Getting sick when travelling is not only inconvenient, it can be dangerous. Some ailments, like a cold, aren’t too bad. But other illnesses require attention, and that can be intimidating or overwhelming. You’ll be relying on unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar place using a system that is different from the one you know.
Fortunately, there are a number of measures you can take to protect your health so you can make the most of your travels. Whether you are travelling for work or pleasure, you want to be able to enjoy your time away from home.
This article covers the types of ailments you are likely to face when you travel, no matter where you go. Most communicable diseases are almost universal. The common cold, flu, and COVID are diseases you can contract anywhere you go.
Allergies are something you may also find are a problem when you travel. Those are less likely to be predictable. Fortunately, those can be easily treated if you find that you are allergic to something in the air of a place where you travel.
The diseases that are specific to a region are a greater concern because they tend to be more predictable, and a good bit more dangerous. You can protect yourself against many of these ailments through travel vaccinations ahead of your travel date. Before you leave, make sure to check for recommended vaccinations to best protect yourself from regional diseases.
Respiratory Illnesses
The most common illnesses people get while travelling affect the respiratory system. That’s because these diseases travel through air droplets, which we then inhale.
Most Likely Respiratory Illnesses You’ll Encounter – Cold, Flu, COVID
For decades, the two obvious examples of respiratory illnesses were the common cold and the flu. You probably worry about contracting those every year when you prepare for winter.
Here’s a quick list of symptoms of the common cold:
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Itchy, scratchy, or sore throat
- Mild fever
- Coughing
- Feeling achy or tired
The following are the common symptoms of the flu, beyond the symptoms that are similar to a cold:
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Higher fever
- Digestive issues, including diarrhoea and vomiting
If you’ve had a cold and the flu, you know that they feel pretty similar. The flu tends to make you feel considerably worse, meaning you could end up missing out on a lot more. People do tend to keep being active with a cold.
COVID is a much newer disease that you are likely to encounter when you are. The symptoms are generally similar to the flu, although symptoms can be much more varied, with some people suffering more severe respiratory issues.
You will need to check the requirements, guidelines, and advisories for the country or countries where you are going. Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, every nation has taken their own approach, so you will need to do your research about current COVID measures in place to your destination nation.
Methods of Prevention
Since respiratory illnesses are contracted through breathing, the most effective way of protecting your respiratory system is through wearing a mask. If it is the cold and flu season where you are travelling, wearing a mask can protect you.
Another preventative measure for both the flu and COVID is to get vaccinated. This provides exposure in advance of travelling so your body has a chance to fight some of the most recent strains of the diseases.
If you are vaccinated, it will mean you have a better chance of having minor symptoms, or no symptoms of these two illnesses.
Other measures that can help is keeping more distance between you and other people when possible. Regularly washing your hands, especially after touching items in public, can reduce the risk of contracting respiratory ailments.
Gastrointestinal Illnesses
Gastrointestinal illness is something you don’t want to experience when you aren’t at home. This kind of problem makes you want to stay home where you can find some comfort between trips to the bathroom.
If you are staying with family or friends in developing countries then you have a higher risk of food poisoning because he are having local water and food but do not have a local person’s natural immunity. You need to discuss with a doctor the ways to best prevent this occuring.
The following are the two most common types of gastrointestinal illness:
- Traveller’s diarrhoea
- Food poisoning
For both of these, you need to be careful because gastrointestinal ailments can cause dehydration. This will cause a much worse problem for you, especially when you aren’t close to home.
Traveller’s Diarrhoea
The issue that this illness causes is literally in the name. If you have it, your bowel movements will be frequent and very loose to watery. Usually, you will see signs of this problem within 10 days of arriving in an area.
You are more likely to experience this when you stay somewhere that has poor public hygiene. It is also considered one of the most common illnesses you are likely to get when you travel.
