While I do have an education in public health, I am not a medical professional. Nothing in this article should be used to diagnose or treat a serious disease. If you are showing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, see your doctor.
One of the worst things that can happen to you when you travel is to contract some odd illness. There are many diseases that you could be exposed to during travel, but there are some common travel illnesses that you should know about before you visit another part of the world.
While some illnesses are preventable, some are not, and you will want to be prepared for anything.
Whether you are a first-time traveler or you have been traveling for years, read on if you want to know more about five common travel illnesses.
Traveler’s Diarrhea
I have talked about my own food poisoning experiences on this blog before. Traveler’s Diarrhea(TD), is the most common travel illness out there with anywhere from 30-70% of travelers experiencing it depending on their destination. Bacteria are the most likely cause of TD, with about 80-90% of cases being bacterial.
The number one symptom of TD is, of course, diarrhea, but you can also experience vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever. These symptoms could last from 12 hours to 7 days depending on what you caught.
The disease can vary in severity, so you need to have an idea of how severe your symptoms are. If you can still participate in your planned activities, your symptoms are mild and you should be alright. Moderate symptoms will interfere with activities, and severe symptoms are incapacitating. I recommend seeing a doctor for anything worse than mild symptoms.
The best way to prevent TD is to be careful about what you eat and drink when you travel. Pay attention to the cleanliness of where you are eating, and do your research so that you know if the water is safe to drink in the country you are visiting. Sometimes where you eat is unavoidable. Make sure that you are washing your hands before you eat. Always travel with an antidiarrheal medicine like Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. They can help ease your pain immensely.
While Traveler’s Diarrhea is usually not serious, it is not always safe to assume that this is what you have. Be aware of the common diseases in the country that you are visiting. Diseases like Hepatitis, Cholera, and Typhoid exhibit diarrhea as a symptom and can become deadly if not properly treated. If there is a chance that you could have been exposed to a disease that is endemic to the country you are in, see a doctor.
Some of these diseases are vaccine preventable and it may be in your best interest to get vaccinated before you travel. Check in with your doctor before you set off so that you can be comfortable knowing that you are safe.
The CDC has an excellent resource for travelers to learn what diseases may be present in their destination. I like to check their site before I travel anywhere.
Influenza
The flu is a disease that we all should be aware of whether we travel or not. Influenza comes in many forms, all of which are generally terrible. While there is a “flu season”, you can catch the flu at any time of the year. It is best to be prepared regardless of the season.
The best way to prevent influenza is to get vaccinated yearly. Even if it is not effective, having the vaccine in your system can be enough to keep you from being hospitalized. There are a lot of misconceptions about the flu vaccine, and you can read about them here.
You should be frequently washing your hands when you travel or using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not at your disposal. Also, make sure to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Basic etiquette. Avoid sick people, and likewise, avoid other people when you are sick. Spreading your sickness is not cool. No one likes a traveling disease spreader.
Tetanus
This is that disease that you should be getting vaccinated for every 10 years, but you probably forget. Travelers need to be wary of this disease as it is more common in certain parts of the world (though you can find it pretty much anywhere).
Tetanus is most commonly found in agricultural, rural, and tropical areas. Most fatalities occur in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Tetanus bacteria can be found in animal or human excrement and in soil that may be contaminated with such. You catch tetanus by the bacteria entering your body via a wound of some sort. It can get in through a cut on your finger, so bandages are your friend if you plan on rolling in the dirt.
Characteristic signs of tetanus are painful muscle contractions in the jaw, neck, and abdominal muscles. If you have heard on lockjaw, that is tetanus. Nobody wants these bacteria anywhere near their body.
A good rule of thumb is, if you are traveling to a rural area, make sure that you are up to date on this vaccine. It usually is administered with diphtheria toxoid and pertussis vaccine (TDaP), so you get your money’s worth.
You can read more about the vaccines on the CDC’s website, here.
Motion Sickness
This is not technically a disease per se. It is not something that you can catch. If you are prone to motion sickness, chances are you already know. It can lead to nausea and when it is particularly bad, vomiting.
Motion sickness is caused by, you guessed it, motion. More specifically, it is caused by an imbalance between what you see and what you can feel. An example of this would be when you are sitting still in a car, yet the car is moving forward with you in it.
There are many reasons why a person may have motion sickness. It is more common in some people (e.g. children ages 5-12, pregnant women, the elderly). If you are unlucky enough to not grow out of it, your condition may be genetic. Motion sickness is rarely due to an inner ear issue such as an infection.
I have had motion sickness for as long as I can remember. Dramamine is my constant travel companion. Yet, there are still some activities that I cannot stand even with Dramamine. I have some vivid memories of vomiting off the side of a boat off the coast of Belize. You better believe I still snorkeled the second largest barrier reef in the world.
The most important thing with motion sickness is prevention. Always be prepared when you travel, and if you forget make it a priority to find some form of relief.
For those of you who do not suffer from motion sickness (you lucky dogs), try to be sympathetic to those of us who do. That person throwing up into a bag next to you on the plane is horribly embarrassed. Be kind to them.
Sunburn
The sun is the enemy. I have fully embraced this fact. As warm and inviting as it may seem, it will only hurt me. Of course, I do meet all of the criteria for a person most at risk of getting a sunburn (pale, blue eyes, blonde).
Regardless of your level of risk, sunburn is terrible for anyone who gets it. Even a light sunburn is damaging to your skin. At worst, sunburn can lead to blistering, headache, fatigue and nausea (been there).
Those of you who have lovely complexions that don’t burn at first contact with the sun, should still take precautions against the sun’s harmful rays. Sunburn can lead to premature aging of the skin, precancerous lesions, and skin cancer. The sun can also cause damage to your eyes.
We all know how to prevent sunburn. Hide in a cave and never come out. . . Kidding. Wear sunscreen. Depending on your skin type, you may need more or less SPF. Anything over 50 SPF is not worth your money.
Make sure that you always have sunscreen on hand when you will be outdoors for extended periods of time. Also, invest in some cool sunglasses to keep those peepers safe. Or cheap sunglasses if you start singing ZZ Top when you think of sunglasses, as I do.
If you like this article, check out my other post about avoiding getting sick on an airplane. Read it here.
Always Take Care of Yourself
It is important when you travel to always consider your health before, during and after your trip. If you can prevent getting sick, you should absolutely do that. However, you should be prepared for the worst should you end up getting sick anyway.
There are all sorts of weird and terrifying diseases that you could catch while traveling. The ones you are most likely going to catch are generally not life-threatening. It is best to be well informed and equipped to handle anything that may happen to you.
Because I am a nerd when it comes to diseases and illnesses, I recommend that you all read The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It is about Marburg and Ebola viruses and is full of true stories. This book is the best sort of horror.
Have you experienced any of these illnesses during your travels? Have you experienced something that I did not list here? Let me know in the comments!
More information on the illnesses listed in this article can be found on the CDC’s Traveler’s Health page. Any statistics that you see listed come from their website.
