How to Protect Your Health when Traveling

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: October 19, 2021 References

Traveling can be an exciting experience; however, depending on how and where you travel, you open yourself up to compromising your immune system. Traveling exposes you to numerous people, and therefore, germs, as well as local bacteria your body isn't used to, while some destinations pose serious health risks. No matter where you are traveling, you should take steps to make sure you remain healthy.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Staying Healthy On An Airplane

1
Wash your hands. Wash your hands often while you travel. Use soap and water, and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly for a couple of minutes. You should definitely wash your hands before eating food.^{[1]
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- Make sure to also wash your hands when you use the bathroom. If you cough or sneeze, or are around someone who is coughing and sneezing, wash your hands.
- Use hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes if there is no soap or clean water available.
2
Touch objects in the plane with a paper towel. Airplanes can be full of germs. Hundreds of people are on airplanes every day, and they touch seats and lavatory doors. If you can, try not to touch anything you don’t have to.^{[2]
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- Wipe the armrests on your seat with a disinfectant wipe, and open bathroom doors with a paper towel.
- If you touch anything, use hand sanitizer.
3
Boost your immune system. You don’t know who may be spreading germs on a flight. Oftentimes, your immune system may be compromised when you travel. Before and during your travel, a multivitamin and other nutrients that may boost your immune system.^{[3]
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- Saline nasal spray or Neti pots can be helpful in keeping you from getting sick. Saline spray can help moisturize your nose in dry plane air, which can help you resist infection. Rinsing your nose with salt water from a Neti pot can help rinse out germs in your nose. Use them both before and after the flight.^{[4]
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4
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause you to feel unwell while you travel. It may also intensify jet lag after you reach your destination. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated during your travels and after you arrive at your destination as well.^{[5]
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- Skip the alcohol when beverages are offered to you during a flight. Instead have 1 to 2 glasses of water each time the flight attendant brings the beverage cart around, and ask for more if you still feel thirsty.^{[6]
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- Bring a water bottle with you and refill it with clean drinking water every few hours, or purchase water bottles to drink during your travels.
5
Fight jet lag. If you are traveling to a different time zone, you will probably experience jet lag. Jet lag can make you feel sick in addition to fatigued. To help, start functioning using the new time. Go to bed when it’s bedtime wherever you are.^{[7]
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Research source} Don’t nap during the day. Try to sleep on the plane if you can.
- You may try adjusting your sleep schedule a few days before traveling.^{[8]
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6
Refrain from traveling if you are ill. If you are feeling sick before you leave, consider cancelling your plans, especially if you have a fever. This can help you avoid spreading any germs. You also don’t want to spend your trip dealing with a health emergency.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Protecting Yourself While Traveling

1
Pack a first aid kit. You should carry a first aid kit with you. This first aid kit should include things like diarrhea and stomach medicine, pain medication, decongestants and antihistamines, cold medicine, antibiotic ointment, bandages, hydrocortisone cream, and motion sickness medicine.^{[10]
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- If you have any prescription drugs, make sure you pack those too. Keep them in their original containers.
2
Use sunscreen. It is important to protect your skin while you travel. To do this, wear hats, protective clothing, and most importantly, sunscreen. Make sure to use a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection.^{[11]
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3
Use an insect repellent. You want to make sure to prevent any bug bites, especially mosquito bites. When you are out in nature, make sure to spray your skin with bug spray. Make sure the repellent has 30 to 50% DEET.^{[12]
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- Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks and is a concern in many areas of the United States. Ticks, mosquitoes, flies, and other insects can spread multiple diseases, such as West Nile virus, Zika virus, malaria, etc.
- Wear long sleeves and pants when outside at night, especially in areas with malaria. Try to stay in lodging with screens or air conditioners. Wear full shoes instead of sandals.^{[13]
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- Make sure to discuss with your doctor what kinds of insect repellent is best for your children.
- Protecting against insects can help prevent diseases like malaria from mosquitoes, or Lyme disease from ticks.
4
Check your insurance coverage. Before travel, make sure your health insurance will cover you if you get sick or injured while away from home. This is for both domestic and international travel. Make sure to gather contact information about the doctors or hospitals covered under your insurance. Double check to make sure you packed your insurance card.^{[14]
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- Some insurances may have programs for international travel that will cover you while overseas.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Staying Healthy When Traveling To Remote Areas

1
Research health risks associated with your destination. Many destinations come with certain health risks. This is especially true if you are traveling internationally, but also important for domestic travel as well. You should find out about any health risks at least six to eight weeks before you travel so you can get any needed vaccinations.^{[15]
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- You can visit your doctor or a travel clinic to discuss any risks associated with your travel destination.
- Make sure you vaccinations are current. Find out if you need any additional vaccines for diseases prevalent in the area where you’ll be traveling.
2
Check travel health notices. Before you travel anywhere, check to make sure there are no travel health notices. You can usually find these on news sites or government pages, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Preventon's Travel Health Notice page.^{[16]
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3
Protect yourself from foodborne illness. When traveling, be careful not to get sick from eating contaminated food. Hepatitis A and typhoid fever are contracted through contaminated food.^{[17]
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Research source} Depending on where you are traveling, the food may not be safe to eat. Make sure to do research about where you are going and if there are concerns about the food. If unsure, make sure to eat hot food that has been thoroughly cooked.^{[18]
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- Be careful when eating raw fruit and vegetables. If you are in a country prone to contaminated food, don’t eat it unless you can peel it. You can also boil or cook it.
- Don’t eat raw foods, like salads and shellfish.
- Be wary with foods from street vendors.
4
Take precautions with water. Drinking contaminated water can lead to sickness and is a major concern when traveling, especially in developing countries. If water is a concern where you are traveling, make sure you to only drink bottled water or water that has been boiled. Sealed drinks, like carbonated beverages, should be fine.^{[19]
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- Don’t drink ice in your drinks in high-risk areas — remember ice is just frozen water.
- In high-risk areas, don’t bathe, brush your teeth, swim, or wade in untreated water. This includes water from the tap.
5
Determine if you need preventative medicine. Traveling to some countries puts you at a higher risk for certain illnesses. Some of these illnesses require preventative medications that you take before, during, and after your trip. Talk to your doctor about your travel plans to see if you need preventative medicine.^{[20]
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- For example, if you are traveling to countries that have a high risk of malaria, you need preventative medicine for malaria.
6
Refrain from engaging with wildlife. Infected animals can spread diseases to you through contact with their fluids or eating food from a contaminated animal, like meat, fish, or dairy products. Stay away from any animals, wild or domestic.^{[21]
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- Don’t pet dogs or monkeys in developing countries.
- Refrain from feeding animals.