How to Prevent Holiday Illnesses

There are many reasons to maintain the gift of a good immune system, ranging from healthy ambition to practicality.

Any traveller would rather avoid the inconvenience of lost days (or sometimes weeks) resulting from preventable illnesses on holiday. For a few unlucky passengers, airlines are known to have refused boarding to those suspected of certain illnesses, particularly contagious diseases.

Awareness of the tips in this article will help travellers stay healthy, plus maximise the holiday enjoyment, and avoid inconveniences.

Starring travel expert Judith Chalmers, the video below features some important medical items to consider when travelling abroad.



Amongst other things, Judith recommends taking:

• Headache tables – Taking these from the country of departure allows the active ingredients and dosage levels to be clearly stated. (The foreign equivalent may not be available in English).

• Diarrhoea medicine - Overcomes the infection and restores the body's electrolyte levels when this common holiday blight arises.

• Insect repellent - Helps stave-off insects which can introduce medical complications.

• Sun cream - Extends the period of expose to the sun before burning and sun stroke may take effect. Never underestimate the harmful power of the sun.

Significant numbers of travellers succumb to stomach problems while venturing abroad, often due to contact with contaminated food or water sources. This can include swimming pools, tap water, ice cubes and bath water: Anything ingested orally carries a risk of illness if hygiene standards at the holiday location are inadequate.

Follow these tips on how to prevent holiday illnesses:

1. Keep clean!
Hand washing regularly, minimises the spread of bacteria to typical contact points like door handles, tables, taps, buttons and levers. Raising a hand to touch the face is a frequent route which infections can be contracted.

2. Eat fresh!
Avoid buffet food which is kept on hot plates for long periods at warm temperatures, because the chance of exposure to bacteria, spores, and insects increases. Instead, choose freshly cooked meals straight from the kitchen.


3. Beware hidden water...
If a country's water standards are known to be low, be cautious and avoid ingesting it. This extends to ice cubes in cold drinks, washed salads, and swimming in unhygienic pools.


4. Cover up.
Sun cream is only secondary protection, the best method for avoiding sun stroke, sunburn, and possible long term risks, is to monitor the duration spent under the sun's UV exposure. Shade and clothing offer more effective primary protection.


5. Elemental maintenance.
Maintain a good immune system by eating well, getting the vitamins and minerals crucial to its function. Allow enough sleep for the body to repair and rejuvenate itself fully, and steer clear of toxins which attack the immune system, making it less efficient. For example; tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. An individual's wellness determines when different people get exposed to the same bacteria, some get ill, and others do not.

Further Information

1. Which Holiday Health Advice - Useful selection of holiday health problems and solutions.
   
   
2. Medical Travel Insurance Guide - Excellent advice for those seeking medical cover as part of their holiday insurance.
   
   
3. BBC Guide to Health on Holiday - Covering specific topics which are relevant to health concerns worldwide.

Techonrati tags; medical conditions, holiday health issues, food poisoning.

Advice on Stomach Problems Abroad

Health issues are least welcome during a holiday experience, but thankfully medical travel insurance can cover the financial expenditure involved. Knowledge and advice regarding frequently occurring illnesses can help too.

Indiscriminate health problems which can strike anyone on holiday are common diarrhoea and stomach-bug type illnesses. These can so often wreck travel plans, for example, a case of food poisoning preventing day trip excursions which have already been paid for: Travel insurance would cover such a loss.


Holiday illnesses may not be restricted to just a dose of bad luck for the occasional traveller. For example, over 1,000 holidaymakers were affected by infected food and water supplies throughout an entire resort in the Dominican Republic, which subsequently led to a significant legal compensation claim by the ill and hospitalised tourists.


Below we explore the different types of common infection and their properties:

• Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a water-borne parasite which is strongly resistant to chlorine treatment. It is found world wide and can be contracted from contaminated bathing water or drinking water.

• Gastroenteritis causes intestinal and stomach problems including abdominal pains, vomiting, and dehydration. This infection is common and bacteria may be caught from infected food.

• Norovirus is a highly contagious virus which can be spread from person to person, or even from coming in to contact with unhygienic surfaces. It is also caught from infected water and food sources resulting in stomach disorders. Due to the proximity of passengers at sea, cruise ships are particularly monitored for Noroviruses.

