Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Organize a health kit, before travelling!

If planning to travel abroad, are you done with your packing? Have you packed your health kit alongside your other essentials? If no, then you must do so, if you don’t want to ruin your vacation in middle of the trip by getting ill.

Moreover, there is no point buying medications at costly rates in foreign country, when you can carry them along with you. In addition to this, you might also be at a risk of getting a counterfeit drug in foreign locations.

However, packing of health kit depends upon traveler destination and length of travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends travelers to assemble a health kit containing necessary medications and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for minor problems.

Following are some basic travel medicine that doctors of NYC recommend to travelers:
  • Anti-diarrhea medication:  This very common foodborne illness, which causes to traveler who travel to locations like Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. Pack Imodium (loperamide) or Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) are two medications that traveler must carry before travelling to any of these two locations.
  • Antihistamine: People who suffer from any allergy must carry an antihistamine. This is best and effective medicine that will help keep tourist safe from allergy.
  • Anti-motion sickness medication: People who have motion sickness problem because of heights they must pack Dramamine (dimenhydrinate). This is an effective medicine that helps keep people calm.
  • Pain or fever medicine: Medications for pain or fever, we generally all carry even in plain areas. Therefore, one must not miss out packing their health kit by painkiller such as acetaminophen, or ibuprofen.
  • Mild laxative or stool softener:  Change in food usually causes constipation. Therefore, in order to enjoy food at differnet location in aborad, one must carry laxative containing bisacodyl such as Dulcolax or a stool softener such as Colace (docusate).
  • Antifungal ointment or cream:  Skin problems can also occur, while travelling. Ringworm and athlete’s foot are common fungal problems, which are especially found in warm climates. Therefore, to safeguard from fungal problem one must take a tube of Tinactin (tolnaftate) or Lotrimin (clotrimazole).
  • Antibacterial ointments or creams: Neosporin Ointment (polymyxin B, bacitracin, and neomycin) are also helpful at times when traveler get some minor cut or scrape.
After reading the above mentioned medications, you must have got an idea about which all medicines to carry before travelling. So, do not let illness ruin your trip. Think ahead, pack smartly and enjoy you trip!