Staying Well On the Road
I never leave on a trip these days without taking my Airborne along especially if I fly through the friendly skies. During the last few years each time I flew I would come home with a cold or just not feel very well. There are those who would chalk it up to jet lag or some other travel phenomenon. Airborne was developed by school teacher Virginia Knight-McDowell when she no longer wanted to fall victim to second grade germs. Some may find that it doesn’t work that well for them, but it does for me. Another thing that always goes with me is a light, non-habit forming sleep aid. Equate is the one I use. I found it at Wal-Mart. Sleeping in a strange bed is always hard and it does seem to help. Of course, anyone needs to read the labels and make sure there is nothing in the formula that might have an adverse reaction. What works for one person is not always right for someone else, and a doctor might need to be consulted.
There are other things a traveler can take along with them like Chamomile tea bags. I also look for smaller sample products when going on a trip. The nice thing about that is that you can leave them behind if you run short of room in the luggage, and it leaves more space to place small gifts for friends and family back home.Traveling is supposed to be fun and trouble free. Getting a cold and a fever really puts a snag into an otherwise pleasurable trip. Sometimes, it can’t be helped—like the time my friends and I took turns getting infected with a nasty form of flu found only in Caracas. Certain countries in South America, Mexico, some areas in Asia and Africa need special attention. Before traveling to these places check with the U.S. State Department for latest updates on health and political conditions. They always have up-to-date advisories.
Some years back I went to Ghana and one advisory warned that buying food in some supermarkets could be risky. They suggested that if food needed to be bought that it be purchased from a street vendor because it was likely to be fresher. But, even then one does need to be cautious.I have always been pretty careful about food consumption when traveling to other countries. It is also a good idea to check and see if the country has its’ own water treatment plants. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from fruits and vegetables that grow along or under the ground. In some places contaminated water is used to irrigate the fields. Something like watermelon or cantaloupe is probably alright because the fruit comes encased in a thick skin. At best, make sure that items like carrots and beets are cooked almost to death.
Once in Bogota I ate beets which looked like they were cooked, and in fact, they were marinated. This was one time I really got sick. It pays to know someone who lives in the area when something like that happens. There is no better source than a local resident who deals with these types of issues all the time. My friend took me back to my room and sprinted down the street to the local market and came back with several large South American papayas. Papaya in those areas can be eaten safely because it has a thick covering. It should, however, be eaten right away. My friend surprised me by bringing all the seeds in a bowl and told me to chew them up. This did actually help along with some supplements another friend gave me. I was lucky. If someone gets a really bad case of food poisoning, especially if it is a child or an older person, they should go to a doctor. Following are some other tips that will most likely help to keep a globetrotter healthy. Other tips may appear throughout this website.
- Wash the hands. Yes, it is simple but effective.
- Drink a lot of water. These days bottled water can be purchased almost anywhere.
- Antiseptic wipes are a good, cheap investment.
- Bed sheets are more likely to be cleaner than blankets in a hotel room. Travel experts suggest that the sheets should closest to your face.
- An N95 mask is carried by some travelers. I never use one myself, but it could come in handy if someone is just recovering from a cold and does not want to pick up other maladies from fellow plane passengers.
Check out these websites for more information.
So travel healthy — practice these travel health tips and really enjoy your trip!
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