When packing, you may accidentally skip over a basic first aid kit, especially when traveling within the U.S. But even destinations like Hawaii need some smart planning. It’s important to prepare for minor cuts and bruises or aches and pains, but what about allergies or heat-related illnesses?
Dr. Norman Estin, also known as Doc Maui, recently sat down with Peter Greenberg to discuss the importance of packing a small health kit when you travel. He also outlines basic rules to live by when traveling, even to Maui. Read on to find out more, and click here to listen to the interview on Peter’s Travel Today Podcast.
Get a Hepatitis A vaccination or booster. This is the most common cause of hepatitis, spread by food and water in places with poor sanitation.
Avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, which can give you Malaria, Dengue, Yellow Fever, and all kinds of meningitis. Since planes won’t let you carry liquids and sprays, try using disposable towelettes with high concentrations of DEET. The repellant lasts all day, and you can find them in drug stores across the U.S.
If you take just one antibiotic, make it Levaquin. The generic name is levofloxacin and it’s good for all respiratory, urinary, and gastrointestinal infections. Double check with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to take, since one pill a day can have side effects.
Tylenol with codeine can help with almost anything, like coughs, diarrhea, or other aches.
If you are prone to nausea or motion sickness, consider packing Tigan. This will help curb all of those symptoms that could ruin your day in paradise.
Always be on the safe side when trying new food or drinking foreign water, and make sure to pack Zantac and Imodium. When on vacation, we don’t always pay attention to what we eat—which is one of the goals of vacation—and these sudden changes in our diet can cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Lastly, if you have a lot of allergies, make sure to include Prednisone to help you in an allergic reaction, hives, or asthma attack situation.
For more information about staying healthy as you travel, check out:
- How You Can Stay Healthy While Traveling
- Four Ways Your Hotel Can Make You Sick
- How to Avoid Deadly Heat-Related Illnesses
- Find Out How Travelers Get Sick Overseas
By Siena Mazero for PeterGreenberg.com
