Don’t let travel sickness ruin your holiday
By Effective Communication
I’m due to fly off on holiday in a couple of weeks and while I’m really looking forward to it, as with every year there’s a bit of a cloud over it as I don’t travel well. I get sick and worry about things such as DVT and this always starts to stress me out in the days running up to my hols, spoiling the excitement. To top it off, I’ve been ill on my last two summer breaks and I really don’t want this to happen again. I was just wondering if you might have any suggestions?
Millions suffer from travel sickness in different forms – whether it be car, rail, air or sea. People who don’t suffer often don’t understand just how horrible this can be, especially when everyone around you is already in the holiday mood and ready to enjoy themselves.
There are so many potential over-the-counter remedies available and I’d always recommend consulting a pharmacist or your GP prior to travel in order to get the best advice as to what will work for you.
This could involve patches, tablets or even rings over pressure points – it has to be said that if you get the right treatment and advice, travel sickness can actually be controlled very effectively. It’s not a trivial problem so don’t be embarrassed to seek out the best treatment.
As with most things, making sure you’re fully hydrated and have access to plenty of fluid – ideally water – will help during the journey and as difficult as it seems at the time, try to relax. Distract yourself with a good book or games, plug yourself in to your headphones or make an effort to concentrate on the in-flight movie – however bad it is!
Also, don’t be afraid to alert airline staff about these issues. It will be pretty normal
for them and they might have some additional tips that have worked for other passengers.
There’s been much publicity regarding DVT in recent years and there are things you can do to help combat it. Again, ensure you’re well hydrated prior to any flight (or a particularly long bus journey, for example) and have a ready supply of water available for the journey. Alcohol is a big no no as it dehydrates the body, increasing risk.
If you suffer from specific medical conditions – heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or are pregnant for example – it might be advisable (if you’re not intolerant) to take 75mg aspirin 3 days prior to and after your journey – as with anything like this, always consult your GP first.
When on the plane or whatever mode of transport, move around as much as possible – particularly important on a plane as the decompression in the cabin puts you more at risk. It’s also especially important in flights over 4 hours. If there is no way to get up and walk around, keep feet and legs active – move your feet in a cycling motion in order to flex the calf and get blood flowing back towards the heart. I’d also recommend wearing compression socks / stockings that can be purchased in all high street chemists now.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the more comfortable and relaxed you are reaching your destination, the better placed you’ll be to deal with any unforeseen illness – hopefully you’ll avoid it all together.
Basic things would be to never set off without ensuring you’ve had all required vaccinations for wherever you’re travelling and to be sensible about sun safety while you’re there. Many people don’t realise for example that sun screen can take upto 30 minutes to start protecting the skin so be prepared. Too much sun can make you feel lethargic and sick so try and avoid at the hottest times of the day and wear a hat to protect your head.
Be careful about what you’re eating aswell – stomach upsets and diarrhoea are very common when travelling and affect between 30-50% of tourists. Avoid anything you’re unsure about – particularly raw food that may have been washed in contaminated water (eg salad) and anything that’s been reheated.
These are basic tips and may seem obvious but it’s easy to drop your guard once on holiday – particularly as the cocktails start to flow! In general, the better you look after yourself, the better the time you should have and that’s got to be worth it – bon voyage!
Tags: Dr Jo Longstaffe, The Independent General Practice, Travel Sickness
