The point of taking a spring break trip is to come home happy and refreshed, and making sure you stay healthy while you’re out there is a big part of that.
Dr. Rachel Marquez, an assistant chief for adult and family medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Northern Virginia, says the first step is to plan ahead and specifically “prepare for what you’re going to be doing.”
“I have some patients who will go on long backpacking trips, and so maybe they need to bring water purification tablets with them,” Marquez says. If you’re going on a cruise, you might want to talk about getting some prescription anti-seasickness medication, she says.
For those headed on long flights or long road trips, bring a water bottle you can drink from in the car, or fill up at the airport, Marquez says. (The Transporation Security Administration allows empty water bottles onto planes, even if they’re over the usual 3-ounce limit for other containers.) You’ll want to bring some healthy snacks as well.
Another tip for long flights: Get up and walk around regularly, assuming the seat belt sign is turned off. “You can definitely be at risk for developing things like blood clots in the legs if you’re sitting for still for too long,” she says.
Marquez advises getting up at least every two hours for at least 10 to 15 minutes, as well as doing foot exercises, such as pumping your legs up and down to stimulate blood flow. That advice holds for long drives as well.
Make sure you bring your prescription medications, Marquez says: It seems obvious, but “You won’t believe how many times I get a frantic message — ‘Oh, my goodness, I forgot my meds.’” She advises getting enough of your prescription drugs to last your entire trip, and getting them a week or two in advance, “and always keep them in your carry-on bag, in case your checked bag gets lost.” That goes for medical equipment such as a CPAP machine, she adds.
About Those Snacks
Snacking on the road is a time-honored part of travel, but “I think when we think of car trips, we think of getting all the junk food that we possibly can,” Marquez says. That can make a driver sleepy once the carbohydrates wear off. She recommends packing fruits or vegetables, cutting them up in advance if that makes them easier to eat in the car. Popcorn works well as a driving snack, too, she adds.
Marquez says that if you’re traveling abroad for spring break, you should consult with your doctor about any country-specific vaccination recommendations or health advisories. “There’s a lot of CDC guidance on which countries and which parts of which countries require malaria prophylaxis — or require yellow fever vaccinations and things like that to even enter the country. So definitely check in with your physician and make sure you’re up to date on everything.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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