How not to get sick on vacation: 5 simple but effective tips
Text: Karina Sembe
For many, summer marks a well-deserved vacation, and some of us have long combined travel and work. Last week, we advised how to dress comfortably and beautifully, what accessories and cosmetics to take with you so that the flight turned out to be comfortable, and now we tell you how to stay in good health upon arrival at your destination. Precautionary measures in extreme travel require separate debriefing, but for now we are looking for simple ways to survive a vacation or business trip without loss to the body.
Take care of first aid kit
Firstly, even before a short trip, a medical examination of all the "weak points" will not interfere. Secondly, it is important to remember that an insurance policy covering medical expenses for outpatient and inpatient treatment, compensation for buying prescription drugs or replacing a return ticket in case of illness usually does not apply to chronic diseases, so for habitual disruptions of the body answer you and only you.
Going to the Himalayas with tents or hiking along the Amazon, any sensible traveler will provide a full first-aid kit. If you are going to the country of the first world, there is less cause for concern: contrary to the myth of the European prescription hell, basic tools like nasal spray or antipyretic, as well as many more serious drugs - from antihistamines to those used in gynecology - are sold in pharmacies without a prescription to all who need it.
However, you never know in advance what is included in this list in a single country and whether it will be possible to get to the pharmacy in time, so it is better to be safe. In addition to the preparations intended for your “chronicle”, take with you antipyretic and anesthetics, antispasmodics, nasal spray and eye drops - all this can be useful in case of problem acclimatization.
Maintain hygiene
This truth known from childhood sometimes loses its authority in our eyes, but in vain. “If a large number of people touched things, this is a potential problem,” Dr. Vincent Racaniello, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, writes in his blog about viruses. Experts strongly advise you to wash your hands thoroughly with soap or use a hand antiseptic whenever possible. And, however banal it may sound, stay away from people who are coughing and sneezing: it is believed that the distance that the influenza virus can travel by airborne droplets is about 6 feet (about 2 meters).
Contact with items in public toilets - from dispensers to door handles - is best mediated with a paper napkin. If the toilet is not automatically equipped with a replaceable cover in the form of a hygienic film, do not rely on paper rims and, if possible, do not touch this object at all. With regard to hygiene during menstruation, in the case of a trip to a conditionally developed country, it is not necessary to purchase in advance: in Spain, South Korea and Argentina, the choice of gaskets is as good as ours. In addition, there will be an opportunity to test bio-tampons that do not threaten toxic shock syndrome and various menstrual cups.
Eat moderately
Restraint in the diet will facilitate the adaptation of the body in hot and mountainous climates. In the heat, it is better to arrange the main meals in the morning and in the evening, and in the daytime it is especially important not to bother the body and drink enough liquid. In conditions of high mountains digestive disorders are also possible, therefore it is worth eating small portions and avoiding fatty foods.
In local shops and farmers' stores, stock up on healthy snacks: nuts, fruits, bread. In the context of a variety of local product choices, this is a separate consumer joy. Anyway, when traveling you have to eat in restaurants more often than usual. We have already told how to do it wisely and from what to choose in different national cuisines so that it is tasty and healthy. And if it is difficult to resist local delicacies like gelato in Italy or tacos in Mexico City, then during hotel breakfasts and forced snacks in mediocre cafes it makes sense to remain vigilant and follow the principle "the simpler the better."
In conditions of dubious hygiene, we advise you to do without dener and curry and give preference to couscous or oatmeal, with your own hand poured boiling water - health is more important than gluttony. By the way, if you and your doctor are convinced that probiotics help you, there is no reason to cancel the appointment: the effectiveness of probiotics is considered doubtful, but there is evidence that, say, taking Lactobacillus GG can reduce the risk of diarrhea among travelers.
Take a fresh look at sports
Fitness tourism is an unconditional global trend: wellness trips, sports camps and yoga retreats are finding more and more fans around the world. And if a holiday on a kayak or at a Buddhist monastery is not the limit of your dreams, then a couple of trial activities in a “traditional” sport in the host country is a great opportunity to get to know its culture from a new perspective. Anywhere you can find something interesting: in Portugal or on Maui - surfing, in Switzerland or Chile - hiking and snowboarding, and in almost any country in Western Europe - cycling tours.
So that you still do not have to use an insurance policy, approach extreme sports only under the guidance of a coach, and if you have any reason to doubt your own physical fitness, it is better to restrain your horses. Non-traumatic, but effective way to stay mobile - long distance walking. Moreover, you will quickly get used to the terrain: a map of the city will finally form in your head, you will soon get used to the new climate and, perhaps, you will better understand the local language. On long trips, it is not necessary to sign up for a local fitness club: short online workouts and outdoor sports are good for keeping fit.
Let yourself relax
As you know, prolonged severe stress can lead to a decrease in the body's resistance to diseases and the exacerbation of chronic ailments. Healthy sleep, morning sunbathing with proper protection, more time in the fresh air, the ability to escape from work and electronic devices for a while - these obvious measures will support physical and mental health no worse than any superfood and dietary supplements. Let the rest be your main and, if possible, the only duty throughout the trip.
If you went on a duty trip, this is an excellent reason to adopt the philosophy of slolayf. Ensure a gentle mode: spend 2-3 hours of rest on weekdays and be sure to arrange at least one day off per week, during which you can look around and forget about the deadlines. It doesn’t matter where you are going - on vacation to Iceland or to a conference in Chile: changing the picture is already a kind of wellness retreat, and there is no reason to miss the opportunity to “recharge”.