Departing for Holidays: Safety Tips
July 2003

Our trips and vacations can be a source of relaxation, satisfaction and unforgettable experiences. However they can be a source of headaches, create their own troubles and it is not excluded that medical disasters occur.

Getting to your travel destination can sometimes be frustrating. Flight cancellations, long delays are source of anger which might spoil your good mood.

It is necessary to plan for problem management in order to control your anger. Talk to people next to you, who face a similar problem and try to do as much problem-solving as possible. Have something with you to entertain yourself like a book, a magazine or a game. If you get troubles because of an airline or other transport company, write a letter to them and you may get some refund, complimentary tickets or discount for new tickets from them, for the troubles caused to you.

Planning helps you to relax. Try to foresee and take care of all the things that could possibly go wrong. Then think that not everything can be put under control and let yourself relax. Minimizing the chances for problems is a good thing and should be done. Beyond that, if things happen you should face them calmly and not let yourself burst in anger spoiling your precious vacation.

Having a safe and healthy trip is a necessary precondition for a great holiday. Drink well and eat lightly the day you travel. You and your family should sleep well and have a good rest few days prior to your trip. This is even more important in cases that your traveling will cause you a jet lag.

You should know that jet lag is associated with headache, light-headedness and nausea. Eating light, having a good rest, being well hydrated and avoiding alcohol and smoking, can help minimize the negative effects of jet lag.

Motion sickness is a problem for many travelers. Avoid reading if you are traveling by a car, sit if possible at the front seat. If you are traveling by boat, stay in the middle area of the vessel. Watch straight ahead at the horizon at a fixed point which will not move. When you travel by airplane try to sit near the wings of the plane. These measures may minimize the risk and severity of motion sickness.

Additionally you may ask your health care provider for prescription medication against motion sickness or you can get some which do not need a prescription from your pharmacist.

More than 60% of European travelers are not vaccinated against hepatitis A when traveling to high risk destinations. Hepatitis A as well as diarrhea are among the most common travel-related diseases.

Some tips can help avoiding travel-related illness. It is better to drink bottled water if this is from a reliable source. Inform yourselves whether in the country of your destination has a record of safe drinking water from the tap. If not, carbonated commercial waters is a better alternative as these cannot be from the tap. Avoid having drinks with ice cubes as these are made usually from tap water. If you have to use tap water, boiling it for at least 20 minutes can make it safer.

A very simple, cheap and effective effective measure to protect yourselves against travelers diarrhea is to wash with soap your hands. Wash regularly your hands and particularly before eating.

It has been estimated that more than one million lives per year around the world could be saved from death, if people  would wash with their hands with soap to the extent they should.

Avoid eating raw fruits, vegetables or salads as these have been washed in local water. Prefer to eat fruits that you can peel yourself. Avoid uncooked meat and unpasteurized milk products. Eat your food while it is hot. When food is hot it is less likely to be touched by others who may contaminate it. Avoid eating shellfish as these can transmit disease if they were caught in sewage-contaminated waters.

Travelers can have better security if prior to their travel are vaccinated against hepatitis A and B. If possible they should also receive protection against typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria, measles and polio. Additionally seeking medical, advice prior to travel can reduce the risk of contacting travel related diseases.

Avoid heatstroke and sunburns by staying out of the sun for prolonged periods. If you have allergic problems do not forget to consult your health care provider and bring with you your medications.

A very important thing not to forget to do is to purchase a travel insurance. May be you or a member of your family unexpectedly will need medical assistance. Sometimes urgent evacuation and flying back home is needed.

You should consider what kind of travel insurance fits best your needs and your destination. Emergency medical assistance provides insurance and medical assistance for travelers. Accidental death coverage provides a variety of coverage if you or a family member dies on the trip.

Baggage or personal effects insurance provide coverage if your personal belongings are lost or damaged during the trip. Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you if any problem occurs such as the tour operator or other provider goes out of business. Additionally trip cancellation insurance can provide coverage if you have to cancel your holiday because of unexpected adverse events.

Traveling abroad and making holidays can be delightful experiences. However some preliminary thinking, planning and preparation can protect you and your family from hazards who can spoil your precious free time.

Bibliography:

National Safety Council