It can never happen to me. This is a thought that runs through everyone’s mind while traveling. Anything bad happening to us is just unthinkable. However, the truth of the matter is it is more common than we want to believe. This should not deter you from traveling and experiencing different cultures while broadening your perspective. It is just important to always remember it can happen to you.
To make sure that you are prepared for anything that comes your way, I have included the following injuries and illnesses that are most common while traveling and what to do.
I had a personal experience injuring myself while traveling in Mexico. Getting injured happened so fast and was extremely unexpected and was at the very beginning of my vacation. Because of this, I still had four more days in Mexico with an injury. Luckily it was not life-threatening. However, it was still painful and changed all of my remaining plans. Thankfully I was not alone and had help from my boyfriend. He was able to obtain the brace, crutches, souvenir cane, and the medication I needed to continue my journey.
For more information on safety while traveling, check out my other blog called Safety is #1 – Safety Tips While Traveling.
I am not in any way a medical professional, this is just my opinion and experience of what to do if you become injured or become ill while traveling.
Common Injury or Illness
Injury
When traveling you should always bring with you a first aid kit for the unexpected. A scrape, cut or twisted ankle without the proper care could turn into something much, much worse. You can buy all the items you need for your emergency first aid kit individually to build your own kit. Or an easy, quick way to prepare is to order an all in one first aid kit that is made for your adventures and plans. Here is a reputable website that has multiple kits to choose from. They are also offering FREE shipping in the US.
#1 Tripping or Falling – The most popular injury that happens when traveling is from tripping or falling. To help prevent this injury it is very important to pack proper fitting shoes for your trip. If you plan on hiking make sure you have proper hiking shoes that have ankle support. Most injuries are from wearing flip-flops or sandals, so unless you are going to be laying on the beach the entire time leave those toe thongs at home. Also be mindful of the terrain and when stepping off a bus, curbs, and sidewalks.
Self Care:
- Rest. Keep weight off your ankle as much as possible. Take a break from your normal activities
- Ice. Place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on your ankle for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day
- Compression. Use a compression bandage to reduce swelling
- Elevation. Elevate your foot above the level of your heart to help reduce swelling
- Over-the-counter pain medications. Drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) can ease pain and aid healing
When to see a doctor?
- If you have severe pain or swelling
- There is an open wound or severe deformity
- Have signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, and tenderness in the affected area or a fever greater than 100 F (37.8 C)
- Cannot put weight on your foot
- You have persistent swelling that doesn’t improve after two to five days of home treatment
- Persistent pain that doesn’t improve after several weeks
#2 Heatstroke/Dehydration – Becoming dehydrated is easier than you think. There are a lot of situations that come into play with this. Since you are on vacation there is nothing wrong with having a refreshing adult beverage. However, be cautious about becoming dehydrated. Alcohol and the sun do not mix. Make sure to keep hydrated and drink plenty of water. Also, make sure you carry plenty of water with you on your daily adventures. Sunscreen, proper clothing, hat, and sunglasses are also a must to prevent heatstroke.
Self Care:
- Consuming clear fluids such as water, clear broths, frozen water or ice pops, or sports drinks (such as Gatorade) will help with dehydration
- Avoid drinks containing caffeine such as coffee or tea
- Stay away from alcoholic beverages
When to see a doctor?
- Lack of sweating
- Shriveled and dry skin
- Sunken eyes
- Low blood pressure
- Increased heart rate
- Fever
- Delirium
- Unconsciousness
#3 Bites or Stings – That dog is soooooooo cute, the urge to pet him is almost impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, when traveling, most countries do not have strick animal control laws. (vaccinations, leashing laws, strays) Stay away from all animals and reframe from feeding them. Rabies is rampant throughout the world. There is also the possibility of flea and tick bites that transmit infectious diseases. The second most common bites around the world are from monkeys, so stay away, no matter how cute they seem. It is important to receive proper vaccinations when traveling to regions with a higher risk of rabies. Always receive care for snake bites and insect bites, they can be life-threatening.
Self Care:
- Wash the affected area with soap and water
- Bandage the wound
- Over-the-counter pain medications. Drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) can ease pain and aid healing
When to see a doctor?
- You should seek medical care if you are bitten by an animal and the skin is broken
- If you have been scratched and the skin is broken or bleeding
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Chest pain
- Intense pain at the sting or bite site
- If you have been bitten by a snake, it could be life-threatening
- Always seek medical assistance if you have been stung
- Take a picture of the insect or animal that has bitten, or stung you to help assist the medical staff
- Immobilization of affected limbs and application of pressure bandages that do not restrict blood flow are recommended first aid measures during victim transport to a medical facility
For more information on animal bites and stings visit the Centers For Disease Controle and Prevention (CDC) website.
Illness
#1 Travelers Diarrhea – This is one of the most common illnesses that people get while traveling. It is caused by infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It typically happens after you ingest tainted water or food. Stay away from beverages with ice, or order no ice in your drink, they could be contaminated.
