Expert Offers Tips for Staying Healthy During Summer Travel

Travel health expert Dr. Stacey Rose emphasizes essential precautions for summer travelers to prevent illness. She advises consulting healthcare providers before trips to address individual health concerns and to ensure all medications, including extras for delays, are packed. Checking the CDC website for destination-specific vaccine requirements is recommended. Protective measures such as applying sunscreen and insect repellent are vital, especially in areas where mosquitoes can transmit diseases. Travelers often experience diarrhea, with estimates indicating that 30 to 70% may encounter it during a two-week stay, usually caused by bacterial contamination but sometimes by viruses or parasites. Symptoms can appear days after exposure, making pinpointing the source challenging. Rose notes that bacterial diarrhea generally lasts longer than viral, which may involve vomiting. Food safety issues, like toxin ingestion, can cause symptoms within hours, but these typically resolve quickly. Travel-related dietary changes can also upset digestion. Maintaining good hand hygiene—washing hands before eating and after returning to accommodations—is crucial in preventing gastrointestinal illn...