No doubt you have heard many examples of the awful problems that frequently arise as a consequence of sudden illness whilst on holiday.
Somebody who got hit by a serious bout of traveler's diahrea whilst trying to enjoy a vacation in an exotic location and ended up spending all week in the apartment. A elderly relation who foolishly drank the local tap water, went down with ghastly stomachache and fever and is still pretty ill now. One of the kids gets stung by some local insect and needs expensive hospital treatment.
Unfortunately, the end result is usually the same, it spoiled the holiday, ruined them financially and put them off foreign holidays for a few years.
Without doubt, you don't want to feature in similar stories, so here's a list of pointers to safeguard your nearest and dearest and make sure that have a thoroughly enjoyable vacation:
Before departing
Clearly you can't forecast every contingency, there are a few basic steps you can take to make sure that you all enjoy your vacation.
* If you suffer from travel sickness, there are a few steps you must take to improve the problem. When traveling by car, ask if you can sit in the front seat and keep looking outside the car. If on a boat, sit near the center of the ship. When flying, ask if you can sit near to the center of the aircraft. If you are a sufferer from very bad travel sickness you may want to buy one of the prescription motion sickness medications.
* Ensure that you remember to pack a first aid kit that includes everything that might be needed in your holiday destination.
* Make sure to pack any prescription or over the counter medication that you or your loved ones need to take.
* Do a little research and make sure you know which vaccinations and immunization might be needed for your vaction destination.
Pay for good travel insurance
Health insurance policies are all different, so assess your particular circumstances and needs and make sure that your chosen policy covers your specific needs. Before you start your holiday, make sure you understand your insurance policy and exactly what it covers. If you are confused over sections of the policy, ask for clear explanations before starting your holiday. Make sure that you include the insurance policy with the rest of your travel documents.
* When selecting your insurance policy, check for age criteria or medical restrictions that that might invalidate your claims.
* When deciding on your travel policy, pay close attention to the maximums each travel policy is happy to pay.
* When selecting your travel policy, check for how the health policy defines terms such as 'pre-existing condition', or 'medical exclusions'. Are you still fully covered?
* Does your insurance policy still cover you if you participate in any high risk sports and activities you are looking forward to.
Food safety when abroad
One of the very worst things that can happen to you on your holiday, is to get serious food poisoning. Here is a little advice to help you maintain good health in your vacation resort:
* If possible, avoid eating raw meat or meat that is cooked earlier and served later in the day.
* Where possible, avoid eating high risk foods. Some food types are less risky to eat than others, eg. food that needs boiling is generally safe, also any fruit or vegetables that must be peeled before eating.
* Certainly the most crucial point, don't accept food types that are handled before reaching your plate.
