Things That Come Up

No one likes to think about being ill during their vacation, do they? But it happens, and it is better to be ready than ill-prepared.

The thing that pops into your heads first is a tummy ache during travel to a Caribbean Island nation or Mexico. Believe it or not, that’s the least experienced illness we hear about.

Most of our customers are careful and only drink bottled water in any third world destination (which includes all the Caribbean Island nations and Mexico).

The resorts we recommend all have excellent purification systems. Their ice, for instance, is safe to drink. Water from the tap is not.

Food is carefully stored and prepared in these nations. The last thing any of them want is an outbreak of any illness that would cause tourists to cancel their trips.

What most people do not think about is illness during travel to developed countries.

Any time you get a group of people together, whether it’s on a cruise ship, river cruise ship, or motorcoach, they are breathing the same air. And if they are breathing the same air, they are sharing the same pathogens.

The more you can enter this environment in full health, with a strong immune system, the better off you are going to be.

If there are vaccines (such as flu and pneumonia) that are available to you before you go, get them.

If your physician recommends over-the-counter supplements, begin taking those prior to the trip.

If you have conditions that would put you at risk, take any precautions available to you, and wear a mask. Anyone with a suppressed immune system is well advised to wear a mask in any public setting.

Always have a medical kit with you when you travel. Medications such as NSAIDS, anti-diarrheal, heartburn, even supplemental electrolytes, cough drops. These are all good to have on hand just in case. I keep mine is a separate bag and just toss them in any time I travel.