Healthy Travel
Getting sick while traveling is an experience we can all do without. This week you'll hear everything you need to know to stay healthy on the road and not let an illness spoil a great vacation. Dr. Alvin Katz tells listeners what to pack in a "medical travel kit", how to avoid jet lag, how to find competent medical care in a foreign country, what to do if you have a medical emergency and need to be evacuated and much more.
The Center for Disease Control's Web site (www.cdc.gov) contains all kinds of health information for specific destinations including what vaccinations you might need, safe food and water tips, what to do if you fall ill or have an injury abroad, a list of articles related to travel health, and much more. Some of the information pertains to resources in the United States; other information is pertinent no matter where you are coming from.
Where to Find a Doctor
The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT) is a non-profit organized in 1960. It provides names of member doctors around the world who speak English in addition to their own language and have trained in a Western country. Membership is free; however, the organization does accept donations at www.iamat.org. Be sure to check out travel, insurance including emergency medical evacuation insurance, before you set out on a trip. Just Google the terms and a number of organizations will come up.
You can also go to your country's embassy to obtain recommendations for doctors and hospitals. And check with your credit card company before you leave,because many premier cards offer medical assistance and an airlift service for their card holders in case you need to be medically evacuated out of the country and back home.
Some healthy traveling advice from Dr. Katz, this week's guest
Question: What would be a good travel kit?
Answer: Over-the counter
1. Band-Ads.
2. Bacitracian or first-aid ointment.
3. Benadryrl 25mg for allergic reaction or insect bites with reaction.
4. Imodium for GI distress/ diarrhea.
5. Antihistamine decongestants if taken for cold nose or sinus congestion.
6. Decongestant naval spray.
7. Cough medicine if required. Place in suitcase as security is apt to confiscate it.
Prescription items:
1. A generalized broad-spectrum antibiotic, one that prevents gastrointestinal upset. This family of antibiotics is composed of quinolones, and are represented by such brand names as Cipro, Levaquin and Avalox. These may also be used for those who are allergic to penicillin.
2. Other prescription items to consider are those prescribed for travel by your physician. Donnatal is recommended for abdominal camps.
Do not pack these items. If they're not in liquid form a suggestion would be to carry them in your luggage or carry-on or in your purse.
Question: What about drinking water in a foreign country?
Answer:
I recommend drinking bottled water, preferably distilled, in any country where water is a problem. The reason for bottled water is that in various places in the world there are different mineral contents in the water, which can upset your stomach even if there are no bacteria or parasites in the water. Always make sure the bottled water is sealed before you open it. Well-known brands of soda are also good choices, as long as you drink them without ice.
Question: What should be done when flying with a cold, symptoms of upper airway allergy in the nose or sinus congestion?
Answer:
If it's not possible to reschedule your flight, consider starting an antihistamine decongestant 24-48 hours before your flight and repeat the medication throughout the flight particularly if it's a long flight and follow the medication upon your arrival. Use a nasal decongestant spray preferably one of the long-acting ones 24-hours before your flight and continue to use the spray every 12-hours until your arrival. (Decongestant sprays should not be used for more than three days. You may restart using the spray for no more than three more days until your problem abates ). Take frequent sips of fluids every 15-20 minutes during the flight to keep your upper passages moisturized. Alcohol, tea, and coffee are diuretics and function by getting rid of excess fluid rather than hydrating your mucous membranes. Therefore, water or nonalcoholic and non-caffeinated beverages are desirable Swallow frequently on descent of the aircraft so sucking on a candy to salivate or chewing gum, which enables one to salivate and swallow, is also desirable.
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