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How to Stay Healthy While Traveling
Unfortunately, traveling sometimes brings about more than just great memories. For some, traveling may actually make you sick.
It should be no secret that we love traveling. Any time of year, most of us are ready to jump on a plane and be at a new destination at the word: “Go!” One of the things we have learned along the way is that you need to be feeling well enough to actually enjoy your trip. Many things can play a part in making you not feel your best while traveling — check out some of the most common travel-related ailments and how you can combat them before making you sick.
**DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional and none of what I write in this blog should be taken as medical advice. Always consult your primary care physician before taking any new medication. I am just an experienced travel professional who has dealt with her fair share of travel-related illness.**
Hydration is KEY
One of the biggest culprits making you sick is dehydration. Most people aren’t getting the recommended amount of water a day — add that to the stress of packing/getting to the airport/hotel/etc. and you have a recipe for disaster even before you get to your destination. Airplanes are known to dehydrate travelers due to the low humidity levels in the cabins. A good practice while traveling by plane is to up your water intake prior to your trip.
I am going to let you in on a little secret between us friends. I do not take my own advice. I will almost dehydrate myself on purpose to keep from having to use the airplane restroom multiple times during my flight. I know, I know… I understand how bad this is. Because of this, I make sure to add hydration replenishment packets to my carry-on bag. My favorite is Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier. Liquid IV has a few really delicious flavors and is the equivalent to drinking two to three bottles of water. What I like about Liquid IV is that it doesn’t have as much sugar as Gatorade and packs even more electrolytes.
Another good practice when you are flying is making sure you apply a good, hydrating face moisturizer and body lotion. This will keep your skin from drying out and becoming itchy and uncomfortable.
Strengthen Your Immune System
Another thing that I like to do before I travel is to strengthen my immune system. Honestly, this has never been more important than in today’s climate. For the past two years we have been in a global pandemic, and it is in everyone’s best interest to make their immune system as strong as possible.
One way to help strengthen your immune system is by getting the recommended amount of vitamins B, C, D, and zinc daily. In addition to my daily multivitamin, I like to take one packet of Emergen-C Immune + each day. When I know I am about to travel (especially air travel), I will up my dose to two packets of Emergen-C about a week before I leave and during my trip. I have traveled alongside co-workers multiple times and while they may come home with the sniffles, I am just fine.
Immunizations have been a hot topic these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the idea of immunization before travel is not new. Travelers have been encouraged to become immunized prior to traveling to affected countries for years. In other countries, it is recommended to take certain prophylaxis in order to prevent specific diseases affecting the area. One common example is the ‘malaria pill’. It is highly suggested that travelers check out the CDC website prior to visiting a foreign country to ensure there are no travel advisories and to see if there are any recommended vaccinations/prophylaxis prior to visiting.
Motion Sickness While Traveling
One of the most common forms of ‘sickness’ associated with traveling is motion sickness. I, personally, fall victim to motion sickness very easily and mine doesn’t discriminate. I get sick from cars, buses, planes, boats, roller coasters — you name it. This actually kept me from trying many things — like cruises, for example — from the fear that I would be sick and miserable the entire time.
Luckily, I have learned how to manage my motion sickness symptoms and actually prevent it from happening all together. Dramamine – Less Drowsy is my absolute favorite travel essential. I make sure I have a supply any time I am going on a trip. Dramamine also has a ‘non drowsy’ formula, but in my experience it doesn’t work as well. Another brand that does really well is Bonine. The most important thing to keep in mind if you are prone to motion sickness is that when taking medicine, such as Dramamine or Bonine, you have to take it before you start to feel any symptoms. This is where some prior planning really comes into play. If we are getting in the car to head down to Orlando for our Disney trips, I will take a Dramamine before we start driving (or I drive myself). Or I will take one when I wake up before heading out to the theme parks. Taking this preventative step really helps keep me from feeling miserable.
But what happens if I forgot to take medicine beforehand? Something that I always try to keep close by are Sea-Bands. These wristbands (that look sort of like sweat bands) have a plastic knob sewn into the side that uses acupressure to stimulate the pressure point in your wrist to relieve nausea and vomiting. Applied correctly, Sea-Bands’ effects work within 5 minutes! I always take a pair of Sea-Bands with me while on cruises. I will sleep with them on so that when my Dramamine/Bonine wears off, I won’t wake up feeling sick.
Travel Sickness
Okay, let’s be real for a second. You’ve all heard the saying, ‘Don’t drink the water in Mexico’, right? For those people who aren’t from Mexico and do not drink the water regularly, drinking the water can have some pretty unfortunate side effects. And it’s not just Mexico whose water can give you problems. Mexico gets a bad rep because most Americans travel to Mexico over other countries, but there are a number of countries whose water you should avoid drinking. Just like it is in the U.S., water in Mexico is filled with bacteria, viruses, or parasites. The reason we don’t get sick from our water is the same reason why Mexicans don’t get sick from theirs — their immune system. We become immune to whatever is in our water but not what’s in the water in other countries. Be sure that prior to traveling to a foreign country, you check with your travel agent if there are any health concerns, just as safe drinking water.
Two travel essentials that I always carry with me are Pepto Bismol and Imodium A-D. Having these antimotility agents on-hand when you need them really keeps you from feeling miserable if you happen to get sick while on vacation. If you happen to get sick, it is very important to stay hydrated. Drinking purified bottled water and also maybe a Liquid IV, as mentioned previously, will really make a difference in how you feel and will keep you from getting dehydrated.
Another item that you may want to take with you while on your travels is a water purifying bottle, such as LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle. This bottle filters out 99.99% of bacteria and heavy metals, which means you can take this anywhere and still enjoy clean drinking water. One bummer is that the LifeStraw does not kill viruses, which may be in drinking water as well. One item that is very handy to have while traveling is the SteriPen. This device uses UV light to destroy over 99.9% of bacteria, protozoa, AND viruses. I love to take both the LifeStraw water bottle and Steripen with me during camping trips. Knowing I have access to clean drinking water is such a relief while traveling.
In a perfect world, you wouldn’t need any of the advice in this article, but the world we live in is far from perfect – actually, it can be pretty messy sometimes. Planning ahead of time and being prepared for any inevitability limits the amount of ‘messes’ thrown your way while you are traveling. What is the Boy Scout’s motto? ‘Be Prepared’? Let’s adopt that same strategy on all of our future adventures to make way for some amazing memories, shall we?
Email us at info@pineappleescapes.com and one of our talented agents can help you book the perfect vacation!
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