THE WELLNESS CONCIERGE^®

Inspiration and Resources for Healthy Living On and Off the Road

Are You Road-Ready? Read This Week's Travel-Health Column

The Road-Ready HealthWire for July 2,  2003: Summer Health & Safety, Part 1 “Bits and Bobs*” to Keep You Sane, Safe, and Healthy on the Go By Marlene R. Fedin, The Wellness Concierge®   TRAVEL-HEALTH NEWS There's a lot of relevant news this week. Too much, alas, for this week's column so I'm highlighting headlines and linking you to the sources. There's news about DVT, West Nile Virus, a stroke risk linked to flying, encephalitis deaths in China, and more.   FYI: The News page is generally updated weekly, so even if there's no Road Ready column, you can scan travel-health headlines, SARS updates, and related health and wellness news by topic.   SUMMER HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATED TRAVEL-HEALTH LINKS: Looking for information on infectious diseases and outbreaks? Travel vaccinations? Want to find a travel-health doctor or clinic? Need strategies on combating DVT? Searching for a local physician?   I've updated The Wellness Concierge® travel-health links on the left side of the Home, News, and weekly Road Ready column pages (other pages will be updated as time permits). This is by no means an all-inclusive list but as we head into summer, it covers the basic resources you'll need for business and/or leisure travel.   (FYI: This is a non-commercial site. The included links reflect my personal choices and no one has paid to be listed.)   Even the best sites may not meet every traveler's needs and as comprehensive as many are, there's no definitive or all-inclusive site. So, in some cases, more than one resource is included. Only you can determine which has the information you need and is most useful for your purposes. ••• ON THE WEB: SUMMER SAFETY PRIMER: Want a quick refresher course on just about everything you need to know to stay safe and healthy this summer? Head to the Mayo Clinic Web site's Summer Safety Guide.   The section covers key areas of concern (travel, food, sports, insect bites, weather-related injuries, etc.) with tips and strategies for prevention and treatment. The info on active sports is particularly relevant for "seasonal" athletes.   For more information on how to survive the summer, read: HOW TO STAND UP TO SUMMER: Tips and Strategies for Staying Healthy—and Comfortable on the Go ••• GET THE LATEST TRAVEL-HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS: On June 26th, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) issued its new Yellow Book with revised travel-health data. New information includes: • Malaria-prevention strategies; • Updated vaccine recommendations; • Changes in insect-repellant use; • Expanded index, improved maps.   To order, contact the Public Health Foundation at 877-252-1200 or visit http://bookstore.phf.org/prod159.htm. ••• REMINDER: REPACK YOUR BAGS Now that real summer weather has arrived, it's time to check your personal medical kit and restock it with seasonal items such as: • Protective head covering (hat, scarf, etc.); • Sunglasses; • Sunscreen: waterproof with a minimum of SPF 15 protection; • Insect repellants: Check out natural products; stay away from those with DEET--it's not something you want on your body, no matter what some health experts say. Look for those that are conveniently packaged in a wristband or towelette (Buzz Away towelettes are clean smelling and DEET-free.). • Anti-malarial medications: Consult a travel-medicine specialist and make sure you understand the serious side-effects of Lariam before you consider taking it. • An anti-diarrheal tablet or liquid: Even if you never seem to have stomach problems, summer brings out adventuresome, and occasionally risky, eating--not to mention the potential for contracting a food-borne illness. • Long-lasting, non-sedating antihistamines for allergies, hay fever, allergic reactions. If you're allergic to insects, and use an auto-injecting epinephrine pen, make sure you are well-stocked. Bees and insects show up regularly in indoor environments. • Anti-nausea tablets, ginger capsules, pressure bands or patches, or a Transderm Scop patch to prevent motion or seasickness. If you even think you might be in a situation where motion sickness may be a problem (And it can become one, even if you've never experienced it before, as I, who spent a lot of time on boats, once learned on a sunset cruise in Hawaii.), take something with you. • Protective lip balm (or petroleum jelly) for sun/heat exposure; • Salt packets or an oral rehydration solution to treat dehydration; • Bandages and Band- Aids: Opt for flexible and water-resistant types. If you haven't yet tried them, check out the new liquid versions. Note: They're not appropriate for all cuts, so don't skip the traditional stick-ons. • Aloe Vera Gel or Lotion: It will take the sting out of burns, scrapes, sunburn, and bug bites. Aloe also eases pain, swelling and itching; retards scarring; and promotes new skin growth.   