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Travel health advice
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
A DVT is clotting of blood in one of the deep veins, most commonly in the calf. It is particularly likely to occur when immobile for long time and if blood flow is restricted e.g. though cramped posture.
Some medical conditions predispose towards developing a DVT.
You can reduce your risk of a DVT when travelling by:
- drink adequate fluids throughout your journey
- avoid alcohol and caffeine-containing drinks before and during your flight
- avoid crossing legs when seated
- walk around whenever you can (ideally once every hour)
- perform arm and leg stretching exercises frequently when sitting
- wear loose-fitting comfortable clothing
If you have any medical conditions that may increase risk consider using compressions stockings on long flights.
If you have more than one risk factor, seek advice on prophylactic treatments
Risk factors include:
- a previous history of DVT or pulmonary embolism
- a history of DVT or pulmonary embolism in a close family member
- pregnancy
- Oestrogen treatments (the combined oral contraceptive; HRT tablets)
- recent surgery or trauma, particularly to the abdomen, pelvic regions or legs
- cancer
- some inherited blood clotting abnormalities and other blood disorders
Jet Lag
Jet lag occurs when the body clock is disrupted by crossing a number of time zones. Symptoms can include fatigue, disorientation, constipation and sleep disturbance.
Tips on how to Manage Jet lag
If your trip is for a short time e.g 48 hours or less continue on your home time schedule. Keep your watch or mobile phone set on UKtime as a reminder
- If possible, sleep at the same time as you would if still in the UK
- Avoid important meetings scheduled at times of maximum sleepiness at home. This is usually between 3- 5:00 amUK time and late afternoon (3-5:00pm)
- Avoid being in bright light at times when it will normally be dark at home. You can do this by staying indoors or wearing sunglasses when you go out
When planning meals try to keep your stomach on home time. Have a light meal at UK breakfast time
If your trip will be longer, you should start to adjust to your new time zone even before you leave the UK
- In the 2-3 days before travel, shift your bedtime towards night hours at your destination.
- As soon as you arrive, adjust your watch to local time
- Adjust you bedtimes and meal patterns and times to local times
- Spend some time on the first day in natural daylight
Avoiding Accidents
Accidents are the leading cause of death, injury and serious ill health in travellers. Accidents follow predictable patterns and are not just random events. this means that travellers can do much to avoid them or reduce them.
- As a general rule, continue to apply your usual safety standards even if the legal requirements or practice in the country you are visiting are not as strict as the UK.
Follow the same safety procedures in your work as would be required in College - When crossing a road in a foreign country check in both directions and don't assume pedestrians have priority on crossings
- Use licensed taxis and wear your seat belt
- Don't drink and drive
- Break up long car journeys and set realistic travel schedules
- When staying in hotels check the location of fire escapes, alarms and extinguishers
- If going out alone let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return
Preventing diarrhoea
Diarrhoeal illness is common when travelling, affecting 20% to 60% of overseas travellers.
- Ensure any water you drink is safe or adequately treated. If in doubt, drink only bottled water or soft drinks, or treat water by boiling, filtering or water purification tablets.
- Standard drinks; bottled water, soft drinks should be safe without needing treatment. Avoid milk and dairy products unless pasteurised or tinned
- Use treated or bottled water when cleaning your teeth.
- Wash hands immediately after using the toilet and before preparing/eating food
- Peel fruit before eating. If preparing salad wash ingredients in safe water
- All food should be treated as suspect unless you know it has been freshly and thoroughly cooked - in the case of meat until t here is no
red meat - Avoid salads, shellfish, milk products, warm buffet foods, ice and food left exposed to flies
- When swimming avoid swallowing water in swimming pool, lakes or the sea
Self-Treatment of Travellers diarrhoea
T he illness usually settles within 1-2 days and needs no treatment other than fluid replacement.
If you do fall ill:
- Drink plenty of fluids and rest
- Drink sufficient to satisfy thirst, and produce normal straw coloured urine. If urine is darker than normal it indicates dehydration and fluids should be increased
- When you feel like eating good foods are bananas, salted crisps, rice or clear soup
Rehydration powders (e.g Dioralyte or Electrolade) can be useful if diarrhoea is severe but ensure that water used to make up the solution is sterile - Anti-diarrhoeals (e.g Imodium) can be helpful at reducing symptoms when it is difficult to get to toilet but they do not treat underlying illness and should never be used if suffering with bloody diarrhoea or fever
Seek medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Significant fever lasting longer than 48 hours
- Diarrhoea lasting longer than 4 days
- Severe diarrhoea with difficulty keeping up with fluid and salt replacement
- Diarrhoea with blood
If diarrhoea recurs or continues after return seek medical advice. Any illness whilst on College travel should be reported to the Occupational Health Service.
Animal Contact
Animals may injure you and can transmit a variety of infections. Direct contact with any animals is best avoided.
If your work will direct contact or cause confrontation with animals (in particular dogs, monkeys, cats, bats) you may require rabies vaccination before travelling.
If you are bitten, licked or scratched by an animal:
- Clean area with soap or detergent, preferably under a running tap, for at least five minutes
- Remove any dirt or foreign material in the wound )
- Rinse with plain water
- Irrigate with a virucidal agent, such as povidone iodine (Betadine), 0.01 per cent aqueous iodine, or 40-70 per cent alcohol (spirits e.g. gin or whisky can be used as a substitute)
- Seek medical attention urgently for an assessment and advice
Culture Shock
Culture shock is the unease or distress someone can experience when they find themselves in new and unfamiliar environment.
For most people, it is an initial anxiety that settles after a few days as they adapt to new surroundings. Occasionally it can cause some disabling symptoms such as panic attacks and mood changes.
Avoid it by:
Before travelling:
- Read up about your destination
- Learn simple phrases in your host country's language
When abroad
- Pace yourself in the first few days
- Take some time to explore the new environment
- Have some time to yourself but don't avoid contact with local people
- Keep in touch with home
Sunburn
The ultra violet component of sunlight is a health hazard. Acute exposures cause sunburn. Prolonged exposure increases skin aging and over time causes skin cancer. The main way of avoiding UV damage is to reduce the amount of exposure to the sun.
- Avoiding exposure when the sum is highest (between 11 am and 3 pm)
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat and cover arms & legs when outdoors
- Seeking natural shade in the form of trees or other shelter
- Use a broad spectrum sun screen on exposed with an SPF of 15 or higher
- Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, and also after swimming and vicarious exercise
- Increase fluid intake during the day
Avoiding Insect Bites
Several tropical diseases are transmitted by insect bites, such as yellow fever, malaria and Japanese encephalitis. Insect bite avoidance is therefore an important method for reducing your risk of infections in tropical countries.
- Wear loose light clothing that covers as much of the body as possible, particularly at times when biting insects are active.
- Treat exposed skin with a good insect repellent. DEET is the most effective. Use a 50% solution if possible. Preparations containing less than 20% are of limited effectiveness.
- Repellents should be reapplied at regular intervals, especially in hot conditions when they may be removed by perspiration and after swimming or washing
- In malarious regions if sleeping outdoors or in accommodation without unscreened windows or doors sleep under a mosquito net, preferably treated with a pyrethroid insecticide.
- Indoors, spray your room with a knock-down fly spray before sleeping, or use a plugin vaporiser
- Clothing can be sprayed with permethrin or DEET.
