A Quick Guide To Holiday Health
With the holiday season in full swing, it’s easy to focus on the flight, fun or fashion and overlook some health basics. Staying healthy on your holiday is pretty straightforward, here’s a short list of facts before you fly…
1. Spoiler Alert: 60% of British holidaymakers miss up to four days of their holidays owing to ill health – stomach upsets were the most common holiday spoiler
2. Drugstore Cowboys: In their rush to look good on the beach many people buy weight loss aids online – in fact by doing so they are taking a serious risk. ‘Lifestyle medication’ such as weight loss drugs and Viagra require a legitimate prescription yet unlicensed online pharmacies will sell these drugs without the necessary medical paperwork. The result is that an estimated 90% of medication sold online is thought to be fake.
3. In the Red: 9 million Britons get sunburn every time they go abroad and one in ten admits to getting burnt twice in the same trip. Even for those holidaying at home, sunburn leads to a staggering loss of 2.7million working days in Britain each year so buy a minimum of SPF 15 and use it
4. Tropical Trauma: Cheryl Cole was not alone returning home with Malaria, 2,000 UK travellers come back with the disease each year. Get the right tablets for the area you are visiting and make sure you complete the course; 83% of people who purchase anti-malarials fail to take them all.
5. Use Your S.T.I.-Q: You may feel more sexually carefree on holiday but the chances of coming home with more than a tan drastically increases. More than two thirds of heterosexual men with HIV contracted it abroad. More common STI’s are also on the increase – if you do have unprotected sex whilst you are away, get a test when you get home. The best time to take an STI test is two weeks after the unprotected encounter – you can do this at your GP, at a local GUM clinic or online through services such as The STI Clinic
6. Don’t be A Dope: 10% of people taking medicines on holiday guess the dosage and 30% of British holidaymakers admit buying medicine in an overseas pharmacy because the packaging looks familiar. Get a holiday rep to provide the name of a trusted product – ask them to write it down for you if you aren’t sure how to pronounce it
7. Don’t Feel the Burn: 41% of women get cystitis while on holiday. More alcohol, sex and sun along with a change in diet can wreak havoc with the body - and men are susceptible too. Preventative treatment is easily available from a GP or via reputable online pharmacies
8. Sleep Easy: One in five UK adults will travel without insurance: one in ten on purpose, one in twenty accidentally and one in twenty never take out travel insurance. The cost of healthcare abroad can quickly add up so purchase up to date insurance and apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when travelling in the European Economic Area (EEA)
9. Have Fun: A holiday is about relaxing, not worrying, just take the right precautions and apply good sense
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