Take Two Aspirins: Planning to Stay Healthy
We don’t want to get sick during a mission. We will get better, but being sick consumes our working time and feels unpleasant. CANADEM deployees shared how they avoid illness and what they carry just in case.
A good source of information is the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for advice on specific locations: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel. I learned from CDC while preparing for a recent trip that I did not need malaria pills for Addis Ababa, but I did for a city just two hours away.
Always research your destination and special precautions (inoculations, for instance.)
Though you can do this online, a better idea may be to visit to a clinic with travel health specialists.
Always have travel health insurance.
It should include provision for evacuation, particularly if you are going to a country in which the medical facilities may not be the best. (CANADEM arranges this for all deployees.)
Stay well while flying. Leave plenty of time to make flights
Be deliberate about moving and talking in a relaxed manner while travelling. Earplugs and an eye mask may help with sleep. Carbonated beverages, alcohol and caffeine may create challenges. That said, plan to stay hydrated. Find a way to move during long flights and during layovers.
Avoid getting sick.
Have a small container of hand sanitizer in your pocket (you’ll need to put it in a plastic bag to get through airport security) and use it before eating when you can’t wash your hands with soap and water. Just a drop or two. When you anticipate dining someplace where the hygiene may be unknown or the food challenging, chew an antacid tablet or what is generically know as a bismuth subsalicylate (like Pepto-bismol or Kaopectate) before heading out. This will also help after the fact, if you have an upset stomach. (Don’t be alarmed when your tongue and stools turn black – it just happens with drugs like Pepto-bismol.) Don’t eat fresh salads unless you are confident about food standards or the cook. Bottled water is safe in most places (as long as you break the seal yourself.) Carbonated (beer or pop) and boiled (tea or coffee) beverages are fine. Ice may or may not be okay, depending on the water with which it was made.
Despite our best efforts, we all get diarrhea at one point or another. Five products are carried to help.
The first is toilet paper. A part-roll with the tube removed doesn’t take up much room in a back pack or briefcase and will make you popular when someone less prepared has problems. A tablet like Pepto-bismol helps. Re-hydrating is essential. It can be done with fluids found on the spot like salty soups, sugary tea or flat pop – or you can carry a few packets of oral rehydration salts, available in most pharmacies around the world. An antibiotic sounds dramatic, but many travellers keep a course with them. One like Zithromax or Cipro will quickly tame bad bacteria you may have ingested. As a last resort in an emergency (like a flight that you can’t miss,) there are imodium-type products. Be wary, though. They’ll stop the diarrhea – and a week later you may be remembering it with nostalgia because your bowels haven’t yet re-started. It is always best to consult your doctor and check for cautions before taking any medication.
For small wounds and accidents an anti-biotic cream, some ibuprofen and band-aids are a good idea.
Especially if you are going to a warm country, wounds must be well cleaned and protected. If you anticipate a lot of walking a bit of moleskin might help prevent or protect blisters. Some travellers carry a homeopathic pill like Traumeel (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3085232/) or other products containing arnica that may accelerate healing from bruises, cuts and other accidental offences to the body.
Five additional potions or pills appeared often in our poll:
Antacid tablets for when your eyes or social pressures overrule your stomach’s instincts at a meal; a decongestant which quickly clears painful ears if yours tend to hurt while flying; an anti-nausea, anti-vertigo tablet (like Gravol) in case you have a different kind of problem when flying and which may also serve as a gentle sleeping aid; melatonin, as another potential sleeping aid and an antihistamine (like Benadryl) in case of unexpected allergic reactions.
Please note that although you can get virtually any drug without a prescription in many countries, some are counterfeits that won’t work. Ask local contacts to recommend reliable pharmacies. If you are already on a medication for an existing condition, be sure to take a supply that will carry you through and a bit beyond the period of your travels.
Experienced travellers suggested four other products:
Dental floss helps deal with unexpectedly tough meat and serves as thread in case of a wardrobe malfunction. Clippers relieve the aggravation of the nail you will break while trying to open the suitcase that got beaten up in transit. A small roll of duct tape may solve a problem for you or a friend. If there is the slightest possibility of sexual contact while travelling, condoms are imperative.
Always talk with your own doctor about any unique health conditions or concerns before travelling and consider going to a clinic specializing in travel health about your unique destination.
Stay healthy on the job.
If your work is office-bound, build regular exercises into your daily and weekly routines. Eat consciously and well. Stay well hydrated. Reward yourself. On days off see something new and do something pleasurable. New and shifting environments stimulate mental and physical chaos and stress. Create your own set of rituals and healthy habits to manage this. (More will follow in later Notes on the topic of managing stress and remaining resilient.)
Safe and happy travels!
