It is often thought that flying increases your chances of becoming ill. The small bathrooms that are repeatedly used by dozens of passengers, the tired seats, and my God, the recirculated air. All of these things conjure up images of a microbial feeding frenzy. We have been conditioned to think that we are more likely [...]
Have you traveled to an area where malaria is endemic? Do you think you are in the clear once you get home? Wrong. Malaria symptoms can emerge up to 25 days after initial infection. In other words, you could find yourself coming down with malaria a few weeks removed from your vacation. There are several [...]
Finding health insurance when you have a pre-existing medical condition is not easy. Often, prices are inflated and coverage is limited, and that's if you can find a carrier that will take you in the first place. Unfortunately, the same is true for travel health insurance. There are a few things you can do to [...]
We have now seen several incarnations of Avian Bird Flu. Back in 1997, H5N1 got the avian influenza party started, but there are now multiple strains and it's likely that more will develop as industrialized farming of poultry will continue and humans will remain a part of that process. This post will discuss the threat [...]
Whether at home or on the road, problems with the epidermis are inevitable. Stings, bites, rashes, and I guess we could throw in mild burns, are even more nerve wracking while traveling because you may be caught off guard in a foreign land, which can add to the stress of the situation. In this post, [...]
UPDATE (5/14/14): The latest from the WHO has the MERS virus rising in urgency, but it still falls short of a global health emergency. There is more information in this article. UPDATE (5/3/14): We are still seeing cases of MERS. In fact, an American traveler was recently diagnosed after returning home. It's important to note [...]
Going to the dentist is rarely (can we say never?) an enjoyable experience. But when you are at home, you at least know what to expect. Finding a dentist abroad and having your teeth worked on, even if it's just for a simple cleaning, can be daunting. In this post, we offer a few tips [...]
I've told you about my heartburn, right? Yeah, I have. I mentioned it in this post about doxycycline. You see, I took doxycycline for 6 months as a malaria prophylactic and subsequently developed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It has been debilitating in many ways. Symptoms of GERD can include heartburn, a cough, and miserably, the [...]
There are times when a little constipation is not a bad thing. You know, when you're on a 36 hour bus trip, for example. For the most part, however, constipation is an unwanted malady, and one that can actually be quite uncomfortable and even painful. In this post, we will talk about why travelers are [...]
With talk of yet another incarnation of Avian Bird Flu, there is much speculation as to whether we will soon see a pandemic. In this post, we will take a look at possible pandemic scenarios in an attempt to understand how likely they are to occur. A pandemic refers to a disease outbreak that effects [...]
