A lot of people have a holiday story unfortunately similar to this; you plan a relaxing getaway in a beautifully exotic location, only to spend a significant part of your time away in the hotel room feeling unwell.
Almost everyone who has travelled to another country has an experience like that, as a combination of lengthy travel times in confined forms of transport, stress and diseases that are more endemic in other countries combine to take their toll.
Usually, this is just frustrating, but in the case of serious illnesses, it can not only lead to you cutting your holiday short but can be potentially life-threatening in some rare cases without the right travel vaccines.
This is where your local travel health clinic can help by providing advice, booking immunisations and selling all of the essentials you need to stay well when on holiday.
Besides keeping up to date with medicines, packing the medications you need and doing your research, here are some top tips for reducing your chances of getting ill on holiday.
Avoid Over Scheduling
Whilst people naturally want to make the most of their time away, you should prioritise rest as much as you can when on holiday, and a good way to avoid missing days due to illness is to have time to relax.
This not only means you are less likely to miss anything due to illness, but you are also less likely to be ill in the first place because there is less stress to affect your immune system.
Instead, have a flexible itinerary; for every fixed and intense day, make sure you have a day to rest up.
Masking Up Whilst Travelling
The aeroplane cabin, with its recycled air and low humidity, is particularly prone to spreading diseases, so one way around this to avoid catching an illness on a flight that could potentially steal a few days of your holiday is to wear a mask.
Whilst strict rules surrounding masks have long since been lifted, wearing a mask whilst travelling and in any busy transportation hub such as an airport or railway station is highly recommended to reduce the risk of spreading disease through the air or by touching your mouth and nose.
If possible, avoid travelling at peak times, although with flight schedules that might not necessarily be possible.
Wear Sunscreen
If you are travelling somewhere hotter than you are used to, wear a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen.
This will not only protect you from sunburn but also from the effects of heatstroke, which not only are potentially dangerous in their own right but can leave you more at risk of contracting diseases.
As well as this, wear a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved loose fitting clothing and make sure you spend time in the shade.
Keep Hydrated
Similarly, make sure you drink a lot of water whilst travelling. Airplane cabins are often particularly dry, which not only makes them more able to spread disease but also can leave you parched.
Drink water and consider buying electrolyte packs to add vitamins and minerals that you can sometimes lose through dehydration and sweating.