Staying Healthy During Your Trip to India
Posted on June 27, 2008 in Travel by Prarthna
Having a healthy tour implies keeping yourself safe and prevented from diseases, discomfort and injuries of all kinds both physical and mental. Traveling to India can be challenge especially if you choose to tread the less urban areas. After all, a nutritious and fit body can alone pull you through enjoying a vacation. So ensure that you are eating, sleeping and traveling right to enjoy your stay in India.
Preventing Insect Bites
Diseases like malaria and dengue are on the rise in India. Infact, they have been an incessant part of the Indian continent. Some ways you can protect yourself against insect bites are:
- Use insect repellents or sprays before going to bed
- While out, wear long sleeved clothes and hats
- Try remaining indoors especially at dawn and dusk, that is, the period when mosquitoes can be much of a nuisance
- Ensure that you sleep with nets or in a well screened or air condition room
- Spray the room with disinfectants that kill the insets hovering around you throughout the day
Watch What You Eat and Drink
The next most important thing is to look out for what you are eating and drinking in India. Food purchased from local and/or open stalls can be risky because they may be prepared from stale oil or dirty water. Take away these tips to eat and drink safe in India:
- Always wash your hands before eating
- Use an alcohol-based hand gel to wash your hands
- Drink only bottled water
- Avoid drinking from tap water and do not accept ice cubes in your drinks as well
- Avoid eating food from vendors
- Ensure that the food you are eating looks completely cooked
- Except for pasteurized dairy food, avoid other milk and/or dairy products
Prevent Injuries
Driving on local bikes and scooty’s is very common in popular tourists destinations like Goa. However, there are some things you need to be careful about in order to avoid accidents and/or injuries:
- Do not drink and drive
- Always wear seat belts inside a vehicle and always put your kids on the backseat
- Follow the local traffic rules
- Wear helmets while driving on bikes, etc
- Do not get onto crowded buses
- Arrange for transport with a driver
- Avoid driving too late in the night
Preventing Illness and Sunburn
India can get too hot in the plains and way to cold in the hills. With altitude, temperatures fall and the need for oxygen increases. The most common illnesses that can occur on account of altitude are – nausea, insomnia, headaches and altitude illness to name a few. As soon as you feel uneasy at higher altitudes, return to lower altitudes and seek medical attention. Untreated conditions can prove to be fatal.
To avoid sunburns, use sunscreen lotions and wear long sleeved clothes.
Other Tips
Some other healthy tips to make your trip enjoyable in India include:
- Do not get too friendly with street side animals
- Avoid making tattoos or having your body pierced or injected anywhere unless at a known and reliable place
- Do not go barefoot to beaches
- To avoid fungal infections keep your feet clean and dry
Keeping healthy in an alien country can be quiet a challenge considering that you need to adjust to a new climate, people, food and rules. Staying alert is the key to making your trip both healthy and enjoyable in India. Also inquire in detail about the spas and medical centers you would want to visit to treat a condition or simply to relax.
» Filed Under Travel