From vaccinations to healthy eating to finding one of the best Tweed doctors and everything in between, there are plenty of things to do to prevent the spread of infectious diseases during travel.
Diseases are caused by pathogens, which are microscopic organisms like viruses, bacteria, parasites, or fungi that invade the body, multiply and affect the normal functioning. Sadly, infectious diseases are the number one cause of illnesses and death in Australia and the world at large.
It becomes even more difficult for people – especially those who suffer from chronic diseases like cancer or heart diseases or have a low immune system or have serious injuries – to prevent getting down with an infection. But all hope is not lost. The best Tweed doctors recommend a range of ways that travellers can avoid the spread of infectious during travel, and are as follows.
Understand how infections are transmitted
The first and perhaps the most critical thing to do before your travel is to educate yourself about how diseases are transmitted. Information will serve as your first line of defence against infections as you are in a new land. As we mentioned earlier, infections are caused by pathogens. But the question is how do they get into the body and manage to tamper with the system? Well, the short answer is, these microscopic creatures use openings in the body to enter – think about your mouth, nose, and genital passages. They can also be transmitted when an animal bites someone’s skin. So, ideally, the best defence strategy is to prevent disease-causing pathogens is by restricting access to your body. Here are some ways to do that:
Maintain proper hygiene
If there is one thing that pathogens have in common is their affinity to filth. If you think about it, pests always thrive in dirty and unkempt places. And as it turns out, these pests are disease vectors – they carry infection-causing pathogens. Mosquitoes, for instance, are known to transmit malaria, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever, while rats, Hantavirus, LCMV, leptospirosis, salmonella, and tularaemia. Cockroaches, on the other hand, cause typhoid, polio, and dysentery. Maintaining proper hygiene during your travel helps keep these pests (and the diseases) at bay.
Get vaccinated
Vaccination is yet another incredible way to prevent infections. Talk to your healthcare provider about your immunisation status. So ideally, you want to ensure that you are up to date with your vaccinations and that you get additional immunizations for your travel. Travel vaccines include cholera, yellow fever, meningitis, malaria medications, influenza, Hepatitis A and B, Japanese, and Encephalitis.
Take travel precautions
As we mentioned earlier, it’s essential to talk to your doctor about your travel plans and how you can prevent infections in Tweed or any other destination. Additionally, a few practices like using insect repellent, getting shots upfront, not consuming ice, drinking bottled drinks, boiling tap water, and not eating uncooked veggies can keep you from trouble.
Be wary of what you eat
You probably know this, but we will mention it anyway. Healthy eating is one of the best ways to prevent infections. Avoiding cholesterol, saturated fats, sugars, trans fats, and refined carbs, which are synonymous with chronic infection, can allow your body to prevent cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Drink plenty of water and fluids
Try maintaining the recommended daily water intake of about six cups to ensure you are well hydrated. It’s also best to avoid cold drinks and opt for warm ones instead. In fact, some studies show that warm water can help eliminate stubborn fat from your body. Sufficient water intake clears your throat, quenches your thirst, and improves digestion.
Increase your fruit and vegetable intake
In the world where junk is all over the place, it is easy not to meet your daily nutritional needs. Unfortunately, unhealthy meals aren’t just causing severe health issues, but also leading to weight gain. Including fresh fruits and plenty of vegetable salads in your diets can help boost your immune system and overall health.
Exercise
Doing exercises has always been a great way to keep your body fit and healthy. And by exercise, we don’t necessarily mean going to the gym and lifting heavy stuff. Simple practices like squats, lunges, crunches, and walking can also be effective. All you need to have is an exercise plan that you follow religiously.
Have a health insurance policy
One of the main reasons people fear going to the hospital is the medical cost. Having a good health insurance policy, therefore, is a great way to deal with this fear and ensure that all your health issues are addressed in a timely fashion.
Conclusion
Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, it is essential to be intentional about protecting your health to ensure you get the most out of your trip.
