Top Travel Tips
Here are our top tips to avoid health problems while on holiday.
- Be wise before the event - make sure you know the risks you run in the countries you are to visit and take the relevant precautions, don’t travel blindly.
- Only eat foods which have been thoroughly cooked and are still hot when they arrive in front of you - in particular, do not eat fish or shellfish which is raw or undercooked.
- Only eat fruit which you have peeled yourself - avoid unpeeled fruit like grapes and fruit which someone else has peeled.
- Avoid salads - many salad vegetables are hard to wash (like lettuce) and they may have been washed in contaminated water.
- Don’t buy food from street vendors - if keep-cool facilities are inadequate food may harbour salmonella or other harmful bacteria, and poor hygiene can allow viruses to flourish.
- For drinks, stick to bottled and canned drinks, or tea and coffee made with boiled water. Only drink water from a tap in countries where you are certain that the water supply has been thoroughly de-contaminated - otherwise drink bottled water and make sure the seal on any bottle is unbroken.
- Don’t put ice in your drink - it may have been made with contaminated water, freezing it doesn’t remove bacteria or viruses.
- If travelling to malaria-infected areas, always take essential basic precautions. Click here to learn more.
- When flying, get up and move around the plane and stretch to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis.
- Never fly if you feel ill before take-off - have a check-up before taking the risk.
- Don’t wear contact lens on long flights as your eyes can become irritated and sore.
- Build some rest into your schedule if you change time zones.
