Tips On Staying Healthy While Traveling

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 29th, 2010

When we think of healthy travel issues, most of us think of travel to exotic destinations where they have tropical diseases. Domestic travel can make you sick, too, though unless you take some precautions. Here are a few ways to travel healthy when traveling.

Medications
Make sure you have any prescription medications that you need with you. They should be in the original bottles, and you should keep them in your purse or carry-on luggage.

Make sure you have any over-the-counter medications that you usually take, too. Acetaminophen, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids and antihistamines are always handy to have with you.

If you plan to do any sports or outdoor activities, you might want to carry a simple first aid kit.

Keep a list of all the medications you take and your medical history with you at all times. If you are diabetic or have other health conditions, consider wearing a medicalert tag or bracelet, or carrying a medicalert card with you.

Immunizations
Immunizations are important for healthy travel. Make sure they are up to date. Check to see when your last tetanus shot was and get one if it?s been over five years, and make sure you get a flu shot. Planes, trains and buses are ideal breeding grounds for all kinds of viruses.

Wash your hands
Wash them often. Carry antibacterial hand washing gel with you, and wash frequently. Germy people have touched everything, and those germs get on your hands and then they make you sick. The easiest way to prevent travel colds is to wash your hands a lot.

Drink lots of water
Travel tends to dehydrate you. Airplanes, especially, have very dry air in them. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages because they tend to make you more dehydrated. If you are flying, avoid carbonated beverages because the gas expands while you are in the air, and you know what kind of problems that can cause, especially for your seat mate. Bottled water is best if you are unsure about the safety of local water.

Walk
If you are stuck in a bus, train or plane seat for long periods of time, you can develop blood clots in your legs, which can be very dangerous. Get up and walk around as much as possible. Take a good walk at rest stops. As a general rule, you shouldn?t sit for more than a couple of hours at a time. If sitting is unavoidable, stretch your legs out and move them around frequently.

Follow these healthy travel hints and you can avoid most illnesses, even when traveling domestically.