Photographed by Marshall Reese Copyright 2008
We are close to vacation time! If you are lucky enough to actually have a vacation this year keep in mind these travel tips. No matter where you are going you must consider the length of stay, climate, disease, the availability of food and clean water.To make your trip more enjoyable make yourself a self care travel kit. Here are some tips:
- Eating unfamiliar food or drink can cause indigestion. Put some antacids in you travel kit. Tums, Maalox, or Rolaids.
- You can loose a day of vacation if diarrhea becomes a problem. Put some anti-diarrhea medicine in you pack such as kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol, or Imodium. All of these medications are available over the counter in most pharmacies.
- Constipation can cause a miserable day too. Add a laxative to your kit.
- Hay fever or a host of allergies can ruin your day. Take along Benadryl or Claritin to combat allergies.
- Ask your Doctor if you may have some “as needed” antibiotics. Normally a doctor would never pre-prescribe this type of medicine however; most doctors will help for a vacation. Let your doctor know you will call him/her for his/her blessing before you begin the antibiotic therapy.
- Prepare for motion sickness. Most cruise ships have Dramamine on board, but just in case take it with you anyway.
- Take a foot fungal spray or lotion. Take some rubber sandals for your feet to shower in and reduce the chance of getting athletes foot.
- Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! At least #15 and should guard against UVB and UVA rays.
- Add insect repellent to your self care travel kit. You can use products with DEET in it or Avon’s ‘Skin-So-Soft’.
- Pain reliever of choice. Even a simple headache can ruin a vacation day.
- Take a decongestant just in case you get a cold or sinus pressure. Make sure the ingredients are not replicated in the allergy medicine you have already packed.
- Remember the Band-Aids and Neosporin for the unexpected cut.
- Don’t forget your prescribed medications. Your medications must have a label with your name, date, phone number of the pharmacy, name of the drug, the schedule of the medication, and the name of your doctor and pharmacist. This information is on most prescription bottles. If you carry vaious medications in the same bottle you may be held up with security checks. Also the presciption lables are very helpful in an emergency and will give the ER doctor important information quickly.
That’s your self care travel kit. You are prepared to have a healthy vacation! Now, here are a few suggestions about nutrition on vacation.
· Make sure your meat is cooked well. Eat your meal when it is still hot. Otherwise you may run into food poisoning.
· Be wary of fresh fruits and veggies unless you have prepared then yourself. Remember the spinach scare? The spinach had e-coli on the leaves. This was because the spinach was contaminated by the food pickers and handlers.
· Do not eat breads and pastry’s which have been sitting out all day in a bakery. Flies and other microbe carrying creatures may have landed on the food. It’s best to eat individually wrapped items.
· Drink bottled water and canned beverages.
· And finally don’t forget to get immunized for the various infectious diseases one can get when traveling to different parts of the world. The CDC has a recorded message giving the recommendations for international travel. 1-800-232-2522 or www.CDC.gov.
· Have a happy and safe vacation! Caution! If you are allergic to any of the medications I have mentioned do not take them. Talk with you doctor about alternatives.
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