Traveler’s Health / Physical Expectations
Immunizations
Different destinations might have a varied assortment of recommended immunizations, especially travels to
It would behoove the savvy traveler to check the links below to see what is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization for your particular area of travel. Keep in mind that some of the immunizations must be given sequentially, spaced-out over a period of several weeks, so do not wait until the last minute to try to get immunized if it is required or suggested.
Most larger cities here in the States will have a travel clinic whose sole aim is to deal with clients traveling on business to various areas of the globe. They will be listed in the yellow pages of your telephone directory, or your family physician can make a referral for you (most health insurance plans will cover the majority of the expense, depending on your health plan, especially if it is remotely related to business travel). If you live in a rural setting, or a smaller town, your family physician can order-in the necessary medications with some advance notice.
Health and Travel Advisories
Hint: before you leave see if you need to take a Certificate of Vaccination with you to your destination.
Centers for Disease Control…they will advise you on what immunizations you need to go anywhere you want to go, and give you the latest on any outbreaks or travel advisories of which you should be aware.
World Health Organization…operated much like the CDC, but they concentrate on global problems, while CDC deals first with US problems…WHO has links for every country, outbreaks, tips, etc.
http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
US State Dept travel advisories…if there is some reason (health, security, political issues, etc) why you might need a heads-up before going there, these guys will give it to you.
Personal Physical Fitness/Allergies
If you have an existing medical condition that could possibly require immediate attention, you might re-think a foreign tour. Many of the regions have excellent medical systems, but response time to emergencies can occasionally be lacking due to access or traffic, and in remote areas response time can be downright abysmal. Jet helicopter medical evacuation services cannot be expected to be available in some locales.
If you have an existing food allergy, or any life-threatening allergy, a culinary tour probably isn’t for you. When you are dealing with cooking staff and wait people that speak a different language than yours or are of a different culture, mistakes can occasionally be made, and with extreme allergies mistakes can be critical. Walking through a field of vegetables or fruits, or cruising a flower market, with pollinating bees flitting about could be a bad situation for someone with an allergy to bee stings. You know your own limitations better than we do, and those with extreme allergies should carry injection remedies with them at all times. If it’s any comfort, Mick Vann, who will be on all Atlas trips, is trained and certified in adult CPR and standard first aid.
If you normally suffer from motion sickness take note that some of the roads we will travel on during some of our trips, particularly smaller, mountainous roads, can be rather twisty and curvy. If so inclined, you are expected to provide your own medication to combat motion sickness, and bring along disposable receptacles, such as plastic bags, if an accident should occur. We will also occasionally travel by small to medium-sized boats on some of our trips, so you should be able to get into and out of a boat when necessary, expect to get splashed occasionally, and notify the tour leader before leaving the dock if you cannot swim.
Avoiding Jet Lag
Jet lag is a disruption of your body’s internal clock caused by quickly passing through numerous time zones while in transit. Jet lag produced when heading east is always worse than heading west, since you cross time zones faster heading east, but regardless of your direction, there are actions that you can take to minimize the problem.
* Begin your trip well-rested and relaxed. Don’t spend the day before rushing around getting things you need for the trip or taking care of loose ends. Don’t stay up all night doing laundry or packing. Instead, start several days early by getting all of your errands finished and lay out all of your luggage contents, so you only need to pack them the night before.
* Try to adjust to the time of your destination as soon as possible. When you get on the plane, set your watch to the current time at your destination, and do whatever you can to coordinate with that new schedule while in transit: if it’s late night there, try to sleep; if it’s chow time, eat a bite.
* Sleep while on board is essential. Some folks just can’t sleep on a plane, but here are some tips that might help: Chose a menu that is high-carbohydrate/low protein if given the option, or take food with you. Wear earplugs and a sleep mask. Use a neck pillow that cradles the head, and get a blanket from the stewards. Loosen your shoes. Listen to soothing music. Meditate. If you have a regular pre-sleep routine, try to replicate it. There’s no shame in asking your doctor for sleep aids if all else fails.
* Keep your body hydrated. Jet cabins can suck moisture from your body worse than a desert, so it’s essential to drink plenty of fluids throughout the duration of the flight. Begin your hydration process a couple of days prior to your flight and consume 8 to 12 ounces of water per hour during the flight. Drink bottled water only…high e-coli bacterial counts have allegedly been discovered in airplane water systems lately.
* Avoid caffeine and alcohol 12 hours before your flight, and during the flight. Both will dehydrate your body, cause fitful sleep, and suppress your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone the body uses to set its time clock.
* Get some exercise when the opportunity arises. Make an extra lap or two when you go to the restroom, and with the extra liquids you will be going to the restroom. Go to the open areas in the cabin and do some moderate stretching. While seated, do the exercises (listed to help prevent deep-vein thrombosis) that are illustrated in the in-flight magazine.
* When you arrive, resist the temptation to take a nap or go to sleep. Plunge into your new destination and try to get out into the sunlight…it will help your body adjust to the new schedule. Go to sleep only when you normally would in the new time zone. Chances are you’ll still wake up earlier than normal. Take advantage of the early start by hitting some markets, as they will be bustling very early in the morning. And don’t forget to reverse the procedure before your flight back home.
DVT:
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the veins of the legs, and it can occur during long-haul flights (usually on those greater than 8 hours). If the clot forms and then breaks-free to make its way to the lungs it can be fatal. It’s thought to be brought about by extended periods of sitting with no exercise and little movement in tightly cramped quarters (exactly like those found in coach class seats on overseas flights)…thus the diagrams of isometric exercises that appear in all of the airline’s in-flight magazines. According to the National Institutes of Health, some 2 million Americans are affected by DVT annually.
Dr. John Scurr, a British cardiovascular surgeon doing DVT research for the World Health Organization now claims that a naturally-occurring antioxidant known as pycnogenol (found in the bark of a species of French maritime pine) might considerably reduce your risk for DVT. His findings show that pycnogenol improves circulation, prevents edema (swelling of the ankles), and can offer a degree of protection against DVT. Scurr’s preliminary findings are further corroborated by independent research published in the journal Clinical Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis. Larger clinical trials are planned for the future.
Pycnogenol has been available in the
The following practices are recommended by those in the know to help you avoid DVT:
1. Travel in 1st or business class where there is much more room (if you can afford the luxury)
2. Drink lots of water
3. Get up and stretch, and walk around if possible, every 20 to 30 minutes during the flight (a great reason to secure an aisle seat).
4. Do the isometric exercises that are diagrammed in the in-flight magazines
5. Wear elastic compression stockings during the flight (available from a number of travel supply companies, see links below) …you might clear this first with your doctor
6. Take prophylactic antioxidant dietary supplements
7. Take heart-dose mg aspirin (after a meal) at appropriate intervals
Note: Mick Vann, the author of this article, is not a physician or medical professional. Always verify your DVT prevention regimen with your personal physician or an appropriate health professional.