Staying healthy involves more than just getting your “shots”. Everyone knows that vaccinations are an essential part of travelling in this day and age but what do YOU need for the countries you plan on visiting?
Whether you are considering a short or even an extended period overseas, one important detail cannot be overlooked is your health! Consider that your body will endure a change in time, climate, diet and the type of advice you will receive will depend on whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions and of course your destination. Some medical conditions (diabetes, heart or stomach concerns, pregnancy) can cause you to pick up infections more easily and some illnesses are more severe if you are pregnant.
It doesn’t matter if you start your trip fit and healthy because you may return with more than you contended with. In the next coming weeks we hope to address important and often forgotten issues such as travelling with prescriptions, culture shock and how it can affect your well being, children and travel just to name a few. There a health professionals, clinics and sites that can assist with other important topics such as food and water precautions, insect precautions for malaria and other insect related disease, traveller’s diarrhea, safety, sun protection, and information on specific diseases. Plan for a healthy trip!
Travel Health on Line is a traveller education service which addresses a wide range of general health and safety information including vaccines, health issues for special need travellers, a list of travel health providers and an interesting read – the Consular Information Sheet on all countries around the world. No wonder they give you peanuts on fights!!
Did you know that PEANUTS have a healing nutrient: Resveratrol, a compound that fights blood clots. After much media attention on how to prevent on flight blood clots maybe peanuts are the go! Red grapes have resveratrol too — but it takes about 1½ cups of grapes to get the resveratrol or about 17 nuts! Bonus!
MASTA NZ – is a provider of practical information and advice on the Travel Health needs of New Zealand Travellers.
Travellers Medical Vaccination Centre (The Travel Doctor), was established in 1987 and is one of the largest individual suppliers of travel medicine services in the world.
Foot and Mouth Disease
Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly contagious animal virus which is not believed to be dangerous for humans. However, humans may act as carriers of the virus if they have been in contact with an infected animal. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) in the UK have covered some useful topics in their website such as infected areas, facts on the disease, advice for people working in the countryside around animals and consumer information. It is being advised that only essential visits to farms should be permitted and visitors should have no contact with stock..