The following are the most common causes:
- Failing to wash your hands after you use the bathroom
- Unsafe food storage, then eating the food
- Using unclean surfaces or utensils that haven’t been properly cleaned
- Having people handle food unsafely.
You may not be able to control all of these, especially if you are dining out. However, you can make sure that you always wash your hands after using the bathroom, before you eat, and after being in public.
It usually isn’t debilitating, but it can be highly disruptive. It has the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Bloody bowel movements
- Feeling exhausted
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Urgency in reaching the bathroom quickly and repeatedly
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can happen at home just as well as abroad. It is caused by improper preparation and cooking of food and drinks. These can cause germs, bateria, and other harmful things to get into the food.
The following are the most common symptoms of this problem:
- Cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Upset stomach
- Nausea and vomiting
You will start to feel unwell within hours of consuming something that is contaminated. Severe food poisoning can cause more severe problems, including the following:
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Nervous system disruptions
- Issues swallowing
- Tingling in the skin or extremities
- Weakness and fatigue.
You should seek help if you suffer from any of these symptoms to ensure that it does not get worse. Y
If you are preparing food, make sure to follow all best practices.
- Clean the surface and silverware before you start
- Clean the dishes you use with soap and clean water
- Wash your hands well and with warm to hot water
- Make sure the food is thoroughly cooked
- Don’t cross-contaminate foods with meats, especially raw meats
It will be more of a problem with restaurants. The best way to avoid food poisoning when you eat out is to read the reviews. Get to established places that have good ratings, especially if they have strict health inspections and requirements.
Waterborne Diseases
Waterborne diseases are caused by the consumption or use of unclean water. They are not as much of a problem today as they were 100 years ago, but they are not entirely a part of human history either.
The two most common waterborne diseases you are likely to contract today are cholera and Hepatitis A.
Cholera
While common throughout human history, cholera is largely only a problem in areas that are experiencing humanitarian emergencies. Cholera is a problem in locations with poor sanitation.
When water is contaminated with this, it easily spreads to everyone who consumes or uses the water.
This disease can be deadly within hours to days.
Symptoms are similar to gastrointestinal illnesses.
To prevent contracting cholera, you can take the following precautions:
- Always wash your hands before putting anything in your mouth
- Only eat food that is properly cooked
- Peel your own vegetables and fruits just before consuming them
- Drink water that you know is clean and safe
- Discuss with the doctor the use of cholera vaccine which is a drink taken before you leave as 2 doses one week apart.
Hepatitis A
This is a disease that infects the liver after someone consumes contaminated water or food. It is more likely to be a problem in developing nations or in remote areas with poor sanitation.
People with Hepatitis A experience the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Altered bowel movements, with the results looking like clay
- Other gastrointestinal symptoms
- Sudden fever
- Loss of appetite
- Jaundiced appearance
The problem may last for days to months, depending on the severity of the contamination.
This is another disease where you can get vaccinated before you leave home. In addition to getting the vaccine, take the same precautions you do to prevent contracting cholera and gastrointestinal diseases.
Vector-Borne Diseases
Vector-borne diseases are contracted from insects. Some of the most common carriers are fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks.
There are several diseases that can cause long-lasting effects, but they are usually found only in a few environments. However, malaria and dengue fever are two diseases that you need to check to see if they are a problem in the area where you are travelling.
Malaria
Malaria is often spread by mosquitoes and is a concern in tropical regions. Fortunately, it is a curable disease, and there are plenty of ways to protect yourself against it.
The following are the symptoms of malaria:
- Breathing difficulty
- Blood in your urine
- Convulsions
- Fatigue and extreme weariness
- Impaired consciousness
- Jaundice (yellowing eyes and skin)
Check to see if malaria is currently contracted in the location where you are travelling. This is a potentially life-threatening disease, so take proper preventative measures before you go.
- Use mosquito repellents before dusk.
- Install mosquito nets around the place where you sleep
- Install coils and vaporisers.