Travel insurance for medical issues experienced at sea, on land, during a holiday or business trip, provides the reassurance necessary when the above illnesses strike.

Not having to worry about the repayment of medical fees might also reduce stress and aid the immune system's recovery time!


Technorati tags; ;Cruise ships, holiday health, medical travel insurance, food poisoning.

Backpacker Hospitalised by Food Poisoning

Emma Lunn had to call upon her travel insurance while backpacking alone in South Africa. She unfortunately became ill whilst on holiday, ending up in hospital being tested for malaria.

“After all, I was a single woman backpacking around a partially third-world country which plays host to a collection of killer animals and deadly diseases; what could possibly go wrong?”

Emma Lunn

Emma's interesting read can be found here and whilst unfortunate, it is noted that her experience is not uncommon. Further benefits of obtaining backpacker travel insurance are substantiated by Esure reporting that 2.8 million British holidaymakers incurred injuries whilst enjoying activities on holiday.

Hospital tests for Emma were returned free from malaria. In fact, it turned out to be a severe case of food poisoning. Only recently, food poisoning was reported as the most frequently arising holiday illness, in a survey by Halifax Travel Insurance.

With more backpackers making their insurance arrangements independently, it now outweighs the number of people who secure their insurance via the (traditionally expensive), package holiday route. This raises the issue regarding comprehensiveness of cover, as selected (or not) by the individual.

“According to AXA, growing numbers of ‘independent' holidaymakers are leaving themselves potentially exposed by buying a standard product.”

Whilst this concern is valid for more unusual holiday excursions, thankfully any medical care required from severe food poisoning will likely be covered within all activated policies.

On a practical note, backpackers and travellers of all shades should take the following steps in the event of suspecting food poisoning:

• Use separate towels to anyone suspected of having food poisoning.
• Wash hands regularly after contact with the infected person.
• Contact a doctor if the sufferer is a baby or elderly person.
• Use disinfectant on shared contact areas such as doors and taps.
• Combat dehydration from food poisoning by drinking lots of water.

Related Articles:

1. Medical Travel Insurance

Technorati tags; travel insurance, food poisoning, backpacker, backpacking.

Halifax Survey Reveals Worst Country for Food Poisoning

In a recent survey by Halifax travel insurance, Spain has come top of destinations where travellers experience food poisoning. Spain beats Greece, Turkey and Egypt to win this unwelcome acclaim.

The survey goes on to describe that thirty-eight percent of holidaymakers lose two days of their holiday when suffering illness originating from food poisoning. For travellers embarking on a two week escape to paradise, this would be an unwelcome medical issue. However spare a thought for travellers destined for a cheap weekend city break, and the impact is even more significant!

The findings also reveal how many holidaymakers suffer from food poisoning in Spain to the extent that they require medical help. Now this could arise from complications, dehydration, or other factors such as age or pre-existing medical conditions, but it is a further cost which does not usually form part of a holiday budget.

Vicky Watson from Halifax Travel Insurance commented:

“Our study shows nearly one in five Brits had to visit a hospital when on holiday as a result of food poisoning.”

Does this tell us about the behaviours of only Britains on holiday? Or could this be applicable to other Western nations like Germany, France, Portugal, and Poland? It is interesting that tourists' behaviour and attitude are known to alter somewhat when subject to a change of climate, and why should this be? The people remain the same, it is only the food which has changed.

Perhaps the explanation to the increase in food poisoning could lay in the fact that a more luxurious and perhaps ill-advised diet and intake of beverages combines to lower the travellers' general health, leaving the body less able to beat food poisoning abroad, and thereby necessitating medical assistance.

This serves as a reminder to take out adequate travel insurance before going on holiday, because as this Halifax travel insurance survey has demonstrated, even simple and common illnesses can ruin a holiday experience, and leave holidaymakers out of pocket.

In terms of preparing for and minimising the impact of getting food poisoning abroad, there is some useful advice in this linked article about medical travel insurance.

Technorati tags; travel insurance, Halifax travel insurance, medical travel insurance, food poisoning
, Spain.