5 simple tips to help you avoid getting sick when you travel

Getting sick is a part of everyday life, and being on the road doesn’t exempt you from that fact, especially when travel itself exposes you to a whole new range of bugs, parasites, and environments. The fact of the matter is the longer you are traveling, the more likely you are to pick up a bug or two.


The key to minimizing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors of becoming sick in the first place. The last thing you want to do is to expose yourself to any more risk than you have to. Prevention is far better than any cure.

1. Wash your hands


I know this sounds basic, but it is surprising how many people forget it.Hand hygiene is essential to stop the spread of infection and can dramatically reduce your chances of diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, flu, norovirus, MRSA, or even hepatitis A.

2. Drink bottle water




When you can’t be sure of the purity of the local water or you are traveling in areas where sanitation is not that great, then it should go without saying that you should avoid the local tap water. Even if locals drink it without any problems, your stomach may not have the right bacteria to protect you from becoming ill, avoid local water — even ice in your drinks — in countries that don’t purify their tap water

3.Be careful of food contamination

Food Contamination is one of the biggest causes of traveler’s diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems on any travel adventure. If you are not careful with your food on your travels, you could potentially be exposing yourself to diarrhea.

You may want to avoid — or be very careful of — the following:
Salads that may have been prepared in local untreated water
Raw fruit and vegetables that you haven’t peeled or skinned yourself (if you have, they are generally fine)
Food that has been left out and exposed for a period of time
Food that is shared, such as in buffets undercooked, raw, or reheated food, especially meat, fish, or rice.

4. Protect yourself against the sun
Sunburn can seriously ruin a good travel experience! I got very badly sunburned years ago in Margarita after snorkeling for too long and forgetting to reapply sun cream. It is not an experience I want to repeat!


5.Get vaccinated

Not all vaccinations are required for every individual for every trip, and a lot depends on what vaccinations you have already, what country or region you are visiting, and individual factors, such as your personal medical history, how long you will be traveling, and what you will be doing