More than thirty million journeys are made abroad each year. They can vary from a day trip to paris, requiring no particular health safeguards, to long expedition in remote mountains needing much forward planning. In these days of fast jet travel, our bodies can be suddenly subjected to conditions they have never encountered before and to which there has been no opportunity to develop immunity.
Health risks and how to avoid them:Each journey and each traveller pose a fresh set of circumstances; there are many variables to consider. By reading further about the country you intend to visit you can prepare yourself beforehand and take precautions.
Water: If you have any doubts about the quality of the tap water, boil it or sterilise it with disinfectant tables or use bottled water from a sealed container for drinking, brushing teeth or washing food. Check that ice has been prepared from safe water.
Food: If the water is suspect, do not eat salads or fruit unless you can peel it yourself. Check that cooked food has been thoroughly heated through.
Insect Bites: Mosquitoes may spread several disease, not only malaria but Japnese B encephalitis for example. It is well worth checking the likely risk in the country you are visiting. At high altitude, and in cold conditions they will not be a problem, and many cities are safe. In endemic areas, take care between dusk and dawn, the feeding time for these insects, by applying insect repellents, wearing clothing that is tight at wrist and ankle, and using a well-fitting mosquito net during sleep. Increasing resistance to anti-malarial drugs is a major problem, particularly in some parts of Africa, so even if you taking the medication it is stillmost important to take steps to avoid bites.
Sun: The nearer the equator, the stronger the sun will be. Using sun umbrellas, protective creams and wide brimmed hats, and avoiding exposure during the hours around midday when sun is hottest will help to prevent not only sunburn but sunstroke, heatstroke, and susceptibility to malignant skin disease in later life.
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