10 Life-Saving Tips for Travel Health

Human beings cannot understand the value of some things without losing them. Health is one of those whose value is understood when it is lost. Those who follow my blog on social media will remember, a few months ago I had to make changes in my life because I started having some health problems. Of course, it was inevitable that these changes, which I had to make into a lifestyle from now on, would affect my travels. In this article, it is stated that not only those with health problems, but also healthy people will increase their travel quality. travel health tips I will try to give.

1. If your body is giving a signal, listen to it.

First of all, let me briefly talk about my own health problem; the venous valves in the head of my leg, being forward in my left leg and in the middle level in my right leg, were not working. Not working means blood is pumped to the leg but cannot return. It has effects such as swelling, aches and pains in the legs. Although these symptoms appeared seriously 1 year ago, I probably caused the process to accelerate by doing things that I did not take seriously and on top of that, gaining weight, continuing to travel without rest for a long time. Be yourself, if your body gives any abnormal signals during your travels, you should definitely see a doctor while traveling or returning.

2. Do not forget that drinking water is the cure for many problems.

“Drinking water as much as the body needs”, which is in the first place in all healthy nutrition recommendations, is also one of the sine qua non for travel health. During travel, we lose much more water than we normally lose, consciously or unknowingly. When traveling, always keep water in your bag and take care to drink no less than 2 liters a day. It will not only replace the fluids you have lost, but also eliminate the edema that will occur in the body due to reasons such as flights, changes in your eating habits, and increased alcohol consumption.

While traveling, there are some things you should pay attention to in water consumption for travel health;
– take care to consume bottled water unless you are sure otherwise,
– If you are not sure of the cleanliness level of the place you are going, do not ask for ICE to your drinks, since the ice is mostly made of tap water, you will be drinking it without noticing the bacteria you are trying to escape.

3. Always try to move around on long plane, bus or train journeys.

Since I am a person who can sleep very comfortably on long trips, I would stay still for hours. However, since being inactive for a long time slows down blood circulation, it carries a life-threatening risk, especially in overweight people, I just learned. To eliminate this risk;
– increase your water consumption before and during the flight,
– if you are overweight or have circulatory problems, use a blood thinner such as coraspin and use compression stockings, which you can also find as travel socks. Thus, you will facilitate your blood circulation,
– If you can walk in the vehicle you are in, walk, if you cannot walk, relax your body by doing small stretching movements. Rotating your ankles up and down and on their axis will also work.

4. Call the nearest travel health center before you travel.

Travel Health Centers are the most reliable authority that can inform you about the health warnings and / or precautions for the regions you are going to. They will help you with many issues such as epidemic diseases in the destination, vaccinations to be taken, medicines you need to carry with you. You can go to the center and get the necessary vaccinations free of charge.

5. Prepare a small first aid kit.

Always have a bag ready, which contains simple first aid materials such as band-aids and bandages, as well as creams that you can use for pain relief, spasm and burn treatment. It is also good to have cold and vitamin pills with you. Apart from these, if you have a regular ailment, you should definitely have your medications with you.

6. Pay attention to what you eat and drink during the trip.

This is the item that I recommend, but that I have had the most difficulty in applying so far. This is a substance that compels me because I love to eat and drink and I have a "how many times do we come here, no matter what we find" point of view. One of my chances is that my stomach doesn't get upset easily. However, be mindful of your own limits. Don't let a food or drink that your stomach is not accustomed to poison your whole trip. Unfamiliar additions such as oil and spices used in the cuisines of different countries do not only upset our stomach, but also cause an increase in the level of edema in our body. Therefore, increase your water consumption. Again, consuming more alcohol than we normally consume during travel will tire our body, I'm not saying don't drink, but it's best not to exaggerate 🙂

If you say you want but cannot achieve a healthy diet, you are an expert on healthy nutrition recommendations. Dietitian Ayşe Tuğba Şengelwill guide you through his office or online diet app.

7. First aid saves lives!

Although it is not compulsory, getting first aid training is very useful both during travel and in accidents that may occur at any time in your daily life.

8. Pay attention to the safety warnings in the regions you visit.

Especially if you are going to countries/regions that are problematic in terms of security, for your life safety beyond travel health;
– Check if there are warnings about the countries you will go to on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although, when I went to Indonesia, it was not recommended to go to the country because of the risk of tsunami and volcano eruption, but at least you know the risks.
– If there is no tourism office in your destination, get information about the region by sending a message to a local authority (consulate, embassy can also be used) in advance. Some Turkish consulates may be hospitable and host you. Before I went to Mongolia, I had the chance to get a lot of information from the embassy staff there.
– When you go to your accommodation, make sure to ask if there are any areas of concern in terms of security. Since I asked this question to the hostel I was staying at in South Africa, they called when it was late in the evening and asked if I was okay. It's good that someone has your back, especially if you're traveling alone.

9. Traveling is the best way to get to know someone.

Do not ask what is this article doing in travel health recommendations. If you're traveling with someone, not only do you need to be healthy, your companion must be in as good a condition as you are, for your trip to be enjoyable. You have taken all the precautions, but if your travel companion has fallen ill, your trip will be ruined.

There were 3 of us on my Vietnam trip and my legs were so swollen that I couldn't walk. My wife and close friend traveling with me had to slow down a lot because of me. While I was planning to take a little tour in Bangkok on the way back, I couldn't walk, so I could only find enough energy to eat and return. They compelled to follow me.

10. Make sure you travel with the right equipment.

There is a saying that "there is no bad weather, there is the wrong equipment", especially those who do extreme sports often use it. If you like to travel to different continents and experience different activities like me, if your equipment is not right, it may let you down. In order not to be stranded or to get sick on the journey;
– Be sure to check the weather conditions of the place you are going to, and take clothes with you accordingly,
– If you are going to participate in activities such as hiking, choose sweat-proof, easy-drying clothes. Depending on the activity you are going to do, you can take your materials such as baton and leggings with you or see if there are rental options where you go.
– If your destination is a place with mosquitoes or various bugs, be sure to choose clothes that will keep you cool but cover your arms and legs, silk cloth or silk clothes will make your job easier. Of course, it is also good to take fly repellent and anti-itch products after being bitten.

BONUS: No matter where I go, I always have a fleece, a raincoat and a bikini in my bag, you never know what we will encounter 😉

Wishing you always stay healthy on the road...