Added: 06/28/2005 |
Healthy Traveling in AsiaTraveling to exotic places among which you may choose Asia is rather challenging and sometimes tricky. Actually healthy traveling in Asia is under some risk otherwise the traveler is informed about it. The person who is going to travel to Asia should pay special attention to the point how to stay healthy there and take preventive measures beforehand. That means that this person should be forewarned. It is known fact: forewarned is forearmed!
In this article you will find a number of healthy risks that are unavoidable in Asia:
- Jet lag. Prolonged air travel across time zones disturbs biologic rhythms and may result in jet lag. It is more common among senior citizens. Your doctor may prescribe a mild sedative to minimize the problem. Melatonin taken in the evening at your destination may help reset your biologic clock.
- Water. Do not drink running water. Do not swim in fresh water, except in well-chlorinated swimming pools, in certain areas of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, and Thailand to avoid infection.
- Food. Many of the foods you are accustomed to having may be unavailable or may be prepared in an unhealthy way by your server. Also, raw or uncooked vegetables are often too risky to eat in most places due to parasites and viral contamination (i.e. typhoid) unless you prepare them yourself. Whether you are making a short or long trip, it's always advised to take some packaged foods with you to supplement your diet (i.e. protein bars, nuts, seeds). They come in handy on train, bus, or boat trips when there is nothing food-friendly for non-Asians to eat. Also, you will need to take into consideration your budget. If you have extra cash, most tourist areas in Asia have fancier restaurants where you are less likely to get sick from the food. You don't need to be very much careful eating in upscale restaurants, but still be cautious about raw food unless you get used to it.
- Infections. Food and waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness in travelers who exploring Asian countries. Travelers' diarrhea can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which are found throughout the region and can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting, fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis). Make sure your food and drinking water are safe.
Your risk of malaria may be high in these countries, including some cities. Prevent this deadly disease by seeing your health care provider for a prescription antimalarial drug and by protecting yourself against mosquito bites. Travelers to malaria-risk areas, including infants, children, and former residents of Southeast Asia, should take an antimalarial drug.
If you have visited a malaria-risk area, continue taking your antimalarial drug for 4 weeks or seven days depending on the medicine after leaving the risk area. Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. If you become ill with a fever or flu-like illness either while traveling in a malaria-risk area or after you return home (for up to 1 year), you should seek immediate medical attention and should tell the physician your travel history
Dengue, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, and plague are diseases carried by insects that also occur in Asian regions. Protecting yourself against insect bites will help to prevent these diseases.
Besides, there are some person-to-person contact diseases in Asia
-Hepatitis B;
-HIV/AIDS
· Injury. In some Asian countries there are actually no traffic rules , in others they are practically neglected, and drivers are rather mad. Walk and drive with attention. Avoid travel at night if possible and always use seat belts.
· Medical aid. Hospitals in Asia can be extremely scary places, especially in India, Nepal, China, and rural places. Often times, the care you need is non-existent or what is available is worse than doing nothing. With the exception of large, metropolitan cities, you don't want to end up being cared for the "local way."
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