Knowing Health Risks for Summer Travel Abroad

Summer is a great time for travel abroad. It would be wonderful to plan an interesting trip overseas, and just hop on the plane and go. However, if you do this, you subject yourself to some health risks! Some of these may seem commonsense, but others are risks you may not even know about. If you plan to travel abroad this summer, arm yourself with some defenses so that you can have the best trip possible. Learn about the health risks and keep your health during your stay and when you return home.

If you plan to travel overseas, there are many things you should know and things you should do. Some popular destinations include Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, South Africa, the Caribbean, and Australia. Once you choose your destination you will have many things to learn. Some of these include the quality of the drinking water, insect diseases, and swimming risks. Then, you must learn what precautions to take. For instance, you can get immunizations, find out about medical facilities where you will be traveling, and bring a first -aid kit.

The following is a list of items to check out for any area you will be visiting:

1. Drinking water- is it safe?

2. Insects- are there any current concerns such as west nile virus in mosquitoes?

3. Animal risk- are there any current concerns like bird flu?

4. Human risk- are there any current contagious diseases, such as a flu outbreak or tuberculosis threat?

5. Food risk- are there any foods that are unsafe, such as seafood in certain regions?

6. Are there health facilities available in the region? Are they up to par medically?

Here is a list of precautions you could take before the trip:

1. Visit your doctor and find out what to do

2. Get vaccinations, at least eight weeks in advance of your trip.

Some vaccinations you might need:

Malaria- transmitted by mosquitoes

Hepatitis A and B

Yellow Fever

Poliomyelite

Tetanos

Typhoid

Meningitis

3. Build up your immune system.