What should you pack if youre traveling to a remote or underdeveloped area? First of all, remember that youre going abroad from one of the healthiest nations in the world. The United States does not harbor many of the worlds ills, with the result that youre probably not immune to many disease found overseas and you wont have a corner drugstore to run to in an emergency.
Over 50 million people from industrialized nations travel to developing countries each year. Such trips can pose significant health hazards. Travelers to developing countries should have a thorough check-up and prepare for any health contingency at least 8 to 10 weeks before the trip. Take whatever medication you currently use, plus refills, depending on how long you intend to stay. Keep most pills in your carry-on luggage. If you are allergic to any medications, wear a wristband or a metal medallion that says what you cant take.
The American Medical Association recommends that you also carry a spare pair of glasses, if you wear them, and your eyeglass prescription. It advises taking sunscreen, cleansing tissue, sunglasses, lip balm, and water purification tablets, too.
You should also carry a small first-aid kit with such items as adhesive tape, bandages, and gauze pads, safety pins, tweezers, scissors, soap, insect repellent, and a thermometer. Common painkillers such as Tylenol or aspirin are also recommended. Include such over-the-counter medications as ASAs, antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-diarrheal, laxatives, and antacids. Jot down your doctors name, address, and telephone number on a card, should someone else need to notify your physician or specialist.
Your doctor can provide you with some tips for your specific travel plans. For example, small pox vaccination is no longer required in most parts of the world because the disease is considered eradicated. Travelers to areas where there are tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks should have skin tests before traveling; those with negative tests should have a repeat test 2to 4 months after they return. Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended for all travelers to developing countries. Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for people traveling to countries that have a high prevalence of hepatitis B. The hepatitis B vaccine is especially important for people who expect to have close or sexual contact with the local population. Some doctors may recommend that travelers receive a combination hepatitis A and B vaccine. Travelers to countries with malaria should take preventive drugs. Some countries may require vaccinations against yellow fever, meningitis, polio, typhoid, cholera, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies under certain circumstances.The best thing to pack is your common sense. Gastrointestinal ailments are common among Americans traveling abroad, largely because they ignore certain precautions. They can be avoided by drinking only purified, bottled water and by skipping raw shellfish or any fresh fruit or vegetables that cannot be peeled. Otherwise stick to cooked vegetables. As tempting as it might be, dont eat food from vendors selling native delicacies. In case you do come down with diarrhea, there are medications that will relieve the symptoms. Ask your doctor which he or she recommends before you leave. And while the symptoms persist, drink plenty of liquids, especially bottled fruit juices, and keep your diet soft, with such items rice.
Finally, travelers to developing countries should check with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, U.S. State Department, or World Health Organization for the latest information on immunization requirements for their destinations. Studies show that multiple vaccines may be given at the same time to most adults without significantly increasing adverse effects.Bon voyage!Robin Westen is ThirdAges medical reporter. Check for her daily updates. She is the author of Ten Days to Detox: How to Look and Feel a Decade Younger (Bantam-Dell).See what others have to say about this story or leave a comment of your own.