The symptoms of travelers diarrhea are:
- Abrupt onset of the passage of three or more loose stools a day
- An urgent need to defecate
- Abdominal cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
These symptoms usually go away in several days. The best precaution for this is to consume and use only sealed bottles of water. Use the same water to brush your teeth. It is also a good idea to visit a travel clinic before your trip and obtain preventative antibiotics for traveler’s diarrhea.
When to see a doctor?
If you took preventative measures and took antibiotics and still are not feeling better after 2 days you should seek medical attention. Also, you should see a doctor if:
- Your diarrhea persists beyond two days without antibiotics
- You become dehydrated
- Severe abdominal or rectal pain
- You have bloody or black stools
- You have a fever above 102 F (39 C)
To find more detailed information about traveler’s diarrhea at Mayo Clinic’s website.
#2 Food Poisoning – As appealing as those street food vendors look, it is in your best interest if you stay far away from them. Food safety and regulations are not enforced in many countries like they are in the US. One of the best ways to keep from getting sick is just by using your gut instinct. (no pun intended) If you walk into a restaurant and something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t, never second guess your intuition.
Another way to self-check a restaurant is to check out the bathroom. Believe it or not, a restaurant’s cleanliness of their bathroom is a good indication of how clean they keep their kitchen.
Stay away from salads, they are usually washed with tap water, which could contain contaminants that could make you sick. Also, only eat fruits with a peel and only eat fully cooked meat and seafood.
The symptoms of food poising are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Watery or bloody diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Fever
The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin a few hours after consuming contaminated food and can last a few hours to a few days.
Self Care:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Eat easy to digest foods, like chicken stock and Saltine crackers
- Take over-the-counter medication like Pepto-Bismol
- Rest
When to see a doctor?
- Frequent episodes of vomiting and inability to keep liquids down
- Bloody vomit or stools
- Diarrhea for more than three days
- Extreme pain or severe abdominal cramping
- An oral temperature higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
- Signs or symptoms of dehydration — excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or lightheadedness
- Neurological symptoms such as blurry vision, muscle weakness and tingling in the arms
For more information about food poisoning visit Mayo Clinic’s website.
#3 Common Cold or Strep – Catching either one of these illnesses while traveling can destroy a vacation. Thes best way to help prevent transmission of viruses or bacteria is preventative measures.
When taking a flight, carry with you sanitizing wipes and wipe down your armrests, and tray table. Airplane seatback trays are the dirtiest place on the airplane. Scientific studies show that trays have 2,155 bacteria colony-forming units (CFU) per square inch. That’s 8x higher than the toilet flush button, says Forbes.
Hand washing is very important while traveling to prevent illness like the common cold or strep. You should also carry with you hand sanitizer for when you are not able to wash your hands.
Self Care:
- Gargle with a mixture of a quarter-teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of warm water
- Suck on throat lozenges or hard candy
- Take aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and DayQuil
- Drink warm fluids such as tea and broth
- Rest
When to see a doctor?
- Fever of 101 F or higher
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Pus on tonsils; very red throat
- Red, sandpaper-like rash
#4 Serious Diseases – There are many life-threatening diseases that most of us do not have to worry about catching on a daily basis because of where we live on the globe. Depending on where you are traveling, some are a real threat to our health.
Most are preventable by vaccination or medication. It is important to visit your local travel clinic before traveling out of the country to receive the proper care you need. Fewer than half US travelers to developing countries seek pretravel medical advice and may not have received vaccines or taken antimalarial drugs, says the CDC.
Here are some of the most common serious diseases that you could catch from around the world:
- West Nile Virus – Tropical regions like East Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean
- Wear natural colored long sleeve shirts and long pants
- Spray mosquito repellant with higher doses of active ingredients like DEET and picaridin as well as special mosquito-killing clothing spray
- Malaria – Africa, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the South Pacific
- Take an anti-malaria pill before, during and after your trip to ward against it
- Spray mosquito repellant with higher doses of active ingredients like DEET and picaridin as well as special mosquito-killing clothing spray
- Tuberculosis – Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South, and Central America
- Receive a vaccination from your medical doctor
- Dengue Fever – India, Southeast Asia, Southern China, and Africa
- Wear natural colored long sleeve shirts and long pants
- Spray mosquito repellant with higher doses of active ingredients like DEET and picaridin as well as special mosquito-killing clothing spray
- Tetanus – Developing Countries
- Receive a vaccination from your medical doctor
- Hepatitis A – Developing and Poor Countries
- Receive a vaccination from your medical doctor
- Yellow Fever – South America and Africa
- Receive a vaccination from your medical doctor, you need to find a facility that carries the yellow fever vaccination, you can find a clinic on the CDC’s website here
- Wear natural colored long sleeve shirts and long pants
- Spray mosquito repellant with higher doses of active ingredients like DEET and picaridin as well as special mosquito-killing clothing spray
Here are some items that you can purchase off Amazon that will help you stay safe and healthy while traveling.
To conclude, you should not be afraid to travel abroad. If you take the proper precautions and preventative measures for your trip you will enjoy a vacation that will have beautiful lasting memories for life. Don’t let anxiety and fear stop you from living your life to the fullest. I hope this article has helped you know what to expect and what to look out for while traveling. If you have any further questions, please leave a comment. Just remember my fellow travel friends, we are in this together.