 Tips
for Healthy Travel
Maria Mileno, MD, director of the Travel
Medicine Service at The Miriam Hospital advises travelers how
to have a safe and healthy vacation.
Every year millions of Americans embark on vacations to exotic
destinations unaware of infectious bacteria that may be lurking
in everything from swimming holes to food and drinking water.
Although malaria
and meningitis
have typically been the major players in serious international health
concerns, avian flu and even a resurgence of the mumps in the United
States have caused health officials new anxieties.
Despite heightened concerns from health care professionals worldwide,
only a fraction of travelers will seek travel health advice prior
to their departure. Most tend to rely on alternate sources of information
that can be misguided and inaccurate, such as friends and neighbors.
“Medical information provided by travel agents, non-specialists
and word-of-mouth is often outdated and unreliable,” says Maria
Mileno, MD, director of the Travel Medicine Service at The Miriam
Hospital, the largest travel medicine clinic in the state. “Consulting
with a travel medicine physician prior to a trip can provide travelers
with the most up-to-date information on particular destinations
to ensure a healthy trip.”
Tips to Take With You
Travel medicine physicians have access to specialized computer
programs with detailed information on overseas locations including
specific outbreaks, illnesses, and dangers often before it becomes
public knowledge. Mileno and her staff are trained in tropical medicine
and international health and tailor recommendations for travelers
by considering their health status, vaccination records and specific
destination.
Mileno recommends that travelers review their itinerary with a
specialist, and provides the following general tips for healthy
travel.
- Stay current on vaccinations
Physicians can counsel travelers on how to avoid the risk of contracting
an infectious disease, but vaccines remain the most reliable tool.
Serious and potentially fatal diseases such as hepatitis A and
B, yellow fever and typhoid can be easily avoided by being vaccinated.
- Don’t forget that when it’s summer in the U.S.,
it’s winter in Southern hemispheric locales such as South
Africa and Australia, and the height of their flu season. If you
didn’t receive a flu shot during winter in the U.S., get
vaccinated before you depart.
- See a physician four to six weeks in advance so vaccinations
have time to take effect.
- Hepatitis A is the most common vaccine-preventable illness,
although a recent outbreak of the mumps in Iowa has prompted physicians
to remind travelers to make sure they are fully vaccinated against
mumps, measles and rubella.
- Insect bites—more than an itch
Insect bites remain a large source of disease transmission in
several countries worldwide. Malaria and yellow fever can be transmitted
through mosquitoes, while sandflies and Tse Tse flies can infect
travelers with a variety of unpleasant diseases.
- To avoid being bitten, wear clothing that has been sprayed
with Permethrin, an insecticide that kills bugs before they
reach your skin, and use DEET on any exposed skin. In locations
where it is nearly impossible not to be bitten, medication can
be prescribed beforehand to prevent diseases such as malaria.
- Montezuma's Revenge?
Although not usually life-threatening, travelers’ diarrhea
is one of the most common and uncomfortable ailments travelers
experience. The best means of prevention is to avoid any questionable
foods or beverages.
- Travelers should not drink tap water unless they know
it has been boiled, filtered or chemically disinfected.
- Avoid milk, unbottled beverages, or those with ice.
- Regarding food—if it hasn’t been boiled, cooked
or peeled—don’t eat it.
- Seek a physician specializing in travel medicine who
can provide precautions for food in specific areas and instructions
on how to self-treat travelers’ diarrhea if it is contracted.
Additional helpful hints
- Although human-to-human transmission of the avian flu has not
been proven, it is wise to avoid exposure to poultry farms, bird
markets and other places where live poultry is raised or kept.
Be sure that any chicken or poultry products being consumed are
well-cooked.
- Drink extra water, avoid alcohol, and take periodic stretching
breaks to avoid deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
or "economy class syndrome”—a potentially fatal
condition where people develop blood clots in their legs during
lengthy plane or car rides.
- Travel medicine clinics also treat and advise travelers with
altitude issues, motion problems and even disabled travelers who
are blind or deaf.
- If you bring home an illness as a souvenir, contact a travel
medicine specialist post-travel for immediate treatment.
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