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Essential travel tips for avoiding sickness and staying healthy

Written by Fiona

May 07 2019

Are you going to be travelling soon? Perhaps you have an adventure holiday planned, or a long flight as part of a business trip, or you are planning an exciting family vacation. These essential travel tips will help to ensure you enjoy a holiday in the best health.

Rest well

It is important to prepare your body and mind at least a day, if not two days, in advance a travel trip. Resting well before the journey allows you to be better able to cope with the pressures of travelling.

Lack of sleep and increased stress can weaken your body’s defence mechanism and make you more susceptible to acquiring infections from the countless people you will come into contact with while travelling.

Furthermore, getting sufficient sleep beforehand will keep you alert and prevent sudden bouts of drowsiness and any subsequent mishaps or lapses of judgment during travel.

If you find yourself too wound up to relax the day before, try a 15-minute session of full-body stretches, yoga, or calming meditation to relieve stress and help you get some valuable shut-eye before your departure.

Stock up on the basics

When it comes to staying fit and healthy en route to your destination, it goes without saying that you need to have a disease-fighting kit equipped with the necessary items and medicines.

Hand sanitisers are a must for best hygiene before eating and to avoid nasty stomach bugs. The surfaces of your table and seat can be easily wiped down with antibacterial wipes, as these are often breeding grounds for infections that can spread from person to person.

Keeping over-the-counter medicines such mild painkillers, antibiotics, antihistamines, migraine treatments and antacids handy will allow you to be ready to deal with any unexpected illness that might take hold.

It would help to make your daily vitamins and supplements to give your immune system a much-needed boost before you travel. If you are wondering where to find these, check out Click Pharmacy, where you can buy the things you will most need to stay healthy and infection-free while you are on your trip.

Pack spare clothes and useful items in hand luggage.

What to wear

Make sure you will be comfortable in your travel clothing. Tight fitting clothing will feel restrictive and could cause you to end up too hot and sweaty.

If you know that circulation is an issue for you, wear compression flight socks and choose shoes that you can easily remove when on the plane.

Make sure you have a few items in your hand luggage that will keep you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot. Temperatures, for example in planes, can vary a great deal.

You will walk about a lot when travelling, so wear comfortable and cushioned footwear.

A travel pillow can be useful for comfort while on a plane or long train journey.

Sleep easy

If you know you will be travelling overnight or on a long haul flight make sure you have products that will help with this. A travel pillow or neck supporter could be useful. Headphones and ear-plugs will allow you to block out background noise. An eye mask could be a good idea, too.

Pre-travel vaccinations

While these may not be necessary for all destinations, it is advisable to check with a local health authority or your medical practice to see if there are recommended vaccinations.

More tip tips

There are many tips for good health and safety. Here are a few more preventive measures and precautions to pay attention to before any real issue has set in:

  • Stay well hydrated. The role of water in staying healthy during a journey cannot be emphasised enough. Stress, sweating, long walks and travelling in the dry atmosphere of an air-conditioned space can dehydrate the body without you even noticing. Keeping up a regular intake of water can prevent lightheadedness, excessive thirst, an uncomfortably dry nasal cavity and a dry mouth.
  • Avoid alcohol as this can simply add to dehydration.
  • If you’re beginning to feel a head cold coming on, request some warm tea, and use a nasal decongestant for instant relief.
  • Feeling edgy due to the drop in cabin pressure? Take a few, slow deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth to calm yourself down.
  • Get up and take a stroll along the aisle to stretch your legs and prevent lower back pain and cramping of your legs.
  • Skip the movie marathon when on long trips and make sure to catch up on sleep to help your body recover.

Considering how often people travel these days, it is paramount to ensure you stay in the best of health before, during and after your trip. Bon voyage!

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