{"id":49281,"date":"2016-12-01T15:42:20","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T21:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=49281"},"modified":"2018-02-23T12:51:17","modified_gmt":"2018-02-23T18:51:17","slug":"17-ways-avoid-getting-sick-exotic-destinations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/17-ways-avoid-getting-sick-exotic-destinations\/","title":{"rendered":"17 ways to avoid getting sick in exotic destinations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing ruins a once-in-a-lifetime vacation quite like getting sick. You pay thousands of dollars to experience a new and exotic land only to spend your vacation in bed, on the toilet\u2014or worse\u2014recovering in a local hospital. <\/span><\/p>\n

But with a few strategic precautions, you can avoid the infamous “<\/span>Delhi Belly<\/a>,”<\/span> Montezuma’s Revenge and other ailments that are so common in countries where hygiene and sanitation might not be up to American standards. These places still deserve to be experienced, just with a little more mindfulness to your personal health. Here are 17 tips to keep you healthy on your globe-trotting adventures.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Warning: This post causes serious Singapore street food cravings<\/a><\/p>\n

Assess\u00a0the health requirements.<\/h3>\n

As soon as I know where I\u2019m headed\u2014sometimes even before I book my trip\u2014I\u2019ll check the <\/span>CDC destination guide<\/span><\/a> for travel health recommendations. <\/span>The CDC recommends seeing a doctor at least four to six weeks before travel so that you can get recommended vaccines, medications and health advice before jetting off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get the recommended vaccines.<\/h3>\n

In some cases, you cannot enter a country without proof that you\u2019ve received specific vaccinations. So check your destination country\u2019s requirements carefully. Victoria Sowards, the director of nursing resources at <\/span>Passport Health<\/span><\/a>, a travel clinic with locations nationwide, says the most critical for all overseas travelers are Hepatitis A series and the Typhoid vaccine — butto not overlook others simply due to cost. One of her patients declined the pre-exposure rabies shot ahead of a trip to India, where he was later bitten by a dog. \u201cAfter spending $1500 for a plane ticket home, he ended up almost losing his leg,\u201d she says. \u201cHe needed to complete the rabies post-exposure series of vaccines and accumulated thousands of dollars of medical bills.\u201d\u00a0Moral of the story: Don’t be the\u00a0guy who penny-pinches on health only to regret it later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tips-for-not-getting-sick\"<\/p>\n

Pack over-the-counter meds \u2026 just in case.<\/h3>\n

\u201cTravelers diarrhea is costly to a vacation,\u201d says Sowards. \u201cIf you pay $10,000 for a ten-day African safari and spend two days in the bathroom,that is costing you $2,000 plus loss of memories.\u201d To avoid a scenario such as this, she recommends packing over-the-counter medications that can quickly treat common illnesses, along with any daily prescription meds you\u2019re already taking. The CDC provides a great list of <\/span>what to pack in a health kit<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Purchase travel insurance \u2026 just in case.<\/h3>\n

Your home health insurance might not cover you abroad, so it\u2019s worth checking into this before you jet off. Any additional fee is worth it to secure ease of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

ALSO:<\/strong> In sickness and in health, Orbitz Rewards are there for you!<\/a><\/p>\n

Drink bottled water.<\/h3>\n

Whenever I travel to a country where I suspect the water to be less-than-safe, I turn to bottled water. Ecological protests aside, this is the safest way to insure that polluted water won\u2019t compromise our digestive systems. Just make sure that the seal hasn\u2019t been broken; it\u2019s from a reputable brand; and that you recycle the bottle when finished.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stand up for your choice to drink bottled water.<\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to stand up for yourself when saying \u201cNo, thank you\u201d to <\/span>unbottled<\/span><\/i> water. I visited a resort in India where the management assured us that the resort\u2019s filtered water was totally safe to drink. I continued bringing bottled water todinner, however, while the rest of the group drank the filtered water. Although I may have offended the resort management, I was the only one in my group to <\/span>not get sick<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hot water is fine \u2026 as long as it\u2019s been boiled.<\/h3>\n

Hot tea, coffee and chai are usually fine. However, it’s good measure to check and make sure that steam rises from the cup when served as a way to ensure the liquid has been boiled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"drinking-straw\"<\/h3>\n

Use a straw whenever possible.<\/h3>\n

Drinking directly from glassesor cans might mean ingesting something that won\u2019t agree with you. Again, it comes down to the water: You don\u2019t know how that glass or cup may have been washed. <\/span>So request a straw, and don’t worry if you look weird. Better than being sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask bartenders to hold the ice.<\/h3>\n

Avoid the ice cubes because you don\u2019t know the quality of water used to make them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid unpeeled, raw food.<\/h3>\n

I always avoid fruits and vegetables that haven\u2019t been cooked. So yes, that means no salad lettuce or sliced tomatoes when I\u2019m on the road in the most exotic of locations. The only way I\u2019ll eat a sliced fruit or vegetable is if the skin has been completely sliced off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"vegetarian-food\"<\/h3>\n

Go vegetarian.<\/h3>\n

Even if you’re a carnivore, consider going veggie — if only for the duration of your trip. I avoid meat while on the road in extremely impoverished counties, mainly due to concerns about refrigeration and sanitation. While hiking in a remote part of Asia, I saw slabs of freshly cut meat laying out in the sun. That sighting certainly confirmed my rule to forgo meat entirely in that country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take Probiotics.<\/h3>\n

Before setting foot in a country where my Western tummy might be more sensitive, I want it strong and ready. So I typically start over-the-counter <\/span>Probiotics<\/span><\/a> a week or two ahead of departing. Continue taking them for the duration of the visit, then for another week after returning home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brush your teeth with bottled water.<\/h3>\n

If the tap water is too sketchy to drink, don\u2019t use it to brush your teeth. Try tying a small washcloth around the faucet to serve as a reminder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take a shot of Pepto-Bismol each morning.<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve been incorporating this into my morning ritual while traveling in exotic locales since I was 19 years old: Wash the face; take a shot of PB, brush the teeth. While it may not be appropriate for everyone, and it\u2019s not on any \u201cofficial\u201d list of recommendations, it\u2019s helped to keep me sick-free around the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Always carry hand sanitizer.<\/h3>\n

Use it after handling money, especially. There\u2019s lots of nastiness on foreign notes and coins.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t skip meals.<\/h3>\n

Not eating only weakens overall strength and the immune system. While on the road, make sure to always have breakfast and dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

When in doubt or desperate, it\u2019s OK to succumb to McDonald\u2019s.<\/h3>\n

Yes, I\u2019ve had my WTF moments when it comes to eating in a foreign land. For better or worse, however, I\u2019ve always managed to find the Golden Arches in my times of mealtime despair.<\/span><\/p>\n

OK, so what if you do<\/i> get sick abroad? A little advice from a doctor:<\/h3>\n