6 tips to avoid getting sick on vacation

The holidays are the moment to be able to enjoy a deserved rest after a year of work and studies. We all look forward to the arrival of the best days of the summer, which we have probably been preparing for months: destinations, flights, hotels or apartments ... Without wanting to be a party pooper, the worst thing that could happen to us for not being able to enjoy such a well deserved vacation would be no have health, a wonderful gift that we only remember when we lose it.

And is that nothing is as important as health, always, and on vacation more, because there is nothing worse than having to stay locked in the room without being able to go with everyone to enjoy the water baths, the excursions, the sun , of the snacks at the beach bar ... get sick during our vacation.


6 tips to avoid falling ill this holiday

To avoid the worst nightmares of summer, we tell you everything you can do to avoid getting sick on vacation and that nothing bothers us the party!

1. Corresponding vaccines. Vaccines are the best prevention against diseases, especially if you plan to go with your family to another country. Before traveling, consult your doctor and inform him of the chosen destination, the duration of the trip and the type of activities that we are going to carry out.

Among the recommended travel vaccines are tetanus / diphtheria, dengue fever, typhoid fever, hepatitis B, hepatitis A and influenza. Some countries, such as Cambodia and India, require vaccination yellow fever or polio.


The Ministry of Health has a page available to all citizens to inform them of the mandatory and recommended vaccines of each country. It is advisable to get vaccinated, at least one month before visiting the countries of greatest risk.

2. Protection for mosquitoes. Preventing mosquito bites is essential, as they are not only annoying but can trigger serious diseases such as yellow fever or dengue, according to the country where we are.

To protect ourselves from the bites of these insects we can use skin repellents, taking into account that they should only be applied on the skin, avoiding the eyes and those areas where there are wounds or mucous membranes. And when you are going to be exposed to the sun, you must first apply sunscreen and more or less to the half hour, the repellent. In addition to synthetic repellents, there are other natural ones such as soybean oil, which has been proven to protect for more than an hour and a half after its application or the eucalyptus-lemon oil whose duration is two hours.


In addition to the repellents, mosquito nets are very useful, either inside the hotel or in a tent. To avoid the passage of mosquitoes the thickness of them must be 1.2 mm. Also the fans are of great help, since the sweat and the emission of CO2 attract the mosquitoes and with a fan we can avoid both, up to a point.

3. Sun protection. The discomfort caused by sunburn can also give us holidays: the skin becomes red, it becomes sensitive to touch, and can appear blisters or severe reactions such as fever, chills, nausea or skin rash and even heat stroke. In addition to spoiling a three or four days of vacation, in the long term can cause premature aging of the skin or, depending on the severity, cause different injuries such as spots, allergies or even cancer.

Putting yourself in the shade, wearing sunglasses, appropriate clothing, hats and caps are the best protection. In addition, it is necessary to apply a cream with a suitable sunscreen on parts of the body that are exposed, such as the face, legs and arms and hands. But you also have to have a bit of common sense and avoid sun exposure in the central hours of the day or for many hours in a row if what we want is to have a good tan and not a good burn that will make our holidays bitter.

4. Avoid dirty dishes and cutlery. Dishes, cutlery, glasses or dirty glasses are a source of germs and bacteria and we must always take hygiene and if we are in a restaurant ask for other clean ones.

Avoid leaving the dishes in the sink without cleaning for a long time and frequently changing sponges, scourers and cloths, as they are one of the largest sources of bacteria throughout the house. Some such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus or Salmonella can survive on sponges for hours or even days after the first contact. A simple trick to disinfect it is to rinse it with clean water and put it two minutes in the microwave at maximum temperature, this way it ends with 99.9% of bacteria according to a study by the US Agricultural Research Service.

5. Hydrate properly and monitor the water we drink. In summer, with heat, we lose more liquids and it is necessary to replace them by drinking at least 2 liters of water per day.It is convenient to combine water and isotonic drinks to replace the minerals lost by sweating and alternate the water with juices, broths, smoothies, soft drinks, or infusions. Remember that alcoholic beverages have a dehydrating effect. Complete your hydration with various fruits and vegetables.

And in addition, it is always much better to drink bottled mineral water than tap water and also use it to wash fruits and vegetables because contaminated water can cause diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, malaria and many other diseases. Attention to the ice that have the same problem.

6. Be aware of what one eats and do not drastically change the diet. A food poisoning or gastroenteritis with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever can make our holidays bitter. We must be careful with what we eat and clean well the utensils we are going to use. Buy good quality food and go from street foods without sanitary control.

Always use thermal bags or a refrigerator to maintain the temperature of the food. Thawed food should be consumed within two days and never refreeze a product that has already been thawed. Dairy products such as yoghurts, creams, milk and mayonnaise should be taken out of the refrigerator only when they are going to be consumed, meat and fish should be cooked well and avoid taking them raw and fruits and vegetables should be washed well, preferably with a few drops of chlorine.

Finally, avoid drastically changing our diet and not abuse of foods that we do not normally take, it can prevent our stomach from getting upset and giving us problems.

However, in case of falling ill the recommendation is to avoid self-medication and avoid self-medicating children. Always go to the doctor or the emergency service if necessary.

Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Jetcost team

Video: How to NOT Get Sick | Proven Health Hacks | Doctor Mike


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