Staying Healthy While Traveling
Nothing derails a trip faster than getting sick far from home. Most travel illness is preventable with a few habits and a little preparation. This guide covers the practical health basics that keep you on your feet and out of foreign clinics.
Before You Go
Check recommended and required vaccinations for your destination 4–8 weeks ahead — some need multiple doses over time.
Common travel vaccines include hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and (for certain regions) yellow fever, which may be required for entry.
Visit a travel clinic or doctor for destination-specific advice, including malaria prophylaxis if needed.
Pack enough prescription medication for the whole trip plus extra, in original labeled packaging, with a doctor's note for controlled substances.
Food & Water Safety
In areas with unsafe tap water, drink bottled or purified water — and use it for brushing teeth too.
'Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.' Hot, freshly cooked food is safest; raw salads and unpeeled fruit washed in tap water are risky.
Be cautious with ice, which is often made from tap water.
Busy street stalls with high turnover are often safer than empty restaurants — food is fresh and cooked to order.
Wash or sanitize your hands before eating, every time.
Traveler's Diarrhea
It's the most common travel illness — usually from contaminated food or water — and most cases resolve in a few days.
Stay hydrated with oral rehydration salts; dehydration is the real danger, especially in heat.
Pack anti-diarrheal medication for emergencies (long bus rides, flights) and consider it only for symptom control, not a cure.
See a doctor if you have a high fever, blood in your stool, or symptoms lasting more than a few days — you may need antibiotics.
Motion Sickness & Altitude
For motion sickness, sit where movement is least — over the wing on planes, mid-ship on boats, front seat in cars — and look at the horizon.
Anti-nausea tablets work best taken before travel, not after symptoms start; ginger and acupressure bands help some people.
At high altitude, ascend gradually, stay hydrated, and rest on arrival. Watch for altitude sickness symptoms (headache, nausea, breathlessness) and descend if they worsen.
Sun, Heat & Insects
Use high-SPF sunscreen and reapply often; the sun is stronger near the equator and at altitude than you expect.
In hot climates, hydrate constantly and pace yourself to avoid heat exhaustion.
Use insect repellent with DEET or picaridin in areas with mosquito-borne diseases (malaria, dengue, Zika); cover up at dawn and dusk.
Sleep under a treated net where mosquito-borne illness is a risk.
Your Travel Health Kit
Pain/fever relief, anti-diarrheal and oral rehydration salts, antihistamine, and motion-sickness tablets.
Plasters, antiseptic wipes, blister care, and any personal prescriptions.
Hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and insect repellent.
A digital copy of your prescriptions and your travel insurance emergency number.
Know how to reach local emergency services and the nearest reputable hospital at your destination.