10+ Tips To Avoid Getting Sick When Traveling

Traveling is an excellent way to relax after stressful working days. However, it won’t be too much fun if you get sick during your trip.

So how to ensure health and freshness when you travel? Here is the list of 10 tips to avoid getting sick when traveling. 

Bukchon Hanok Village Seoul Korea travel guide

Get vaccinated

It is recommended that travelers be up-to-date on routine vaccines, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, chickenpox, polio, and influenza. 

So, before traveling abroad, check with your doctors if you need any vaccines or reboots. 

Prevent motion sickness

Motion sickness is the terror of many people because it makes us lose a lot of energy and lowers our spirit during the journey.

So preventing motion sickness is an important first step to ensure health and excitement during the trip:

  • If traveling by boat: Find an open seat. If you have to travel for a long distance, you should choose a seat in the middle of the ship/boat to avoid stalling.
  • If traveling by train, car, or plane: Don’t read books and use the phone while the vehicle is moving. It will make you feel dizzy.

Also, you should not drink alcoholic beverages, gas before boarding. If you’re sensitive to the smell of the vehicles (gas), you should prepare medicine and anti-motion patches.

Kanchanaburi to Hellfire pass bus Thailand

Use bottled water 

Frequent movement and exercise cause significant amounts of water in your body.

To avoid getting sick when traveling, you should drink bottled water or boiled water. Drinking bottled water will help prevent some diseases and bacterial infections.

I usually buy a water bottle and refill water at the hotel to save plastic. If you can’t find bottled water, boil water to cool and take it with you. It’s safe, hygienic, and cost-effective.

Wash your hands often

Health experts say washing hands with soap and water is the most effective preventative measure against colds, flu, and other illnesses.

Places that are less frequently cleaned are ticket kiosks, ATMs, doorknobs, trays, tables, and anything in the bathroom is often a paradise for viruses.

Therefore, washing your hands thoroughly and adequately is of utmost importance. You can also use disinfectant on all parts of your hand, including the fingertips. If you cannot clean immediately, take care not to touch your hands, nose, and mouth.

I always try to wash my hands after going through the check-in area at the airport or before eating. You should also prepare a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag if there’s no soap. 

wash hand avoid sick when traveling

Pack a travel health kit

It’s always necessary to have a travel health kit on your trip. I recommend having: 

  • Your prescription
  • Medicines: Diarrhea medicine (Imodium or Pepto-Bismol), Antacid, Antihistamine, Motion sickness medicine, cough suppressant
  • Medical supplies: antiseptic saline, bandages, hand sanitizer (containing at least 60% alcohol), water purification tablets, insect repellent, and earplugs.
Eo Gio Quy Nhon Vietnam travel guide

Be careful about what you eat

Exotic food, usually raw or strange, can harm your digestive system. Check if you’re allergic to certain ingredients and pay attention to what you eat. 

You should have a healthy diet during travel for your stomach to work better. Eat foods that are easy to digest, and don’t forget to have fresh fruits and vegetables.

If traveling in sparsely and isolated places, you should prepare your food in advance.

In many Asian countries, drinks with ice are often quite dangerous, especially when ice is usually made from the water of unknown origin. Avoid ice and use chilled beverages instead. 

chicken rice Vietnamese street food

Avoid insect bites

Insects such as mosquitoes are the most common vectors in different countries and regions.

These insects often hide everywhere you go: forests, sea, rivers, streams. They also cause itching, pain, even infectious diseases.

Avoiding insect bites effectively prevents diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and many other conditions.

So, don’t forget to wear long-sleeved clothing or apply mosquito repellent.

Have enough rest

Traveling between different time zones can lead to jet lag syndrome. This syndrome is temporary but can significantly reduce the comfort of your travels.

You’ll feel better as your body’s circadian rhythms adjust, and all you need to do now is to take time to rest properly.

What to do if you can’t sleep?

After going through a long flight, many people lost sleep after returning to their hotel rooms.

There are many causes of this phenomenon: being too tired, too sleepy, excited about the trip, strange places, etc.

To improve sleep in this situation, you can wear a mask covering your eyes and covering your ears to get rid of light and noise during sleep.

You can also drink chamomile tea or other herbal teas before bed for a deeper sleep.

Prevent colds

A sudden change of temperature can make you sick as well. So to avoid getting sick when traveling, you should pay attention to sudden colds. Let your body cool down first before stepping inside an air-conditioned room.

Also, you should limit contact with people who have the flu and get peppermint candy to prevent sore throat.

Attention when entering public baths

Do not place your bag on the floor. Use a few paper towels on the counter to place your toilet kit on it. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before you leave.

Use your dry towel to open the doorknob (if not, you can use hand sanitizer after leaving the bathroom).

avoid getting sick when traveling tips

Find out about health care centers

Many people often take this lightly, but it is important to know medical centers or hospitals near a tourist destination. It helps us to be ready if anything bad happens during our trip.

Don’t try to handle yourself when experiencing health problems. Please visit the nearest medical facility. It is the best way to protect the health of you and your loved ones.

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One Comment

  1. Henry Killingsworth says:

    Thank you for pointing out that it is a good idea to avoid reading on a train to prevent getting motion sickness. My wife and I are wanting to go on a train tour soon, and I tend to get motion sick in moving vehicles. I will have to make sure that I avoid looking at things on my phone so that I don’t get sick on the train.

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