Embedded Files
**** The Ebola outbreak of West Africa is found predominantly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. For travel advice to these areas or information about other world health issues please visit the World Health Ebola website at - whebola.com or the World Health Organisation website at - www.who.int. *****
VACCINATION ADVICE
Certain countries of the world are prone to serious or deadly diseases, because of this certain holiday or travel vaccinations are advisable.
The most prevalent diseases which require vaccinations are
African sleeping sickness.
Avian Influenza.
Cholera.
Dengue fever.
Diphtheria
Hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B.
Japanese encephalitis.
Malaria.
Meningitis.
Poliomyelitis
Rabies.
Tetanus.
Tick borne encephalitis.
Tuberculosis.
Typhoid.
Yellow fever.
Most of the above mentioned diseases can be avoided by the correct pre - holiday vaccination, which needs to be administered by your family doctor, between six and eight weeks before travelling.
It would therefore be wise to consider vaccinations for the following diseases before travelling to any of the "at risk" destinations listed below.
EGYPT - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Tetanus and Typhoid.
INDIA - Cholera,Diphtheria, Encephalitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Rabies and Tetanus.
PAKISTAN - Cholera, Diphtheria, Encephalitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B,Rabies, Tetanus and Typhoid.
TURKEY - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Typhoid and Tetanus. There is a risk of Malaria in the south, east of the country between the months of May to October.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus and Typhoid.
To obtain vaccination information about any country that is at risk to life threatening illnesses or for any healthcare information regarding vaccinations, consult your family doctor as he or she is informed of any risk areas in the world, plus he or she can organise a full vaccination program.
Do consult your G.P in plenty of time, as some vaccinations are done as a course over several months, or require to be done many months prior to travel.
Your G.P can also advise you of other health related benefits for travelling, such as tips on sun block, sunburn, tummy upsets and other minor ailments that are not life threatening, but certainly need medical assistance.
Some countries require a full health check upon arrival in their country, your local G.P can organise the appropriate examination and subsequent certificate.
Some countries require a certificate of prescription drugs that you take regularly, before admittance into their country, your local G.P can also advise of these countries, as well as issuing the relevant certificates.
If you are taken ill abroad, help can be obtained from your travel company representative, hotel reception or consular representative.
Any one taken ill abroad can be certain of help even when travelling alone, be it from local people or other tourists in the area.Do not fear illness or accident abroad, there will always be someone around to help.
It is advisable to always obtain health care and travel insurance before travelling abroad.
For more advice for British Citizens travelling abroad please go to the British Foreign Office website by clicking on the link below.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS
For people travelling to high altitude areas inadequate acclimatisation can lead to altitude sickness. This can occur in travellers attaining heights of over 2,500 metre / 8,000 feet.
It is caused by a genetic trait and can not be treated by means of any preventative medication.
The symptoms of altitude sickness are likened to those of an alcoholic hangover, with headache being the most common symptom.
The symptoms will show between 2 and 12 hours of arrival at high altitude, and most certainly after the first night, or first proper sleep.
General guidelines for avoiding altitude sickness are;
Always ascend gradually.
Take rest days every 3,000 feet (900 metres) of altitude.
Avoid alcohol at all times.
Take only light exercise when first arriving in areas at high altitude.
Give yourself at least two days to acclimatise upon arrival in high altitude regions.
Certain medications can be taken to help alleviate symptoms of altitude sickness, which can be first discussed with your own family doctor before departure.
Usual analgesia can be taken to alleviate headaches.
If you plan on travelling to any high altitude regions do speak to your holiday organiser about any serious problems that could arise, and then consult your doctor about any medication that your holiday organiser has advised you to take.
Before embarking on any trekking holiday or mountain climbing holidays, do take account of any health, safety and equipment issues that you are advised to comply with.
When booking a trip of this type, please do ensure that you will be travelling with a reputable company that employs professional guides and responsible group leaders.
FROSTBITE
Frostbite (Congelatio) also known as frost nip in some countries, is localised damage to the body's skin or soft tissues, especially of the the nose, toes or fingers, which have been exposed to long periods of extreme low temperatures.
The tell tale signs are a white or yellow discolouration of the affected areas. This is caused by either the blood clotting or the blood vessels narrowing, both of which stops the vital supply of oxygen from reaching the body's extremities.
To alleviate the symptoms of frostbite the affected areas must be warmed gradually, under medical supervision, and refreezing of the affected areas must be avoided at all cost.
Before travelling to extreme cold areas you must make sure you have the appropriate clothing and that you are travelling in a party which has either a cold weather expert, medical professional or local guide accompanying you.
A LIST OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST AIRPORTS, ROADS & RAILWAY LINES
The cities with the highest airports in the world are ;
Above 2,500 metres or 8,000 feet
La Paz, Bolivia ( Cerro de Pasco) - 4,061 metres / 13,325 feet above sea level.
Lhasa, Tibet - 3,570 metres / 11,713 feet above sea level.
Cusco, Peru - 3,310 metres / 10,860 feet above sea level.
Lukla, Nepal - 2,860 metres / 9,383 feet above sea level.
Quito, Ecuador - 2,813 metres / 9,228 feet above sea level.
Bogota, Colombia - 2,628 / 8,361 feet above sea level.