To soothe itching, burning feet and other body parts as well as insect bites: • Medicated foot and body powders (cornstarch); • Cooling aloe vera gel or witch hazel (great in pre-packaged pads); • Calamine or Caladryl lotion for poison ivy, other skin irritations   Heat and sun exposure (along with the hours you log in flight) can lead to dry eyes. Consider adding: • Individually packaged, non-preserved artificial tears (for dry eyes); • Lubricating eye drops (without eye whiteners); contact-lens solution.   If you're heat-sensitive (or just want to stay cool), consider small ice packs that can be frozen; a small, battery-operated fan; or even one of those sleek, around-your-neck electronic air-coolers.   Active-Traveler Choices If you walk, run or exercise on the road, pack a medicated rub for treating sore muscles or aches and pains; cold packs to treat strains and sprains; an assortment of Ace bandages; moleskin for blister treatment; and some type of  waterproof, liquid sealant that forms a protective barrier on intact skin for preventing and protecting (unbroken) blisters. Wilderness Alert (800-298-9919; mail@wildernessalert.com) offers a variety of bandages and adhesives for blister prevention and care for active travelers.   And while you're at it, might as well stock up on single-serving size bottled water. Office supply stores sell them in bulk at discounted prices. Keeping them on hand  in quantity means you'll have no excuse not to tote a few when you head out--plus you'll save a bundle over inflated airport shop prices.   Before you go: Refrigerate full bottles. For cooling purposes,  freeze partially filled bottles. When frozen and thawing, you can roll over your forehead and neck for instant relief.   Concerned about using all that plastic? Refill them a few times. But make sure to thoroughly wash the plastic bottles with hot water and a dish cleaner after every use to prevent germs.   Having trouble keeping track of what you need? Travemed.com offers printable checklists.   READER TIP: How to Cope When Your Medication is Lost or Stolen Business traveler Lawrence (Lan) Lievense is a healthcare financial executive and the President of Healthcare Financial Advocates. A Type 2 diabetic, Lan knows how managing his condition can complicate his traveling schedule. But his  diligence in monitoring his health and advance planning are something that could aid any frequent traveler and, as Lievense rightly notes, his "precautions are just common sense."   Lan stresses the importance of preparation, something he "learned the hard way" when he found himself sans medication when traveling outside his 'home' state where his prescriptions were issued. His advice:   "When traveling out of your home state, carry original prescriptions for all medications and supplies with you.  Know the contact information for some physicians in the city (cities) through which you're traveling and carry a physician's letter listing medicated conditions. If your meds disappear, as mine did when stolen from my hotel room, the original prescriptions will help convince a 'local' physician to write a 'local' prescription.    "Physician's licenses are state-specific, so your 'home' state physician's prescriptions will not be honored at an out-of-state pharmacy.  However a 'local' physician will more readily help with new prescriptions if you can provide a valid, verifiable prescription(s) and contact information from your personal doctor at home.   "I now carry, in addition to 'backup prescriptions', a letter from my physician detailing my medications and giving a short medical history. It's on his medical group stationery, which lists all physicians in the group to provide additional credibility when a verification telephone call only reaches the on-call physician. The prescriptions and letter are a standard part of my 'medical traveling kit,' which everyone should carry--even if they do not have medical problems--to state that they do not have medical problems. Anticipating--and Preventing--Problems: "For awhile, I was so paranoid about not having medications [while traveling] in another state that I kept a five -day supply at home in a FedEx package--complete with a blank address form and valid account number so my wife could overnight the meds to my next hotel or even to a client's office. It is also necessary to provide the complete street address for my itinerary [including a phone number] as required by FedEx & UPS."   Thanks Lan. Good advice!   If you've got a tip or strategy for healthy travel that you'd like to share, e-mail The Wellness Concierge®.   *Information is compiled from medical and scientific journals and related professional publications, which have vetted the research data that they present.   Top of Page | Report a Broken Link   Have a question or comment for The Wellness Concierge®?  E-Mail: WConcierge@aol.com Join Joe Brancatelli's weekly mailing list and receive an E-mail alert when new travel-health columns from The Wellness Concierge® are posted. Click here to sign up.   “The only real value that we bring to any other human being on this planet is our ability to make some of their stress go away.” —Donald Cooper