Travel Health: Staying Healthy on the Road
by Dr. Stephen Blythe
Travel Health Information Service (http://www.travelhealth.com)

In this series we will review prevention and treatment of common and not-so-common travel-related health issues.

When people travel, especially when traveling off the usual tourist routes, they often are concerned with health issues. Many times the concern is with Ebola virus and diseases that make the headlines, when the reality is that exotic diseases are rarely encountered by travelers. The major reasons for medical evacuations from abroad are motor vehicle and other accidents and the usual problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. My first recommendation for staying healthy while traveling is to be careful how you travel on the road - try not to travel at night, use seat belts (if you can find any), and definitely try not to walk along roadways at night. Drowning is a significant cause of travel-related deaths, and all too often it is related to drinking before water activities. It seems a simple plan to save the alcohol for after the dangerous activities and for a safe and secure location as well, since alcohol frequently is a factor in muggings and rapes as well. The normal sorts of injuries and illnesses may be complicated during travel by transportation and health services that are not equal to those that we normally have at our disposal.

What if you get sick or injured? Many people mistakenly believe that their health insurance will cover evacuation from a foreign country. Most often this is not the case, so you should always check your coverage prior to a trip. Medical evacuation is readily available through many air ambulance companies - at a cost starting at around $20,000 cash up front! Many companies offer individual or large-group medical and evacuation insurance policies for short trips, or for annual coverage for the frequent traveler. They are reasonable in cost and most definitely worth considering!

In future newsletters: food and water safety, treating diarrhea on the road, vaccinations for travel, avoiding insect bites, sun safety, altitude illness, safety and security on the road.

Dr. Blythe is a Family Physician experienced with health care in developing nations. He has provided individual and corporate travel health consultations for 14 years.

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