From jet lag and travel anxiety to bug bites and water safety, staying healthy while travelling doesn’t always come easy. Travel and luggage experts at Bounce have teamed up with Navin Khosla, a medical expert from Now Patient, to provide tips and expert advice on how to look after yourself while exploring the world this summer.
Tips for dealing with travel sickness
Travel sickness can be unpleasant, but there are many simple strategies to help prevent or relieve motion sickness symptoms, for example:
- Sit in the front seats of cars or buses.
- Sit in window seats on planes and trains.
- Close your eyes, sleep, or, if you have the space, try lying down.
- Stay hydrated.
- Eat small amounts of food frequently.
- Distract yourself with activities such as listening to music or chatting with friends.
Tips for preventing and dealing with bug bites
Bug bites are typically encountered when travelling outdoors, or during activities such as camping. To minimise bug bites this summer you may want to consider the following:
- Make sure you are using EPA-registered insect repellents and remember to apply insect repellent after sunscreen.
- Dress in clothing that covers your arms and legs to cover up your skin.
- When booking your hotel, make sure your room has air conditioning and window and door screens. If your accommodation doesn’t have these, or you are sleeping outside, sleep in a mosquito net.
- If the worst happens and you are bitten by a mosquito, avoid scratching the bites and apply anti-itch or antihistamine cream.
Tips for dealing with travel anxiety
Travel anxiety can make planning and going on trips difficult, but there are some best practice strategies that can help you overcome it, for example:
- If you’re concerned about any “what if” scenarios, like missing your plane or getting on the wrong train, thoroughly planning ahead can be a great way to put you at ease. You won’t be able to prepare for everything, but making sure you have all the time you need and have a good idea of where you’re going can give you a sense of security.
- If your mode of transportation has you worried – bring something to keep you busy! This can be anything from a great book, downloaded films or TV, crosswords and puzzles, or any other activity you enjoy.
Tips for ensuring you are drinking safe water
Many of us are used to having safe drinking water straight from our taps. However, this isn’t always the case around the world. Drinking dirty water could make you ill and potentially expose you to serious infections such as typhoid and malaria. To ensure you are drinking safe water consider the following:
- Stick to bottled and canned water.
- Avoid having ice in your drinks, as it will likely also have been made using tap water.
- Avoid brushing your teeth with tap water you are not sure is safe.
- You can find the full list of destinations with safe and unsafe drinking water from the CDC.
Tips for preventing and dealing with sunburn
Getting a golden tan can be a highlight of a trip. However, getting too much sun or not protecting yourself correctly can lead to sunburn. To avoid sunburn don’t forget:
- Wearing sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 is recommended.
- Sunscreens should also be liberally applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours while exposed to sunlight.
- Wearing dark, tightly woven clothing can help to prevent sunburn.
- Remember to drink plenty of water.
Tips for dealing with Jet lag
Jet lag is often experienced when visiting far distances from your home (usually three or more time zones). Essentially, jet lag is a mismatch between your normal sleep rhythm and a different time zone, but there are steps you can take to reduce your the feelings of jet lag:
- The best thing to do is to follow the sleep and wake schedule of your destination and avoid sleeping during the day or going to bed too early when you arrive.
- Prepare your body for the new time zone before you travel. You can adjust your sleep pattern to get used to the time change you’ll experience when you arrive.
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