The coming Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of the summer travel season, but whether you stay healthy or get sick may depend on the preparations you make before you leave, a top expert says.
βJust like you make preparations for a trip you also need to prepare ahead of time so you donβt spoil your vacation by getting sick during your trip or when you get home,β Dr. Brent W. Laartz tells Newsmax Health.
βWhen youβre on vacation you need to be observant of the conditions that could harm you,β says Laartz, author of the book βHow to Avoid Contagious Diseases.β
Travel-related ailments can range from the very serious, like Ebola and malaria, to milder, self-limiting ones like a diarrheal illness. But even diarrhea can spoil a holiday, Laartz notes.
He learned this firsthand while vacationing in Costa Rica years ago. Although Laartz doesnβt know whether it was the goat cheese sandwich or lobster salad he ate, he became sick shortly after returning home.
βThis definitely opened my eyes to the dangers of travel,β says Laartz, an infectious disease specialist practicing in Safety Harbor, Fla.
Digestive ailments are much more common now that Americans are becoming more adventurous in their travel planning, he says.
βPeople are traveling to places they never did before and, inspired by TV shows like βBizarre Foods,β they are eating the local food. But farming practices in these places may differ and also the foods may not be inspected like they are in the U.S.,β he says. Β
Also, people also may come into contact with bacteria and parasites, as well as mosquito-borne viruses that can be lurking in tropical destinations, he adds.
βThere are a lot of different ways that you can get sick, so your best strategy is to prepare ahead of time and to be careful while youβre traveling,β he adds.
Here are Laartzβs tips:Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β
Before you go:
While youβre traveling:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers these additional tips:
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