HEALTH
Taking care of your own health is always important, including during the trips, whether for leisure or work. That’s why you should pay attention to some important recommendations:
- It is important to know in advance the details about your trip, the care that must be taken with your health. Consult with your doctor for an evaluation and see if it is necessary to get specific vaccines.
- Avoid excessive sun exposure. Use sunscreen at least 30 minutes before the exposure (FPS minimum 15), and reapply it following the information provided by the manufacturer.
- Use comfortable shoes, clothes and safety equipment when necessary
- Only make safe sex, so you are protected from Aids and other sexually transmitted diseases.
- In case of illness during your stay, look for medical assistance and don’t self-medicate.
In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to some more specific issues such as the way of avoiding problems and diseases that can be transmitted through water and food, by mosquitos or ticks or by other kinds of animals.
A common problem in trips is diarrhea caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. To avoid this, always be aware of some basic hygiene measures and also follow the recommendations below:
- Wash your hands with water and soap several times a day, especially before ingesting food, after using public transportation or visiting markets or places with great flow of people.
- Only drink treated water.
- Don’t add ice cubes from unfiltered water to your drinks
- Be sure that your food is well cooked, fried or roasted. Avoid eating dishes that contain raw eggs.
- Fruits and vegetables that can be peeled and whose skin is in good condition to be eaten raw.
- When you eat exotic food, don’t exaggerate.
- Pay attention to the temperature of the food exposed for sale – perishable food must be kept at low temperatures (below 5° C) and the hot food must be heated (above 60 °C)
- Avoid eating food sold by street vendors.
- Packaged food must show on its label the manufacturer’s identification, the date of expiration and the packaging must be in good condition.
These diseases are more associated to ecotourism and rural tourism. In case you visit these places, take the following precautions:
- Use clothes that protect you from insect bites: long sleeve shirts, trousers and closed toe shoes.
- Apply repellents containing DEET (diethyl-toluamida) to the uncovered areas of your skin. For 2-12 year old children the repellent must have a maximum of 10% DETT concentration, above that age the concentration must be equal or above 30%. But attention: the use of repellent is contraindicated for children under two years of age.
- It is important to check on the label the concentration of the repellent. It will indicate how often you can use it. But remember that the product must be reapplied in case the person gets wet or sweats excessively and must be used after applying the sunscreen. Another important tip: before going to sleep, take a shower to remove the residues of all the products applied to your skin.
In case you are attacked by any domestic or wild mammal, wash the area with water and soap right away and seek medical assistance immediately.
