Go For It!
Getting away from it all is important to your physical
and mental well-being. Vacations allow us to rest, have
fun and spend time with our loved ones.
Often we choose to holiday in foreign lands where we can
enjoy ourselves and learn more about the world around
us. However, it is important to take some health precautions.
Ignoring them could ruin your fun, damage your body and
turn your vacation into a nigaspare.
Plan Ahead
Six weeks before you leave home, check with your family
doctor about vaccinations. Different parts of the world
have different health hazards.
The Travellers' Health & Vaccination Centre at Tan Tock
Seng Hospital (telephone 357-2222) can also advise you.
Pack a medicine kit with plasters, disinfectant and antiseptic
creams. Bring along paracetamol or acetaminophen tablets
for fever, headaches or muscle aches. Ask your doctor
about medication for treatment of diarrhoea. Take packets
of oral hydration salts to avoid dehydration. Include
your children's medicines for controlling fever and pain.
Don't forget sunblock and a wide-brimmed hat. If you're
going to a place with lots of bugs, take insect repellent.
Flying Couch Potatoes
Sitting for long periods of time on an aeroplane can make
you feel edgy. Airlines try and keep passengers happy
by offering them lots to eat and drink. Drinking too much
alcohol and stuffing yourself with food will add to your
discomfort. Water, fresh fruits and vegetables will help
your digestion and prevent constipation.
Stay away from cigarette smoke. Even if you sit in the
non-smoking section, you will be exposed to second hand
smoke through the air ventilation system. The best solution
is to fly on a smoke-free aircraft. If you smoke, this
is a good time to go cold turkey and quit.
About every hour or so, get up and walk around the cabin.
Find a place to stretch, rotate your ankles, wrist and
neck to exercise your muscles and get the circulation
going.
Jet Lag
If you're travelling long distances, your sleep patterns
will get interrupted resulting in jet lag. There's not
much you can do about it. Just remember it will go away.
You can help your body clock readjust by setting your
watch to the time at your destination once you board the
aircraft. Take meals and sleep according to your new timetable.
When you arrive, go to sleep if it is night time and stay
awake if it is day time.
Watch What You Eat
Contaminated foods can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, typhoid,
cholera and Hepatitis A. To be on the safe side, avoid
uncooked meat and fish, salads, fruits without peels,
raw vegetables, tap water, ice cubes and unpasteurised
milk.
Diarrhoea is a common traveller's complaint. It is caused
by eating and drinking contaminated food and water. Symptoms
include abdominal cramps, nausea and slight fever. Aside
from the discomfort, the biggest concern is loss of fluids.
For mild diarrhoea, drink plenty of isotonic fluids. If
the symptoms do not subside after two days, see a doctor.
Fun In The Sun
A bad sun burn is painful and can destroy your vacation.
Too much sun when you're young can catch up with you later
in the form of skin damage and even cancer. Apply sunscreen
or sunblock when out in the sun. Wear a hat to protect
your head and face and sunglasses to protect your eyes
from harmful ultraviolet rays. Children are especially
vulnerable.
Mosquito Alert
Malaria and dengue fever are the two most common mosquito-borne
diseases.
The first step in avoiding these diseases is not to get
bitten. Do not apply perfume or cologne. Avoid wearing
dark clothing. Wear clothing with long sleeves and pants.
Use insect repellents containing at least 30 per cent
DEET (diethyltolumide). Burn mosquito coils but make sure
the room is well-ventilated. Use an electric fan at night
to discourage mosquitoes from settling. Too much exposure
to insecticide can be harmful. Children can't take large
doses and therefore shouldn't be taken to destinations
where mosquitoes are a problem.
Mosquitoes that spread malaria bite at dusk and during
the night. For prophylactic drugs to be effective, they
must be taken regularly. Check with your doctor and find
out which anti-malarial drugs to take for the part of
the world you are visiting.
Dengue fever is widespread in Southeast Asia. It occurs
about five to eight days after being bitten by the Aedes
mosquito that carries the virus. Symptoms include severe
headaches, high fever, muscle and joint pains and skin
rashes. To prevent complications, see a doctor at once.
Dengue haemorrhagic fever is when the illness is complicated
by bleeding and can be fatal. Aspirin may aggravate bleeding
tendencies and therefore shouldn't be taken.
There are four different types of dengue viruses. Being
infected with one doesn't mean immunity to another.
STDs
A sexually transmitted disease (STD) can be your worst
vacation souvenir. The most common STDs are gonorrhoea,
syphilis, genital herpes, genital warts, vaginitis, non-specific
urethritis and AIDS.
AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
and slowly damages the immune system. There is no cure.
The illness occurs several years after exposure which
is why people infected with HIV can look healthy.
The best way to avoid AIDS is for both sexual partners
to remain faithful to one another. If you have sex with
someone who has many partners or visit prostitutes, you
are endangering your health.
Condoms are essential for all high-risk sexual encounters.
However, they can't provide 100 per cent protection against
STDs.
If you come home from a trip with a STD, see a doctor
immediately.
Hepatitis A and B
Hepatitis A and B are viral infections that damage the
liver. Both are vaccine-preventable. However, Hepatitis
B is more serious because of the possible long-term effects.
Hepatitis A is a virus that is transmitted by food or
water contaminated with infected faecal material. It is
easy to catch in places where standards of hygiene and
sanitation are poor. Hepatitis A can develop into a serious
liver disease with the most obvious symptom of jaundice
- a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes.
Hepatitis B is a different virus. It is transmitted into
the bloodstream through sexual contact, tattooing, acupuncture,
unsterilised medical equipment and blood transfusions.
Most people recover from the disease and become immune.
However, in some people, the virus stays in their blood
making them carriers and prone to liver disease. Newborns
are infected by their mothers. They may show no signs
of infection during infancy but the majority of infected
babies become carriers for life and may develop liver
disease as adults.
Home Again
Going away on vacation is an adventure. Some things you
can't control. However, taking health precautions will
reduce your chances of getting sick. After all, your best
vacation souvenirs should be happy memories, not illness
or disease.
"HPB is committed to helping Singaporeans attain optimal health through our health promotion and disease prevention programmes. HPB's website, 'HPB Online' offers the latest information about healthy living, health events and links you to a healthy lifestyle."
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Getting away from it all is important to your physical
and mental well-being. Vacations allow us to rest, have
fun and spend time with our loved ones.