Travel Healthy

Pharmaceutical travel kit

It is useful to carry a first aid kit, available at any pharmacy. In addition, it is important to take sufficient amounts of personal long-term medication; please speak with your family doctor, as an unrestricted import of medicine is not permitted worldwide and a world-wide availability and drug quality (Warning, counterfeit, so-called "fake" drugs) cannot be guaranteed. It is helpful particularly in the transportation of narcotic drugs to always carry a medical certificate from your treating physician, designating the diagnosis and drug therapy so that the personal use is clearly evident. When traveling abroad this certificate should be written in English. It makes sense to carry your blood type pass in your baggage. In many places with dubious blood reserves a mutual blood donation can be life-saving.

What helps with jet lag?

• Earlier bedtime: A few days before east-flights, after which the jet lag often occurs more severe, bring the bedtime forward to 1-2 hours.
• Being outside: The brightness of the sun lowers melatonin, which is responsible for fatigue.
• Keep moving: Slight movement and relaxation techniques.
• Eat right: Protein-rich food raises your energy, whereas carbohydrates should be eaten more at dinner.
• Should not do: Try to avoid taking sleeping pills and drinking alcohol during the flight. On average you can expect the adjustment for each hour time difference to take about one day.

Short Trips: Short trips to the tropics entices to carelessness and bring special risks of the trip.

• The onset of the disease usually happens post travel
• Short trips to other climate- and time zones mean extreme stress and can often manifest in discomfort or symptoms of a cold. This could also be the first sign of e.g. being a malarial infection! For many travelers, the short length of stay appears to not be in a reasonable relation to the expenditure of vaccination or prophylaxis medications with regard to malaria

Hygiene Rules: Here rule of thumb "peel it, cook it, or leave it" applies. If the water quality is not sufficient, preferably drink from packaged water bottles with their screw cap intact. Be careful with ice cubes in drinks!

Vaccinations:Seek advice from a travel medical. The “data sheet collection” of the Foreign Office contains common risks of infection and diseases as orientating information, which of course doesn’t replace a personal conversation with your doctor.

Altitude Sickness: Altitudes above 2,000 meters are generally only recommended for travelers without lung and cardiovascular diseases. A medical check-up starting at age 45 is recommended inter alia with an exercise ECG.

Diarrheal diseases: Most infectious germs are absorbed by food or beverages. You can generally minimize diarrheal diseases by infectious agents if you solely consume clean food and drinks.