8 Precautions to Take while Travelling

Posted on: Feb 19, 2019 | | Written by:

8 Precautions to Take while Travelling

Like the famous Ibn Battuta once said, “Travel, it leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller”. Indeed, travel is truly a ‘food for the soul’. However, if you ask a traveler, his tales may not be as rosy as you think. What we are referring to here is travel-related health woes.

Most travelers, at some point, may have faced health issues. This could be attributed to change of environment, weather, and sometimes even infections that are prevalent in and around the place. A few of these commonly noted issues are:

Motion sickness
Jet lag
Muscle aches and pains
Respiratory problems, especially if you are travelling at high altitudes
Diarrhea
Air borne infections
Water borne infections
Viral flu

While a lot of these health conditions are inevitable, here are eight precautions to take while travelling.

1. Stay wary of what you drink

Each place has a different standard of hygiene. The water in some places may contain bacteria and other viruses that could cause digestive problems and diarrhea. Therefore, the best thing to do while traveling would be to drink bottled or treated water if you have that option.

2. Eat wisely

In order to avoid the bug, make sure you eat from places that are hygienic. Consume a lot of fruits and vegetables and stick to cooked meals. Avoid street food, especially if you know you have a weak digestive system. Also, make sure you wash your hands well before you eat.

3. Protect yourself from insect bites

You could do this by applying an insect repellent cream. A great idea to combat mosquitoes is to add a few drops of citronella (a natural mosquito repellent) oil in your moisturizer.

4. Get vaccinated

Getting yourself vaccinated is important, especially if you’re travelling to places where chikungunya, malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, and others are common.

5. Avoid public toilets

This is especially true for women. Avoid sitting on a public toilet in order to spare yourself from infections.

6. Carry a first aid kit

No one knows what uncertainties they might have to face during their travel. Therefore, having a well-equipped first aid kit that contains common tablets and disinfectants, among other essentials is important.

7. Get medical help

If you feel any health complications or discomfort, make sure to visit a doctor at the earliest. You wouldn’t want anything going wrong, especially in a foreign land.

8. Get yourself insured

Getting a health insurance for travel is an important aspect of any trip. Although a travel health insurance doesn’t prevent a disease or medical condition, it certainly protects your finances if you get ill during your travel and have to incur heavy medical expenses. A few other benefits of a health insurance for travel are:

It covers the costs for prepaid holiday expenses like hotel bookings and flight tickets in case of a cancelled flight.
It provides you with comprehensive medical coverage while travelling.
Your baggage gets insured too, thus covering any losses you incur in case you lose your luggage.

A health insurance for overseas travel is particularly useful while travelling abroad as any medical expenses incurred abroad may burn a hole in your pocket. Today, a number of insurance companies like HDFC Ergo provide you with comprehensive health insurance for overseas travel from India.

Nothing is worse than dealing with worrisome medical issues when on holiday. So the next time you plan to travel, don’t forget to buy yourself a health insurance for foreign travel.

Qualifying for Travel Insurance when you have a Pre-existing Medical Condition

Why Travel Health Insurance is a Good Deal?

How the premium of medical/health insurance is calculated?

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