Traveling the world is fun and exciting, but it’s important to remember that there is a good chance you will run into someone who is sick at some point. Even if you take all the precautions in the world, you could still catch something from someone else close by.
When you’re in an unfamiliar environment and don’t have access to the same urgent care services you would have at home, it can be a health risk. So, if this happens to you, here are a few steps you can take to get better as quickly as possible.
Get Plenty of Sleep and Rest
One of the best things you can do for yourself is get a good night’s sleep and take it easy for a couple of days. You should probably avoid going out at all if possible because that means avoiding contact with other people, which means a lower risk of getting sick from someone else.
Plus, this way, you can preserve your strength to fight off whatever it is that you’ve picked up. By resting, you allow your body the chance to get back on track so that when you should feel better in no time.
Ask for Prescriptions When You’re Sick
If you are running low on any prescriptions, make sure to ask the hotel or hostel staff if they can help. This way, you can keep taking your medicine and ensure it doesn’t interfere with what you need to do to get better.
Also, try not to miss taking any pills you need because this will make it harder for your body to fight off the illness, which is never fun. So, ask the staff ahead of time to get them when you need them.
Drink Lots of Fluids
It would help if you drank lots of water and other liquids while you’re sick to keep hydrated and flush out all those nasty dregs that make you feel bad. It’s also good for getting rid of the extra mucus that will make it hard for you to breathe and stay comfortable.
You can also drink warm drinks, like tea or broth, as a way to keep up your comfort levels and keep hydrated at the same time. The most important thing is to keep your stomach full of fluids, so drink up.
Seek Medical Attention
If you’re feeling sick with any symptoms for more than five days, it’s time to see a doctor. If your symptoms are severe, then you should go in right away instead of waiting that long because it could be something more than just a run-of-the-mill illness.
Be sure not to neglect to get help if your illness progresses or worsens into something chronic — it will only make getting better take longer, and it might even prevent you from traveling in the future. So, by following these simple steps, you should be able to recover quickly and continue your travels without having to worry about being sick while on the road.
Take Care of Yourself
You can’t go out and roam the world if you’re not taking proper care of yourself, and that includes your health. So, when you’ve come down with something while traveling, make sure to take the right steps in getting well. After all, you never know where your next stop might be, so it’s essential to stay healthy and prepared for anything.
Prevention
This is where most people get it wrong — trying to stop sickness after the fact instead of preventing it in the first place. The best way to avoid an illness while traveling is simple: wash your hands frequently and make sure you don’t touch your face. Do this before meals, after using the washroom, and whenever you need to touch something that isn’t clean.
By doing this, you significantly lower the risk of catching something else. Of course, there are hundreds of other ways to get sick while traveling, but your best bet is to stay away from the sick people completely. This is where your social skills come into play; ask around and see what you can find about where you should avoid.
Another common mistake is not getting vaccinated before traveling to a new country. Whether you need shots for polio, measles, tetanus, or something else, make sure to get them before venturing off of your home turf. If you do end up getting sick while traveling, it’s much more likely that you’ll catch something common in your home country than it is that you’ll be struck by an illness endemic to your area.
Taking all this into consideration, you should be able to stay healthy and avoid sickness while traveling without too much trouble. If you start to feel under the weather, make sure to follow these tips to get better as soon as possible.
