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Health Features
Current Topic: Healthy Travel
Motion sickness
Medication on vacation
It’s in the water!
Motion sickness
Carsickness, airsickness, or seasickness - they’re all just different names for the same miserable problem:
motion sickness. It can happen when there’s a mismatch between what your eyes see and what your inner ear -
the body’s balance centre - senses when you’re in a moving vehicle. The result? The familiar symptoms of
nausea, paleness, a cold sweat, and vomiting. Kids, especially toddlers and preschoolers, are most susceptible to
motion sickness. Fortunately, they’ll usually outgrow it after the age of five. To prevent motion sickness
before it starts:- Avoid heavy meals up to two hours before travelling.
- Don’t try to read when travelling - instead, look out the window at distant objects, or close your eyes.
- In a car or bus, sit where you can see out the windshield and open a window for fresh air. Better yet, drive the
car yourself and you won’t feel sick!
- On a ship, be sure to get a cabin on the inside, near the waterline, where there’s less movement. When on
deck, look ahead toward the horizon, which is stable.
- In a plane, ask for a seat next to a bulkhead (wall) over the wings - it’ll make turbulence less
noticeable.
- Just in case the sickness can’t be avoided, always travel with a leakproof container - resealable food bags
are a good bet.
- If all else fails, talk to your doctor about over-the-counter or prescription medications that can prevent
motion sickness.
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Medication on vacation
To make sure you stay healthy when you take a trip, don’t leave your medications at home! And keep these tips in
mind:- Before your trip, review your dosage schedules with your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you’ll be crossing time zones – you may have to
take your medications at different times.
- Some drugs can make you more sensitive to the sun and heat – check labels for warnings, or ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Keep with you a list of all the medications you take and their dosages, your doctors’ phone numbers, and
health insurance information.
- Don’t put your medicines in checked luggage. Keep them with you, and bring enough to last the whole trip;
when you go on an outing, carry along a day’s supply.
- Store medicines away from direct sunlight or high heat; a beach bag or your car’s trunk or glove
compartment aren’t good places to keep medicines.
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It’s in the water!
When you’re camping, it’s tempting to drink water straight from pristine-looking lakes and
streams – but don’t do it! A microscopic, single-celled parasite called Giardia (jee-ar-dee-ah)
is the cause of a common waterborne illness known as giardiasis (jee-ar-dye-a-sis) or “beaver fever.” The
symptoms are diarrhea, belching, gas, and cramps that first show up about one to two weeks after becoming infected,
and can last four to six weeks. To prevent giardiasis infection:- Use bottled water only, or
boil water at least one minute before using it. Alternatively, you can purify water with iodine tablets or special
water filters.
- Don’t brush your teeth, wash dishes, fruits, or vegetables, or use ice cubes made with water that hasn’t been purified.
- Peel raw fruits and vegetables before you eat them.
- Wash your hands with bottled or purified water only, and do it carefully several times a day.
- Don’t swallow water when you’re swimming - even in a chlorinated swimming pool (chlorine doesn’t kill all
germs).
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