Health and Travel

From vaccines for exotic tropical destinations to simply keeping in shape on the road, here's a forum for everything that concerns two of the things nearest to our hearts: travel and staying healthy.

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How to prevent and ease altitude sickness in Peru's Andes (and elsewhere)

Here in Cusco we´re high - as in 3,399 meters (11.152 feet) above sea level; other destinations in the Peruvian Andes not quite so much: for example, Machu Picchu 2,430m (7,972 ft.), Pisac 2,980m (9,776 ft.), and Urubamba 2,870m (9,416 ft.). And one issue that some (by no means all) visitors from lower-lying places can face is what we call soroche or mal de altura - altitude or mountain sickness provoked by the lower air pressure and oxygen levels up here. It can kick in at heights starting at…

Started by Tripatini

1 Reply · Reply by José Balido Mar 9

5 (sometimes surprising) ways flying is affecting your body

Gus Ruballo You land. Your throat feels like sandpaper. Your head is heavy. Your eyes sting. You've been sitting still for eight hours… so why does your body feel like it just ran a marathon? Most travelers accept this as the price of flying. But there's nothing inevitable about it. These symptoms have specific, well-documented causes — and understanding them is the first step to actually doing something about them. Here are five things flying is doing to your body right now. Some I´ll bet…

Started by Tripatini

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Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite! 7 Tips to Keep Them from Ruining Your Holiday

Picryl They're baaack...well, actually they never really left. Ranging from around seven down to just one milimetre (a quarter to 1/32 of an inch).in size, cimex lectualarius lurk on mattresses and sheets an feed on your blood - usually at night while you sleep, and can cause reactions from patches of redness to good-size blisters, usually accompanied by itching and occasionally allergic symptoms. Bed bugs are tenacious - able to survive nearly a year without feeding - and getting rid of…

Started by Tripatini

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Observations and advice about jet lag

Many of us who travel across various time zones experience jet lag, and some are more prone to it than others. Circadian rhythms (your body's internal clock) tell you when to stay up and go to bed, and because they're pegged to to your home time zone rather than the new time zone you've gone to, you experience jet lag if you cross more than two or three time zones. Flying from the U.S. East Coast to Europe, for example, when you arrive around 8 AM your internal clock still thinks it's 2 AM,…

Started by Tripatini

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Comments

Andrea Spirov December 2, 2010 at 8:36am

Our latest post is about a health scare earlier this year and how the eay it was dealt with led to some unpleasant repercussions that will affect our travel: Check out Travel with Arm Lymphedema: An Unwanted Accessory
Tripatini November 30, 2010 at 3:06pm

Now on the Tripatini blog: 9 Nasty Diseases Travelers Need to Watch Out For!
Tripatini November 30, 2010 at 1:45am

Please click here if you'd like to help a Tripatini member with a question about health care in China. Thanks much!
Andrea Spirov November 5, 2010 at 7:41am

With seven weeks to go until our long-term travel, our health is on our minds. Here's our latest post about travel vaccinations and pre-travel health Would love your comments and thoughts!
Tripatini October 28, 2010 at 2:18am

Now on the Tripatini blog: how to avoid bringing bedbugs home from a vacation or business trip!
Liz Hamill Scott August 21, 2010 at 1:57am

By reader request, a destination piece about Yosemite National Park. Be aware that I've gone conservative with my recommendations in this post. Your mileage can and will vary--if you're able to hike to the top of Half Dome--rock on with your bad self! Also, comment and tell me about it! I haven't done that hike since I was in the 8th grade and I'd love to know what it's like nowadays.

My Problem With Yosemite, Part 1

Also--got a destination you want me to cover? A specific type of travel? Comment on the blog or here on LJ, and I'll do my best to hook you up.
Darryl Musick July 21, 2010 at 5:11pm

Say you want to take a trip to a dude ranch in Wyoming or take a road trip through the South but you use a wheelchair. What do you do if there's no good accessible transportation? At The World on Wheels, here's how we solve the problem (granted it won't work for everybody but maybe you'll get an idea): http://tinyurl.com/3abo42s
Tyler Sminkey September 30, 2009 at 9:58pm

Check out www.4survivaltogo.com for their latest product - the Emergency GRAB & GO - a must-have for all travelers!
Shirley Linde August 16, 2009 at 6:43pm

I invite you all to use the website www.medicalinformationcenter.org as a source of information. It has links to associations, universities, support groups and other help under many categories plus videos on health from news shows and other sources. Check it out.
Shirley Linde
Editor
David Paul Appell May 13, 2009 at 4:42pm

Re swine flu and travel, I just caught this today on eTN.com:

"Adding to the consumer and business uncertainty and the loss of confidence, the potential Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic has created an increasing degree of confusion around the issue of whether it is safe to travel. UNWTO (the UN World Tourism Organization) has been very active in pressing for a clear WHO position and is working closely with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure a balanced decision-making process.

Within the UN system, UNWTO has a direct line to express the interests of tourism and travel. At this stage, the extent of the spread, sustainability, and the complete health implications of the virus remain uncertain. Given the increased public awareness, engagement, and the resulting elevated concern, calls for the urgent need for response must be viewed in context -- awareness is key, not abrupt and uninformed reactions.

Until now, WHO has seen no reason to close borders or restrict travel. This stance is supported by similar past experiences, which provides no evidence that doing so would stop the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the economic cost would be enormous. WHO goes further and urges states to resist unilateral action and to consult with them before undertaking any such initiative.
UNWTO strongly supports this position and is prepared to face this kind of situation. The organization has formed a dedicated Risk and Crisis Management Section (RCM), established influenza contacts in every member state, launched regional simulation exercises, created the Tourism Emergency Response Network (TERN) with some 20 peak industry organizations, and launched sos.travel as a portal for emergency information for the industry and travelers. In addition, UNWTO is continuing to issue guidance material."