
To help, Dr. Omur Cinar Elci, Chair of St. George’s University’s Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, shares his top 10 tips on staying healthy when traveling:
1. Check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information on vaccines and health alerts at your destination and visit your doctor, preferably four to six weeks before your trip, to get vaccines and any medicine you may need.
2. Strengthen your immune system before you travel by exercising and taking vitamins.
3. Get seven to nine hours of sleep the night before you fly.
4. Pack healthy snacks for the plane (nuts, veggies and fruits) but make sure to consume them in flight so as not to bring them into another country.
5. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, water, water.
6. Skip alcohol and caffeine.
7. Keep your hands and personal items out of the seat back pocket to avoid germs. Imagine how many people have read that magazine.
8. Wash your hands frequently and carry a travel-size antibacterial sanitizer.
9. Use sunscreen and insect repellent.
10. Once you return home, see a doctor immediately if you are not feeling well or if you notice any abnormal changes in your body. Be sure to let the office know you’ve recently been out of the country. Many times, an illness will take a few days to appear.
Keep these ideas in mind and the next time you travel you’ll be better able to peek at the sights in the peak of health.
