Travel health is a broad topic covering subjects as small as first aid kits and goes as far as concerning diseases. While disease control is a topic to stay up-to-date with, this post will be about other common health concerns you should address.

First Aid Reminders:

Remember to pack these items because you never know if you're going to need them. You don't want to underestimate your needs while abroad. There are some countries that don't have the medicines you're used to picking up at the local pharmacy.

• Regular Medication - Check airline/country regulations for carrying

• Anti-diarrhea

• Anti-inflammatory

• Sunscreen

• Adhesive bandages

• Anti-Bacterial

• Insect repellent

• Altitude sickness

Jet lag Reminders:

Everyone dreads the significant time differences and tries to plan arrival times. However, it is somewhat inevitable that it will affect you during your trip. Shorter differences that cause you to wake at 2am can be even more fatiguing, and take longer to overcome unless the cycle is broken as soon as possible.

From personal experiences, sleeping on the plane and adjusting to the new time zone as soon as possible helps! Don’t think about what time it is at home and just start your trip. When contacting family, you want to be mindful of the time, but to check regularly is unnecessary. You want to have a healthy amount of jet lag and not be exhausted or sleep all day.

The maximum possible time difference between two points is 12 hours. For example, Hawaii and New Zealand may be 23 hours apart but there is only an hour difference in jet lag. Try to adjust from the flight by sleeping and eating on the destination’s time zone.

Tropical Destination Reminders:

While tropical vacations sound like an absolute dream, there are some things to consider before flying.

First, consider talking to a doctor with experience in the field of travel medicine. They can talk to you about your options and other precautions that may be necessary. Having an expert on your side is important! We all know looking up symptoms online can be misleading.

Secondly, consider taking the vaccinations and while there may be several hesitant vaccinators - consider the risk factor. Tropical destinations for people who are not used to these climates are at a higher risk to contract tropical diseases. They are transmitted by insects, are water borne, carried by foods, or even by human contact. Some countries even require vaccinations before entering the country, so check the country's guidelines.

Lastly, consider the socio‐cultural and economic traditions, community values, political situation, the environment, and the main problems of the current tourism. While traveling we are supporting a country and should leave a positive effect.

Due to COVID19, we are seeing the devastating effects of a virus but also learning more about how to improve sanitation in highly trafficked places. In 2009, we saw the H1N1 pandemic, but now people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains. On the other hand, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection. It is important to take care of your health and only travel when feeling well. This pandemic has taught us that we are in this together, now and in the future - so be mindful, be kind, and stay healthy!

Tell us some health tips or tricks you have from traveling below!