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Travelers' Health

Key Points:

• Health risks vary according to destination, itinerary, duration of journey, and medical history of the traveler.
• Up to 65% of travelers to the developing world self-report a health problem during their trip. Most of these are mild, self-limited illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, and skin disorders.
• About 8 percent of these travelers are sick enough to seek medical care either while traveling abroad or shortly after returning home.
• Pre-departure planning, with assessment of potential disease risks, can help prevent illness or injury during your travel abroad.

Bear in mind, though, that traveling is usually good for one’s physical and emotional health. Aside from seeking holiday pleasures, some people travel to improve their lifestyle, perhaps to change harmful personal habits, “get in shape”—or temporarily (perhaps permanently) leave a stressful job, a bad relationship, a harsh climate, or other adverse life situation.

Prevention of Illness

Preventing illness abroad involves learning as much as possible about the countries you will be visiting, consulting with a travel medicine provider www.medodeal.com to receive immunizations and medications and taking the necessary clothing, equipment, or devices (such as a water filter or mosquito net) to deal with local health conditions and climate. Your own health status should also be evaluated.

Most travel-related diseases can be prevented. Hepatitis, meningitis, yellow fever, and rabies are some of the many diseases that can be prevented by vaccination. Chemoprophylaxis, combined with protective measures against mosquito bites, can prevent virtually all cases of malaria, as well as many other insect-transmitted diseases, such as dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis. Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, can be avoided with behavior modification.

Types of Illnesses

Diarrhea ) This is the most common malady affecting travelers. There is a 35% to 60% chance that you will acquire travelers’ diarrhea during a month-long trip to a less-developed country. Adhering to safe food and drink practices can reduce your risk (but most travelers have trouble sticking to the guidelines). Prompt treatment with antibiotics and loperamide quickly controls most cases of travelers’ diarrhea.

Malaria  This mosquito-transmitted illness, which can be fatal, is the most important parasitic disease to avoid overseas. Malaria is a serious health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Check your itinerary carefully to assess your risk of exposure.

Hepatitis  The viruses hepatitis A and hepatitis B pose potential risks for some travelers. Although both are rarely fatal, hepatitis A can ruin a carefully planned vacation and result in weeks or months of disability; contracting hepatitis B can have serious long-term consequences, including cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. You can prevent both hepatitis A and hepatitis B with vaccination. Although there are no vaccines against hepatitis C and E, Chapter 12 outlines measures you can take to reduce your risk of these illnesses.

Other Illnesses Colds and respiratory infections, skin rashes, ear infections, sunburn, sprains, contusions, and superficial injuries account for the majority of less serious problems.

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