What can’t a woman live without on vacation? No flying skirts, no romance, no sea spray, no sun? Without this, a woman can live on vacation, but does not want to. But to go on a journey, especially a long one, without a first aid kit and knowledge of how to stay healthy on this vacation, a woman really cannot. Because health insurance doesn’t always cover even the common cold, treatment is expensive, and doctors may simply not be available in some places. And in general, forewarned means armed, and the best treatment is prevention. In order to remember the vacation with exceptionally incredible sunsets, languid glances and happy children’s squeals, it is worth:
• an adequate supply of medicines, if you are taking any regularly,
• gauze and elastic bandages,
• plaster, brilliant green, cotton wool and scissors,
• antibiotic ointment,
• disinfectant liquid: alcohol, alcohol-containing lotions. It’s a good idea to take disinfectant solutions of chlorhexidine or mirastimin – they have a greater spectrum of action than alcohol. In addition, not all parts of the body can be treated with alcohol,
• drug for allergies. Even if you or your children do not have allergies, a wasp sting or unfamiliar foods can trigger an attack. It is advisable to buy a new generation drug that does not cause drowsiness. If you have children, you should also buy an anti-allergic ointment – smear the bites.
• a remedy for motion sickness, if necessary,
• repellents. These are means from mosquitoes, midges, ticks. Relevant not only in central Russia. For very young, up to 3 years old kids, you can take clove cologne and sprinkle it on clothes and wipe open areas of the body – its smell repels insects (the cologne has been tested on our mosquitoes, whether it repels ticks or African midges is unknown),
• indigestion agents: activated charcoal, rehydron or a similar drug (needed to restore the water-salt balance in case of loss of fluid caused by diarrhea or vomiting), an antibiotic for the intestines, such as furazalidon, but this should be used only in cases of extreme necessary and before buying, consult your doctor or pharmacist; a remedy containing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli (for example, linex or bifidumbacterin) to restore the intestinal flora, if the disorder did happen. This drug is especially relevant for children and tourists from exotic countries,
• for visitors to the pools, antifungal ointments or creams containing tea tree oil are desirable,
• plenty of sunscreen, sunscreen (better to grab it than to look for a liter of sour cream at 12 at night)
• anesthetic,
• cold remedies: cold drops, aerosols and throat lozenges.
It may seem redundant to you, but if you are leaving for an unfamiliar place, it is better to have well-known drugs with you, rather than buying obscure analogues three times more expensive.
• contraceptives bought in a good pharmacy. Also, if you’re going to be in a whirlwind of pleasure, it’s a good idea to take special disinfectant solutions with you, which are used after contacts during which you did not protect yourself.
up-to-date data on the epidemiological situation, recommendations on how to protect yourself from specific diseases, a possible list of necessary vaccinations. Of course, this item applies mainly to distant and yet unfamiliar countries. But even in a forest you have traveled a thousand times, an unplanned epidemic of ticks can happen, and you better know about it in advance.
Incidentally, the WHO list of not safest countries to visit (“not the safest” – the wording of the author, WHO speaks of them as undesirable): Honduras, Zaire, Comoros, Ghana, Congo, Bolivia, Peru – when visiting these countries, the risk of contracting some exotic muck is especially high. Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania, popular in Russia are also not flawless from a medical point of view.
Canada and the US are at low risk for travelers. Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are considered high-risk countries, especially in rural areas: poisonous spiders, insect-borne diseases, in some places yellow fever. Traveling to South America is even more risky; there, along with spiders and dysentery, malaria and cholera await us. But Australia and Oceania please with a moderate risk.
If you choose Africa, then the North is better, where there are no such dangerous infections as malaria and yellow fever. The rest of Africa is just a hotbed of infections transmitted through food and water. India is considered the most dangerous country – the record holder for the number of infections encountered. The Middle East pleases us with diversity: In developed countries, such as Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, one can feel as safe as in Europe. In Iran and Iraq, you can meet any infection.
Professionals advise doing this even when traveling to a neighboring city, and they won’t let you into the tropics or Schengen countries without insurance. By the way, representatives of insurance companies interested in their money will tell you about the features and risks of the chosen place, like no other travel agency.
They gave me a week off. So let’s wave to the sea, with the children! And there – the sun is all day long, springs, shrimp are carried right along the beach, already boiled! And what about acclimatization, sunburn and, sorry, mild, non-committal dysentery?
Acclimatization. This process takes from a week, and short tours with climate change are a big burden for the body. Therefore, children under 3 years old and people over 50, as well as women during menopause, they are not shown, normal rest in a different climate is from 21 days. In the process of getting used to, direct sunlight at first (and for children under 3 years old in general) is contraindicated, swimming in the sea is dosed, lactic acid products are temporarily excluded from the diet or thermally processed.
The sun. If you are tired on the very first days of your vacation, it may not be an abundance of impressions, but an overabundance of sun. It has been proven that in large doses, especially in the afternoon, the sun causes fatigue and loss of energy.
