Preventative Medicine
for the Healthy Traveler

by Courtney Caldwell

Summer is here and travel is back. It's been a rough year for everyone and you're no exception. You want your vacation to go well so you can relax and not worry about a thing even if it's only for a few days. So what can you do to ensure that your stressful life will enjoy a stress-free vacation?

Plan ahead for departure. It's never too soon to start making a list of things to do. Leave yourself plenty of room for mistakes, interruptions, delays, problems, surprises, changes and challenges. There will be many along the planning process but if you plan ahead you'll be able to get each one handled with ease.

Plan ahead for arrival. This is where so many people drop the ball…on themselves. They make fastidious detailed plans for leaving their home and office but fail to make plans for their arrival, especially in foreign countries. And, especially for potential health problems.

It's easy to do. We get so wrapped up in what needs to get done before we leave we forget to consider what could happen after we arrive.

Pack your own bottled drinking water. Getting sick on vacations happens more often than not due to foreign water and foods. Drinking water varies significantly from state to state. While tap water in Rhode Island is said to be from the cleanest reservoir in the country, California tap water has been known to make some people glow in the dark. Foreign countries fair much worse and have been known to turn some of the happiest vacationers into worshipers of the porcelain god for days.

Take two aspirin and call me. If you're used to a certain type of aspirin or antacid, bring it along. Should you get sick on vacation there's no guarantee that there'll be a local store on a nearby corner and even if there were, not all are open all night long. Common household medicines found in America might be found in Europe or other countries but at what dosage? Quite often other countries permit higher dosages than the American FDA so even if you did find a bottle of aspirin somewhere, the contents could end up making you feel worse.

Pack all drugs in your carry-on. Never pack your heart medication, diabetes insulin and needles, or any other kind of prescribed drug that you need regularly or suddenly in your checked-in luggage. You just never know when you might need it. Strange things can happen to the body five miles above earth so it's best to be prepared.

Also, with today's new challenges in air travel such as delays, lost or stolen luggage, and plane changes, it's not worth risking such a loss. But in case you do lose medications, always carry your medical information and doctors name and phone number in your wallet, on your person.

These are just a few of our recommended tips for healthy traveling. Expect more in weeks to come as well as tips on how to safe and sane when traveling alone. In the meantime, remember, preventative medicine is one sure way to keep your vacation moving forward and your body right side up.