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Healthy Tips for Summer Travelers

by Roba Whiteley, Executive Director, Together Rx Access
While summer may take you away from your regular routine, don’t take a vacation from eating healthy or exercising -- especially when traveling.

Here are some helpful tips to make your summer trips healthier.

  • Pack a travel health kit. Make sure to pack all the necessary health items you will need during your trip. These items may include prescription and over-the-counter medications you take regularly. To help prevent illness on the road, pack antihistamine/decongestant, anti-motion sickness medication, or medicine for pain or fever (i.e., acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen), insect repellent, sunscreen, and antibacterial hand wipes or hand sanitizer. Don’t forget basic first aid items such as bandages, antiseptic, sunburn ointment and a digital thermometer.
Tips for Summer Travelers
  • While en route, drink plenty of water and move around. During long plane, train, bus or car rides, make sure you take breaks. Get up and move around to reduce your risk of deep vein thrombosis or blood clots in your legs from sitting too long. And, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
  • Fit in exercise. Travelers can squeeze in a quick and easy workout in just a few minutes by doing old-fashioned calisthenics such as jumping jacks, squats, push-ups and sit-ups. Only fifteen minutes of these simple exercises, which can be done anywhere using your own body weight, challenge the major muscle groups, help maintain fitness, and -- if done in rapid sequence -- increase your heart rate.
  • Check your health when preparing for international travel. Before taking a trip overseas, visit your doctor for a checkup and check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel health page for updates on infectious diseases − cholera, tuberculosis, yellow fever, flu − that are particularly common in remote destinations. Travel health requirements may be required for the countries you plan to visit, such as necessary immunizations or tests. Also, some medications may not be available outside of the U.S. or are different overseas. Check with your doctor to find out about prescription refills for any medications you take regularly.
  • Take some extra precautions for cruise ship travel. While cruising can be extremely relaxing, some potential health hazards are associated with cruise ship travel. Make sure you are up-to-date on important vaccinations, such as measles/mumps/rubella, varicella, and seasonal flu. You may be exposed to fellow travelers and cruise ship members from countries where vaccination for these diseases is not routine. Also, while on board, wash your hands with soap and water frequently and/or use hand sanitizer to prevent outbreaks of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, mainly caused by norovirus. For more information about staying healthy during cruise ship travel, visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/cruise-ship.
Sources:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/common-travel-health-topics
http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/tc/travel-health-topic-overview
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