You've probably heard about probiotics. They are often mentioned as a way to re-sync GI tracts that are going haywire. Many people swear by them and won't leave for a trip without them. Some people take them daily whether they are traveling or not. Are probiotics as effective as these people profess? Should you invest [...]
Travel Health Tips
This category contains tips for staying healthy on the road.
Below are travel health tips from some very well traveled folks. Between them, few countries and territories have been unexplored and few illnesses and travel health disasters remain to be experienced. For the record, none of the tips involve turbo viagra, a concoction I discovered in Morocco. I simply find the pic amusing, and I [...]
Depending on where you are going, you might not need any vaccinations at all. On the other hand, you might need two arms worth. For many forms of international travel, getting stuck by a bunch of needles is a rite of passage. Here you will find: what travel immunizations and vaccinations you need to get [...]
Almost everyone has experienced at least one form of motion sickness. Boat, plane, car, train - motion sickness can happen on any of these. The symptoms range from mild nausea and dizziness to vomiting and cold sweats. Motion sickness is thought to be primarily caused by conflicting neural signals. Your inner ear helps your body [...]
Despite my pale skin, I have spent a lot of time hanging out around the equator. Every now and then, I get a horrific sun burn that propels me to a likely rendez-vous with skin cancer somewhere down the line. For the most part though, I avoid sunburn. This post will explain how. Before I [...]
I have now spent what I consider to be a significant amount of time in West Africa. My first taste of the region came in 2005 when I studied abroad in Accra, Ghana. During that semester, I was also able to visit Togo, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Last year, I took my time traveling through [...]
Medical evacuation is a term occasionally attached to certain brands of travel insurance. It conjures up images of helicopter rescues in remote areas, emergencies that are serious and time sensitive. Are these services real? Yes, they are real, and depending on the company, they can provide a serious level of care and attention. Here is [...]
Giardiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the single celled organism Giardia. Expect some combination of diarrhea, bloating, vomiting and nausea. Also, sulphur smelling burps - this is one of the most commonly reported symptoms with giardiasis. Long-term infections can cause weight loss, malnutrition and loss of appetite. Giardiasis may be less alarming than other [...]
We have previously discussed the importance of treating water (see our article How to Prevent and Treat Traveler's Diarrhea). If you are traveling in the developing world, tap water is often unsafe to drink and in rural areas, well water will certainly make you sick. If you are not trying to spend lots of money [...]
Traveler's diarrhea is the universal affliction. It affects nearly everyone traveling in developing world areas. There are steps you can take to prevent it, but don't be surprised if you come down with a case of the runs despite efforts to eat and drink carefully. Thankfully, most cases of traveler's diarrhea are short-lived and they [...]
