If you are preparing for a trip – be it vacation or business trip you may well have concerns for your health and how to protect your health while you are traveling. How can you best prepare for your concerns?
First and foremost sit down and prepare a list of the countries that you are visiting. This can either done longhand or onto a word-processing program on your computer. List the countries that you will be visiting and the time frame that you plan to spend in each. Then, you will find that there will be mainly five categories of questions to determine the degree of detail and the steps needed to plan ahead.
First where are you going? Where are you traveling to? You should ask your self what illnesses are present in these regions. What is the general level of sanitation? How close by and competent is medical care in these regions and areas? As a guidepost ask – are there any teaching hospitals in these areas – the presence of these will indicate a higher sophistication of access and training. In addition there are routine logistic questions and markers such as to how harsh is the climate and how safe and rapid are the roads. Lastly is the country politically stable and if so are changes in the works.
Next what will you be doing in these areas and on your travels? It is not a question of what you will be doing but where. For example if you are conducting the same type of business, travel or recreational interest in a more isolated, rustic but more backwaters areas than in a major center you will at greater health risks than if you were in a more up to date area – whether it be a metropolitan area or a vacation travel resort area than in an isolated mountain top area trekking up the mountain. In addition some activities are more risky than others – be it recreational, sports, social or culinary activities.
Along with the questions of your choice of activities and general nature of your locations – be they up to date modern or very remote and perhaps primitive although exciting and quaint is the question of length of stay and duration at any of the points and areas traveled to. It stands to reason that a shorter trip means less exposure and encountering of diseases that are not standard to you – or even exotic in nature. On the other side of the coin you may become acclimatized if you stay in an area longer. For example if there is flu to catch – once you caught it you may now have immunity against this illness and even worse ones. Many people get sick from the local pathogens along with the standard effects of travel and jetlag in the first several days no matter what. Different foods and meals and even the water may affect people in the first couple of days and then they are perfectly fine. Ditto for the first couple days of strong sun – especially for winter time vacations as well as new variations in geography, climate, temperature, altitude, time changes etc etc etc. Hence it may be wiser to visit fewer places, staying longer stays in each and having overall a much better time.
Remember in the end its all about having an enjoyable vacation or business trip.
If you are not in good health during your travels either your vacation will not be as enjoyable as it could well be. In the case of a business trip – how effective and efficient and ultimately profitable will be venture be if you are in poor health. Plan ahead for your travel for health concerns and any health concerns that you have or may well encounter.