Children. Traveling is stressful for their little organisms, you should not expose them to additional stress in the form of many hours of excursions, shopping for company with you or a whole day at the beach. And the most necessary clothes for children in the south are a long-sleeved T-shirt and long cotton pants. And a panama hat that protects not only the head, but also the neck.
Hygiene. On the road, as well as in exotic countries, hygiene is almost the most important issue, and water quality is not the best. Special disinfectant solutions, potassium permanganate come to the rescue. Napkins with which it makes sense to wipe everything that you will touch and that not only you touched: door handles (in a compartment, for example), cutlery, etc. Some doctors also advise treating hands and even face with alcohol-based lotions. If you have to take linen on the train, check if it is sealed. In general, it is better for children to lay homemade. Also, in high-risk countries, you should not get involved in cosmetic procedures, in particular, shaving, epilation, etc. – you can get an infection.
Nutrition. Of course, we will not buy homemade pies at every stop of the Moscow-Adler train. Of course, we will not throw ourselves at all the unknown, but Thai fruits that are so pleasing to the eye. Probably, even for the sake of maintaining the honor of risky Russians, we will not try fugue – after all, some of us have children. And, most importantly, we will wash, wash and wash fruits and hands constantly. And in India, Africa and similar places, drink only bottled, factory-packed water, bought in large stores or at a hotel. And rinse her mouth. And some, by the way, even bathing water is disinfected with potassium permanganate.
Many seasoned travelers take prophylactic medications for so-called “traveler’s diarrhea”. For example, a few drops of tea tree dissolved in water is a natural antibiotic. And, of course, we will remember: “What is good for a Russian is death for a German” and vice versa. Our stomach, alas, is genetically unfamiliar with all spices, fats and exotics – therefore, it must be supported, for example, with enzymes if necessary, and not pounce on buffets as if we had not eaten for 3 years. And, of course, it is not known how to buy processed , although we will not be eating very tasty food on all sorts of stalls, in tents and from our hands. Especially in the south.
Bathing. In countries where water-borne infections are common, do not swim in stagnant water. In some countries, it is necessary to clarify the presence of marine life that is dangerous to health and how to communicate with it: in the Nile, for example, it is not recommended to walk barefoot, in other places there is a risk of jellyfish burns, etc.
Treatment. Before you rush to improve your health, think about whether this health allows you. For example, walking in the sun for a couple of hours, smeared with therapeutic mud is a heavy burden for the heart, and mud therapy is absolutely contraindicated for people with disabilities. In mineral springs, especially without knowing their composition, it is also not worth throwing yourself and throwing your children – for example, with a certain composition, people with increased convulsive readiness (which you may not know about) may develop a seizure. Mineral water inside is a medicine that, accordingly, must be taken in a dosed and purposeful manner so as not to get an exacerbation of gastritis in return for the expected surge of strength.
Appearance. Heat, wind, sea and sun, alas, dehydrate, dry and thin our hair. So, if you don’t want to spend your energy and money on recovery after your vacation, don’t paint and don’t do “chemo” before traveling, but direct your energy to strengthening your hair – it will come in handy on the beach. By the way, moisturizing shampoos and balms that will wash off sea salt will also come in handy there.
Now about the skin. If you are white and moving south, it would be a good idea to prep your skin with 2-3 visits to the solarium. And no peels, unless you are going to imitate a giraffe – in the sun after chemo. peeling, age spots may appear. If you are taking hormonal contraceptives or antibiotics, you should also protect yourself from the sun – dermatitis may occur.
Mode. Vacation professionals (there are some, even enviably) advise starting a vacation in a light and pleasant nap – giving sleep at least 10 hours a day. The pace of movement also needs to be increased gradually, sports entertainment should be started with small doses – so that there is enough strength and desire for the entire vacation period, and not the first evening. Psychologists and doctors say that an important component of a good rest is family and personal communication, the absence of a constant flow of information (down with TVs, mobile phones, PDAs, etc.).
local orders. They are worth studying so as not to get into trouble or be prepared for unexpected reactions to you, your appearance or behavior. Indeed, in some countries of the Middle East it is better not to wear shorts, in Egyptian villages, any woman needs to wear a dove (a large headscarf), etc. And the gestures are by no means international, and what is a sign of admiration in Russia can easily turn out to be an insult in another country.
And finally – entertaining examples of some local orders.
In the city of Elko in Nevada, you can only walk on the streets in a mask
In Baltimore, it is not allowed to come to the theater with lions.
In Little Rock, Arkansas, it is illegal to walk cows on Main Street after 1 p.m. on Sunday.
In Pensacola, Florida, residents are required to carry at least $10 at all times.
In Minnesota, you are threatened with going to jail for sleeping naked.
And yet, despite the above precautions, recommendations, lists of countries and medicines, I want to say: believe that everything will go well and expect the best. The universe will answer your call. And everything will be truly unforgettable.
