Stay Healthy While You Travel (And After You Get Back!)

by | Mar 28, 2019 | How-To's, Planning & Budgeting

An illness is not a cool souvenir.

Getting sick when you travel is never ideal. Many travelers don’t even want to think about the possibility of feeling poorly when they aren’t at home. But avoiding the proper preparation can lead to some serious health consequences while on the road.

In today’s video, I discuss three tips for travelers to remain in top health and avoid sickness – particularly when traveling abroad. Staying healthy while traveling starts before you pack your bags.

Get Vaccinated

By making sure all of your vaccines are up to date, you can save both your health and your wallet in the long run. If you are traveling to a country or rural area with different standards of cleanliness, your body may be at risk of getting exposed to new viruses.

A White House nurse prepares to administer the H1N1 vaccine to President Barack Obama at the White House on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Make sure your routine vaccinations are up to date, you’ve had a flu shot, and you research any supplemental vaccines that are recommended for the area you’re traveling by using CDC.gov’s helpful information tools.

Pack Your Favorite Medicines

If you live in the United States, you may be spoiled with a local 24-hour pharmacy near your home. However, many other countries do not have long pharmacy hours. On top of that, you may encounter a language barrier or unfamiliar medicine brand names. If you pack your favorite basics such as pain killers, stomach helpers, allergy meds, and more, you may save yourself from both figurative and actual headaches during your trip.

Pro tip: Packing your favorite medicines won’t take up a lot of room if you consolidate.
Image Source: Google Images/Pixabay

Ensure You Are Insured

Insurance is different in many different countries, and it’s easy to forget that you may not be covered when you are outside of your insurance provider’s network. Some credit cards offer travelers insurance, but it’s still important to look into what coverage you have while you’re traveling in order to make sure you do not get saddled with an unexpectedly high doctor or hospital bill during your time of need.

Just like umbrellas, you don’t realize how important travel insurance is until you need it most. Image Source: Google Images/Pixabay

Embracing unexpected experiences is a wonderful part of travel. However, when it comes to the possibility of getting sick, it is best to take precautions in advance of your trip in case unexpected/unwanted health issues arise.

When you protect yourself in advance, the act of approaching a top-rated restaurant in a foreign country will not leave you wondering about the water they use to cook the food, but instead whether your taste buds will love the flavors wafting your way!

Wishing you all happy and healthy travels!
-Eliz

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