As the summer holiday season fast approaches, if you are anything like us, you are starting to get excited about your next adventure. We are heading to The Balkans for two weeks of fun in the sun and we cannot wait. In fact, we have already grabbed the big cases out of the loft and have made lists of what we will be packing. We love the feeling that travelling gives us – seeing new places, experiencing new cuisines and cultures and spending time away from the ‘real’ world for a while.
However, sometimes things don’t go to plan and injuries or illnesses can spoil your holiday. Urgh, just the thought of being bed bound when we should be out exploring our surroundings fills me with dread, but it can happen and if it does you could always look at holiday sickness claims and holiday illness compensation. Especially if it has ruined your holiday or you still are experiencing the lasting effects of the illness even after you return home.
There are ways, you can help yourself though and we have put together the following checklist and prompts and we hope it helps you stay healthy whilst on your holiday.
Pack the Essentials
I’ll be honest, when Mr ESLT and I first started travelling together, we used to pack the contents of the bathroom cabinet or buy new packets of everything, which when you travel frequently is not only wasteful but costly too. Also, it was taking up space in our luggage, which when travelling with hand luggage only, is precious. Therefore, now we have a little travel first aid kit to ensure we stay healthy, that we pack for travelling. It contains just the essentials – plasters, paracetamol, Imodium and a few other bits and bobs, depending on where we are travelling to. It comes with us everywhere and we simply replenish it as and when we need to.
Ensure You Are Vaccinated
Again depending on where you are travelling to will depend on what vaccinations you need to travel to that place to stay healthy. We are very lucky that our doctor’s surgery offers free travel vaccinations, we know many don’t. However, even if we had to pay, we would, as the cost of the vaccine would be nowhere near the medical bills we would rack up if we were struck down with something whilst one holiday that could have been preventable. Also, once you have been vaccinated, ask the doctor/nurse for an immunisation card which will show the date it was administered, so you know when you need another one or a booster in the future.
Protect Yourself from the Sun
If you are a regular reader of our blog you will know that we are massive advocates of protecting your skin against the sun’s harmful rays. If a golden tan is the aim of the game when it comes to your holiday, it’s vital that it is done in a safe way and a suitable SPF is used. The number of people developing skin cancer is on the rise, in fact, Cancer Research UK’s statistics show that 1 in 54 people will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma during their lifetime – scary stuff. So if you don’t want to run the risk or getting ill yourself or end up looking like Madge from the TV show Benidorm, protect yourself or better still fake it.
Stay Hydrated
Unless you are teetotal, the likelihood is that when you go on holiday, your alcohol intake increases. Whether it be a couple of beers with your lunch, the cheeky mid-afternoon cocktail or the bottle (or two) of wine you share with your travel companion with your dinner. It may not seem that much but if you are doing it for 14 days straight, it’s a lot. So, it’s important to drink a lot of water alongside it to ensure you stay healthy and stay hydrated (in the right way), especially if you’re in a hot, sunny place. Feeling dizzy or actually passing out is never fun. Therefore, sticking a few rehydration sachets in your first aid kit may come in handy and aid recovery.
Watch What You Eat
Having eaten food all over the world, we’ve only been ill a few times afterwards. That’s not because we only eat in high-end restaurants. In fact, some of the best food we’ve had has come from street vendors. It’s because we’re conscious of something we eat may make us ill. Buffets can often be the worst culprits, especially when things are left out, sometimes for hours being nibbled on (and worse) by pesky disease spreading critters. Therefore, freshly cooked food is always, where possible, our go-to and we always wash fruit before taking a bite in order to stay healthy. However, if the worst should happen we always have our trusty Imodium in our first aid kit.
Keep Out Of the Water
If the swimming pool at your hotel looks murky and uninviting, our advice is to stay away if you want to stay healthy. The likelihood is that it will leave you feeling very ill, as so many diseases are waterborne including giardia, salmonella and E Coli, amongst many others. None of which are pleasant and contracting any of them is a sure-fire way of ensuring the toilet becomes your best friend. Some cases can be so severe that Imodium or anti-sickness tablets will not help. If you’re travelling on a package holiday through a travel agent, then report any issues to your in-resort rep and to the hotel directly, this could help you should you need to make a claim once you get home from your holiday.
Practice Safe Sex
Obviously, if you are travelling with your partner, it’s likely that you will have your birth control method in place before you take your trip but if as a couple you do rely on condoms, make sure to pack some. With cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea and genital herpes are all on the rise, if there is the possibility that you will hook up on your holiday, regardless of if you are going with a group of friends or even on your own, Shirley Valentine-style, condoms again are necessary. As a number of STIs can go undetected for a long time, you may not realise until long after you have returned that you have picked one up. Surely it’s better to be safe than sorry?
Look After Your Mental Health
Your physical health is obviously very important, but so is your mental health. Many people may think a holiday is a perfect thing for you, however, in a lot of cases, travel can actually trigger anxiety. I personally have horrendous night terrors, which seem to get worse when on holiday. Therefore it is important to ensure you take care of yourself. Even if you do not have a mental health diagnosis, it’s vital that you make time for yourself and do the things you want to do, if you need it. That could be a long walk, reading a book or even a nap. Self-care is super important and should not be compromised when on holiday.
If you have worked hard all year to pay for your annual break, the last thing you want is for your precious time away to be ruined. Therefore, we hope our list helps you stay healthy and happy on holiday.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list? If so please let us know in the comments section below.
- Collaborative Post
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