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Chapter 9: How to
Keep Fit While Travelling
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Men travel faster now, but I do not know
if they go to better things.
- Willa Cather
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Even healthy people may find that travelling can
precipitate illness. Differences in food, climate
and schedule, in addition to the possible stress
of travel can make you more susceptible to illness.
Here are some tips to help you stay healthy when
you travel.
BEFORE THE TRIP
First of all, plan ahead. Get your medical and dental
checkups done before your trip, so that any problems
can be detected, and to relevant medicines can be
taken along. Find out what your health insurance
company will pay for if you need to consult a doctor
while you're away. In case you are travelling abroad,
you may need to obtain a special health insurance
policy called an Overseas Mediclaim Insurance Policy.
Carry adequate quantities of your regular medicines
in their original containers, along with extra prescriptions
for them. It would also be a good idea to carry
a doctor's note, listing your medical diagnoses
and the medicines you need to take. If you are going
abroad, get this translated into local language
(for example, French or German), if possible. Carry
a spare pair of spectacles and an extra set of contact
lenses, if needed. If you have medical disorders
such as diabetes or epilepsy, wearing a medical
information bracelet can provide life-saving information
in an emergency in a foreign country
Prepare and pack a simple first-aid kit in your
suitcase.
This kit should contain
the following items:
- Your prescription medicines, in their original
containers.
- Medicines for diarrhoea and an upset stomach.
Obtain from your doctor a prescription for an
antibiotic you can take in case you are struck
by diarrhoea. Ensure that you have packed medicines
such as loperamide and antacids.
- Cough and cold medicines, such as pseudoephedrine
tablets and cough syrups.
- Pain-relieving medicines, such as acetaminophen,
ibuprofen and aspirin.
- Decongestants and antihistamines for treating
allergies. Go in for the varieties that don't
cause sleepiness or drowsiness.
- Antibiotic ointments, adhesive bandages and
hydrocortisone cream.
- Medicines for preventing motion sickness,
such as dimenhydrinate and an anti-nausea drug
such as promethazine.
- Scissors, tweezers, nail clippers, pocket
knife, thermometer, torch and mirror.
If you are travelling abroad, remember that medicines
can be very expensive in the West! Also, many medicines
are available only on prescription, which means
you will need to spend additional money on a doctor's
consultation. Therefore, it's far more prudent and
much less expensive to carry all your medicines
with you! If you are travelling with children or
elders, you will need to take extra supplies to
be able to meet their needs as well.
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WHILE YOU'RE TRAVELING
The first precaution: Eat carefully! Traveler's
diarrhoea can easily ruin a holiday! Steaming-hot,
well-cooked food is usually the safest. Avoid eating
foods from street vendors, unpasteurised dairy products,
and raw or uncooked seafood. Peel the fruits yourself.
Drink water only from commercially sealed bottles
or else go in for carbonated beverages. Avoid using
ice. Brush your teeth with bottled water.
If you're going to a place where you could face
an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases, protect
yourself well. Insect repellents that contain DEET(N,
N-diethyl-metatoluamide) work the best. If possible,
wear permethrin-coated clothing and use nets while
you sleep.
Sunburn can be hazard if you plan to spend a lot
of time in the hot sun. Use a sun block with a sun
protection factor (SPF) greater than 15 and reapply
this lotion after swimming or sweating.
If you are going trekking in the mountains, you
should be aware of the risk of developing acute
mountain sickness, which is caused by a lack of
oxygen when travelling to higher elevations. This
form of sickness usually occurs at an altitude:
headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea,
poor appetite and inability to sleep. It can be
prevented by gradually ascending over several days
to give your body a chance to acclimatize to the
higher altitudes.
Jet lag is a major bane for air travellers. Adjusting
to a new time zone can take up to a week and the
more time zones you cross, the longer the adjustment
period. Symptoms include daytime fatigue, nighttime
insomnia, headache and disorientation. Lengthy travel
may upset your circadian rhythm which controls various
body cycles, including the production of a hormone
involved in sleep patterns (melatonin). One strategy
to prevent jet-lag is to change your sleep time
closer to the new time zone over a period of several
days; adjust go-to-bed and get-up times appropriately,
so that you will be only slightly out of sync when
you arrive at your destination.
Being forced to sit for long periods in an uncomfortable
airplane seat just adds to your woes (unless you
are flying executive class!).
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Simple tips to help you cope with the travails of
intercontinental flight are as follows:
- The dry air in aircraft causes dehydration.
Therefore, drink plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic
only!) to counter water loss. Water is better
than coffee, tea or fruit juices. Alcohol is
not only useless in combating dehydration, but
also brings about a markedly greater intoxicating
effect when consumed in the rarefied atmosphere
of an airliner than it does at ground level.
- Blindfolds, earplugs, neck rests and blow-up
pillows are all used in helping you get quality
sleep while flying.
- Get as much exercise as you can in the plane;
for instance, by walking up and down the aisle,
standing for spells and performing small twisting
and stretching exercises in your seat. All of
these help reduce discomfort, especially the
swelling of legs and feet. If possible, get
off the plane at stopovers, and perform some
exercises or take a walk.
Motion sickness can pose a major problem for some
people, especially on a ship, or on long car journeys.
There are many effective products available to prevent
and treat this problem (including prescription drugs
such as cinnarizine and promethazine) and you should
start taking them at least one hour before starting
your journey. Recent studies have shown that ginger
root may be as effective as drug treatment, and
is associated with fewer side-effects.
AFTER YOUR TRIP
In case you do fall ill during your trip, or after
you come back, don't forget to let your doctor know
about yourjourney, as this information can help
him in making the correct diagnosis.
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