Travel medicine is the interception and handling of health for international travelers. Travel medicine workers will do their best to prevent people traveling from getting certain diseases or sicknesses while visiting. This is why some people who travel internationally get a series of vaccinations before they hop on their plane. Here are some reasons why visiting an office that specializes in travel medicine is so important before traveling internationally.

 

Get the necessary vaccines – The number of vaccines you’ll need before traveling abroad is contingent on where you are going. However, most people who travel internationally need at least one vaccination to prevent them from getting a disease we don’t have in the United States, so make sure you visit an office that specializes in travel medicine before you leave. An example is those who travel to South America will get a vaccination to protect them from yellow fever because we don’t have to deal with outbreaks of yellow fever in the United States.

 

Receive medicine to treat certain symptoms while abroad – Certain medications can be given to you ahead of time by our travel medicine experts, just in case you find yourself experiencing diarrhea or you are traveling somewhere where malaria is prevalent. If you are at risk of getting malaria because of where you are traveling, you will start taking malaria pills one to two weeks before traveling and continue to take them for the duration of your trip. Then you will continue to take your malaria pills for a few weeks after you return from your international trip.

 

Get educated about food & water – There are some foods travel medicine experts may suggest you don’t eat while you are abroad because there is a high risk of illness if you partake in them. It’s important to listen to these safety measures because they will lessen your chances of getting sick on your trip. However, no matter what, always wash your hands before you eat. Hand washing is a simple and effective way to prevent illness while traveling abroad.

 

Safe travel tips – Some travel tips that travel medicine experts may give you are to travel in groups at night and not to accept food or drinks from strangers. These are simple tips, but they are also very important to ensure that you stay safe while you are traveling internationally.

 

Contact our Urgent Care Clinic to schedule an appointment regarding travel medicine today. We will do everything we can to protect you from potential illnesses while you are traveling abroad.