Between 1,000 and 2,500 metres
Asmara, Eritrea - 2,335 metres / 7661 feet above sea level.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 2,334 metres / 7,656 feet above sea level.
Thimpu, Bhutan (Paro) - 2230 metres / 7,300 feet above sea level.
San'a, Yemen - 2199 metres / 7,216 feet above sea level.
Courcheval, France - 2,008 metres / 6,588 feet above sea level.
Maseru, Lesotho (Moshoeshoe) - 1,630 metres / 5,348 feet above sea level.
Kathmandu, Nepal - 1,338 metres / 4,390 feet above sea level.
The world's highest, navigable roads are;
The Semo La in Raka,Tibet is the world's highest, navigable road at an elevation of 5,565 metres / 18,258 feet above sea level.
The Suge La in Lhasa, Tibet, lies at an altitude of 5,430 metres / 17,815 feet above sea level.
The Khardung La, in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India lies at an altitude of 5,359 metres / 17,582 feet above sea level.
The Abra Huayracasa in Peru lies at an elevation of 5,059 metres / 16,597 feet above sea level.
National Route 8 in Argentina reaches heights of over 5,000 metres / 16,000 feet in places.
The Chivay to Arequipa road in Peru lies at an altitude of 4,910 metres / 16,110 feet above sea level.
The Karakoram Highway linking China and Pakistan lies at an elevation of 4,693 metres / 15,397 above sea level.
The world's highest railway lines are;
The line between Lhasa in Tibet and Xining in China runs on a track which reaches an altitude of 5,072 metres / 16,640 feet above sea level.
The Central Andes Railway in Peru has two very high lines - the Lima to Huancayo line which attains a height of 4,829 metres / 15,843 feet above sea level at it's highest point, which is situated at Huancavelica Station - and the Lima to La Oroya line whose track runs at an elevation of 4,781 metres / 15,843 feet above sea level.
The Jungfraubahn in Switzerland, which runs from Kleine Sceidegg to the top of the Jungfrau Mountain attains a height of 3,450 metres / 11,320 feet above sea level at it's highest point, which is at the Jungfraujoch Station.
The Kashmir Railway System in India between the towns of Anantnag and Qazigund attains a height of 1,722 metres at it's highest point which is situated at Srinigar Station.
MINOR HOLIDAY AILMENTS
Minor ailments can be treated by over the counter medications that you can buy at home before travelling. Below is a list of holiday ailments and their respective over the counter medications that you may consider taking away with you.
Chapped lips - Sometimes a problem due to fluctuations of temperature. - lip balm, vaseline.
Diarrhoea - Caused by a change of diet, ice cubes in drinks in poor water areas or in overall poor hygiene areas.- Kaolin and morphine.
Headaches - Heat, alcohol, change of regular diet,high altitudes. - Any regular analgesia.
Insect bites - Most probably mosquito bites.- Any preparatory insect repellent, both to spray on the body, and for use in the bedroom.Taking a vitamin B supplement, two weeks before travelling has been known to help alleviate insect bites in some people. A course of holiday vaccinations must be taken before travelling to any malarial,dengue and yellow fever hot spots.
Prickly heat rash - (Miliaria) Pictured above. Due to the body becoming over heated in high temperatures.- Aloe Vera gel or camomile lotion.
Sore or irritated skin - Due to over exposure to sun or insect or mosquito bites. Any reputable after sun lotion, Aloe Vera gel, natural yogurt or vinegar.
Sun burn prevention - Essential in hot and sunny climates. - Any reputable sun block with a factor of over 15. Do not spend more than two hours lying in strong sunlight at one time. Keep head, neck and shoulder areas protected from sun on long outdoor sessions.
THE MOSQUITO
Culiseta longiareolata
The mosquito is a type of gnat or midge which belongs to the culicidae genus of flies.
The female mosquito is a regular harbinger of Malaria, Dengue Fever and Yellow Fever and general scourge of any holiday be it in a hot climate or a cool one.
Both sexes of the mosquito live on a sugary diet of nectar, but the female needs the protein and iron found in blood to make her eggs, which she extracts by piercing the skin with her long needle like mouthpart and drawing up blood, an act which is known as hemaphagy.
When performing this modus operandi, the female mosquito's anti - bodies and antigen rich saliva can cause immediate hypersensitivity in some people, causing extremely irritating, large red pustules on the surface of the skin.
Mosquitoes are particularly prevalent in areas near water, and most active in the early morning or at night, when it is cool.
If mosquito bites are problematic for you or any of your party, book a hotel that is not near an area of water, such as a lake, a slow running river or swimming pool.
Use preparatory mosquito repellents at night, both on the body when outside and in the bedroom overnight.
Vitamin B taken two weeks before travelling has been known to be beneficial in keeping mosquitoes at bay, for some people.
Holiday vaccinations must be taken before travelling to malarial, dengue fever or yellow fever hot spots. Malarial and dengue fever hot spots around the world can be found on the maps shown below and Yellow Fever is endemic within the tropics of South America and Africa.
Vaccinations will help stem any infection which the mosquito bite could pass on to you but insect repellents should still be taken for sensitivity to their bites.
LIKE THIS? Show your friends - Tweet
Google Sites
Report abuse