ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Relaxing by a pool at a foreign resort … sightseeing historic landmarks … backpacking through treacherous landscapes. Vacationing in another country can be very adventurous, but it can also be hazardous to your health.
What do you love most about traveling abroad?
But one of the worst things that can happen on a trip is getting sick.
“I thought I was going to have an explosion. My stomach was going wild.” Sam Meiner shared.
Even food safety expert Joe Kviett failed to follow one of the most basic food safety rules on a trip to Mexico.
“A few years ago, I got foodborne illness from a beverage I drank,” said Joe Kivett, Author of The Food Safety Book.
When travelling abroad, beware of tap water. As a foreigner, your stomach may be more sensitive to the microbes in the water than the locals. But taking Pepto-Bismol reduces the risk of traveler’s diarrhea by 65 percent, according to the American medical association. Everyone knows washing your hands often reduces your exposure to germs, but if soap and clean water cannot be found, using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol will work just as well. And your risk of getting sick can start right in the airplane. People over 40 and those who are obese or pregnant are at the greatest risk for developing blood clots when flying long distances. So try walking or pulling up your knees to your chest for 15 seconds every hour during a long plane ride.
Another study published by the American medical association found that 20 percent of plane passengers reported respiratory infections within five to seven days of flying.
Contributors to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Producer; Jamison Koczan, Videographer and Editor.
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