- Bring and wear clothing that protects against mosquitoes
- Always have window screens.
Dengue Fever
This is a viral infection that is also transmitted by mosquitoes. It is also a common problem in tropical locations.
Not everyone who contracts it will show symptoms. For those who do, dengue fever is associated with the following symptoms:
- Intense headaches
- High fever
- Eye pain
- Pain in the muscles and joints
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rash
- Swollen glands
In severe cases, it can cause gastrointestinal problems, restlessness, and respiratory issues.
If you show any signs of the disease, it is important to seek immediate medical treatment. There is no cure, but there is medication that can help treat pain associated with it.
Using a safe insect repellent is important.
Skin Conditions
Now that we’ve covered ailments that are more serious to life-threatening, it’s time for the problems that you are likely to experience that aren’t as risky in the short term.
Sunburn
Most people experience sunburns, which are uncomfortable in the short term. You can get severely burned, though, so it is best to be proactive in preventing skin damage.
In the long term, sunburns can cause skin cancer, which can result in death if not caught in time.
You can get a sunburn on a cloudy day, so take precautions to prevent burns, even if it looks like it will rain.
- Use sunscreen. The higher the factor, the more protected you are from getting a burn.
- Wear clothing that covers most of your skin.
- Wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your head and face.
Insect Bites
No matter where you go, insects are almost certainly going to be a problem. You may not need to worry about any serious disease, but just the bites alone can be incredibly uncomfortable.
The most common insect bites are from mosquitoes and ticks, but there could be fleas, bed bugs, and ants.
Protecting yourself is the same as protecting yourself from vector-borne diseases.
- Use bug repellent.
- Keep your skin covered.
- Check to see what bugs are currently active in the area where you are going.
Travel Vaccinations and Prevention
The best way to enjoy your time travelling is to get vaccines that will protect you from regional and serious illnesses. Vaccines give your body exposure to the disease so that you will have antibodies to better fight off the disease the next time you are exposed.
The following are the most common vaccines that need to be considered and reviewed based on whether you have had these before:
- Chickenpox Vaccination
- Diphtheria Vaccination
- Flu Vaccination
- Hepatitis A and B Vaccination
- Hib Vaccination
- Human Papillomavirus Vaccination
- Measles Vaccination
- Mumps Vaccination
- Pertussis Vaccination
- Rubella Vaccination
- Pneumococcal disease Vaccination
- Polio Vaccination
- Tetanus Vaccination
- Tuberculosis Vaccination
- Varicella Vaccination
- Typhoid Vaccination
- Yellow Fever Vaccination
If you are going to an area where rabies is known to be a problem, you can consider a rabies vaccination course.
Consult with a healthcare provider before you travel. It is best to start getting your vaccines about a month before you travel. That will give your body time to deal with the injection and fight off the disease.
Managing Illness While Travelling
If you start feeling ill, you should start assessing whether you are getting sick. This can be difficult as things like jetlag can make you feel tired or tired without an illness. However, your immune system is less robust when you travel because of jetlag and a change in your sleep schedule.
If you feel sick, seek medical attention. Make a list of your symptoms to help medical professionals better determine what illness you have.
Always travel with a small first aid kit with items you may need. Things like creams for burns, sunscreen, pain medication, and plasters can help keep you safe from other ailments.
If you are on medications, make sure that you secure them in a safe way so that they don’t go bad while you are travelling. Also, make sure you know where those medications are should you need them.
Research medical help for the regions where you are going. If you end up with a medical emergency, it will help you to get help faster.
Final Thoughts
Travelling is great, but illness is everywhere. There is plenty that you can do to protect yourself from most of the worst illnesses, and minimize the common problems.
Take the time to research the illnesses currently known to be a problem in the area, then plan accordingly. Get the right vaccines, have the right supplies, and dress appropriately to protect yourself.
Always be informed about health concerns for different regions before you travel. That will keep you from having to worry nearly so much while you are there.
