Up to 80% of travelers say they’ve felt ill during or after a vacation. While traveling is a great way to relax and create fun memories, it also disrupts your usual schedule, which can take a toll on your body.
Here are five ways to help you feel your best and get the most out of your vacation!
1) Get enough sleep
During travel, especially long distances, your sleep schedule typically is affected. When sleep-deprived, your body produces fewer antibodies and this may weaken your immune system, making illness more likely.
Jet lag is a common sleep disorder that occurs due to abrupt changes in your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) that may happen after traveling across multiple time zones. When jet lagged, you may feel nauseous, fatigued, or experience flu-like symptoms.
How to avoid jet lag?
After your trip, it can take time to re-adjust your sleep schedule to your local time. If possible, give yourself a day to rest and recover before returning to school or work.
2) Enjoy healthy choices
Part of the vacation experience is sampling the local cuisine, but this usually means dining out and fewer healthy choices. The longer your trip, the more likely your body will be affected by a new diet. For example, sometimes new and unfamiliar foods can also lead to digestive issues.
How to eat healthy on vacation?
3) Stay physically active
Depending on the nature of your trip, you may be engaging in more or less physical activity than your usual routine. Staying active, even on a relaxing vacation, helps keep your blood pressure low and releases dopamine to help keep you feeling happy.
How to stay active on vacation?
It’s important to stay hydrated, especially when you’re on the move. Try to drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of your body weight each day. If you’re traveling abroad, check to be sure the tap water is safe to drink. Otherwise, stick to bottled water.
4) Protect yourself from germs
Viruses and bacteria spread easily in close quarters like cars, planes, trains, and subways. It’s also difficult to avoid crowds when you travel. Places like airports, museums, amusement parks, and other tourist attractions are often breeding grounds for germs.
Take proper precautions as your immune system may already be weakened from the effects of traveling.
How to protect against germs when traveling?
5) Prepare for motion sickness
Motion sickness occurs when your body is still but feels like it is being moved by a vehicle, such as a boat, car, or plane. Many people don’t know they suffer from motion sickness until it’s too late. Symptoms of motion sickness include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and feeling unsteady on your feet.
How to avoid motion sickness during travel?
Over the counter medication for motion sickness such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine (Bonine) should be taken an hour prior to travel in order to be effective.
When should you seek medical care?
Whether you feel sick during your trip or after you get home, seek medical care if you have:
vybe provides testing for flu, strep throat, and COVID-19 (with rapid and lab testing for both strep throat and COVID-19). vybe can also provide flu and COVID-19 shots prior to travel and prescribe medication for illness when appropriate.
Time to travel? Let vybe help you stay healthy
While traveling is a great way to explore and relax, it can also come with baggage you don’t want.
If you return from vacation feeling sick, vybe is open seven days a week to help you get back to feeling your best. We accept walk-ins and appointments, with extended hours to test, diagnose, and treat illness. To get started, find a vybe urgent care near you today.
Stay safe, have fun, and stay healthy with vybe!
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