Healthy Travel Guide

Tips for a Healthy Vacation

If you're among the countless travelers getting ready for your annual summer vacation via plane, train or automobile, you're not alone. What you may not know, however, is that germs and bacteria will lurk with you on your trip. Here are 10 ways to prepare for a healthy vacation so the only things you bring home are precious memories.

Pack a Flashlight

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, bedbugs are small wingless insects that hide in tiny crevices and feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. Since they may crawl and nest in luggage, furniture and pillows, hotel bed frames and mattresses are particularly susceptible to fostering bedbugs and their eggs. Pack a small flashlight to search for bed bugs throughout your hotel room. Likely signs are dark spotting and staining and of course, the bugs themselves.

Your Own Sheets

Whether it's a two-day or two-week trip, it's wise to come equipped with your own bed linens. While bringing your own sheets and pillowcases may seem a bit precautionary, consider the alternative: bedbugs. Not only do they snack on droplets of human blood, but they also inject a small amount of their saliva into the skin while feeding. Hotels may (or may not) wash linens after each guest departs depending on where you stay.

Wipe Up

"Cleaning your hotel room with disinfectant wipes is very important," says Dr. Rashmi Gulati, board certified internist. After all, when we think of antibacterial soaps for the hands sometimes we overlook other portable products such as disinfectant wipes -- especially for specific areas where bacteria tend to loiter (i.e. hotel bathroom counters, sinks, and toilets).

Cover Your Seat

Whether it's greasy hair stains, spilled food or drinks, or sweat and grime, one thing's for certain: Your airplane seat has most likely not been thoroughly cleaned. Since portable seat covers are an alternative to sitting directly on a dirty seat, the conscious traveler can create a barrier by placing a cover directly over the seat.

Avoid Buffets

While eating healthy meals on the road is certainly feasible, one sure way to avoid unhealthy meals is to steer clear of buffets and simply order meals from the menu. According to Dr. Gulati, the savvy traveler should know that buffets may contain spoiled food or dishes which should not be sitting under bright lights for several hours. Buffet food is susceptible to all types of germs from other customers, like a sneeze souffle.

Pack Your Meds

"Definitely pack more medication than you need," says Dr. Janet Engle, Pharm. D., FAPhA and clinical professor at the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy. "It doesn't hurt to have extra, especially if your flight is delayed or cancelled." While some travelers may pack pills in travel-sized containers, Dr. Engle recommends storing them in their original containers for dosage information. "Some medicine must remain refrigerated. Your pharmacist can guide you on how to best store your medicine when traveling."

Bring Earplugs

While you may be catching up on your z's on a flight, so are your snoring neighbors. Dr. Samuel Dunkell, psychiatrist, sleep specialist and author of 'Sleep Positions,' recommends packing earplugs in case your neighbors start snoring. "They can help you drown out noise from snoring neighbors, crying children, other passengers or plane vibrations."

Bottle Safe

There's a reason why it's called bottled water and not just water: it should be bottled and sealed. Be cautious when buying water from street vendors; the seal may be broken and vendors may refill the bottles with tap water in reusable bottles. Plus, when flying or dining in restaurants it's always precautionary to drink bottled water instead of tap, particularly in third world countries.

Carry Tissues

While you never know ahead of time which public restrooms are clean and which are not, you may not realize your stall is out of toilet paper until it's too late. Instead of asking your bathroom neighbor to "spare a square," come prepared with your own. Plus, you never know when you'll need tissues to dry your washed hands if the bathroom runs out of paper towels.Repel Bugs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that insect repellents can reduce exposure to mosquito bites that may carry viruses. By applying insect repellent, you can stay outdoors with a reduced risk of mosquito and other bug bites, not to mention decreasing exposure to the West Nile virus, which can cause serious illness and even death.