Health

Stay fit and well on your travels with our specialist advice and archive of travel health articles

Travellers' folklore is rich in tales of exotic diseases and murderous critters lurking ‘out there’ for the unwary. From rabies to tsetse flies, cholera to snakebite, giant spiders to the notorious candiru fish – rumoured to leap from the Amazon to implant itself into a man’s pride and joy – the world can seem a scary and very unhealthy place indeed.

But while it’s easy to fill your head with what might happen, for the vast majority of travellers staying healthy is a matter of following a few common sense rules.

1. Buy good travel insurance. While a European Health Insurance Card (free from www.ehic.org.uk) gives EU citizens access to basic state healthcare in most of Europe, cover is limited and obviously does not extend to the rest of the world. Without travel insurance, if you fall seriously ill you can find yourself owing thousands in medical charges while you convalesce. Travel insurance should include at least £2 million-worth of medical expenses / repatriation, and a 24-hour emergency assistance line.
2. Consult your GP or travel health clinic well before travelling. First, research your destination on www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.nathnac.org, and then have an informed conversation with your GP or nurse about vaccines and pills. Go early, ideally at least six weeks before a trip – many immunisations are courses of two or three jabs. Frequent travellers and people going to the tropics are commonly advised to have cover against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and yellow fever.
3. Take malaria precautions. Malaria is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease present in many tropical and sub-tropical countries. No vaccination is available for ordinary travellers, but a variety of medicines offer good levels of protection as long as they are taken as prescribed. Since no antimalarial tablet is 100% effective, and mosquitoes also carry other diseases including dengue fever and chikungunya, it is also important to avoid bites. Wear long clothes, and use an effective insect repellent – 30-50% DEET is recommended for most situations. For more on malaria, visit www.malariahotspots.co.uk
4. Be sensible with food and drink. Contrary to popular belief, contaminated food is more likely to make you ill than water. Ditch your five-veg-a-day habit, and only eat freshly cooked, piping hot food. Unless you’re 100% sure that tap water is safe to drink, don’t. As the travellers’ mantra has it: if you can’t peel it, cook it or boil it – forget it.
5. Pack a travel health kit. Don’t assume you’ll be able to buy the medicine you need locally (although you often will). Bring any prescription medicines with you, plus painkillers, throat lozenges and some rehydration sachets. If you intend to be a do-it-yourself doctor also pack a health guide.
6. If you do get ill, seek professional local advice. Pharmacists are often a good place to start for simple over-the-counter remedies, and if it is anything more serious, contact your insurance helpline.
7. Don’t ignore the obvious. The biggest threats to travellers are the same the world over: road accidents, unsafe sex and crime. Look after yourself, and the worst you’ll suffer is an upset stomach.

Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth has contributed health features to Wanderlust since the first issue in 1993, and is author of The Essential Guide to Travel Health (Cadogan, 2009). Browse her article archive on this site.