Newspaper Page Text
IMAGE BY CYTIS FROM PIXABAY
HEALTH
TRAVEL TIPS TO HELP YOU STAY WELL
“I love to visit
new places,” said
Dunwoody resident
Randy Barto. She’s
an avid world
traveler. Whether
it’s Dubai, New
Delhi or Denver,
she’s the go-to
person for travel
tips.
In June, Barto
was a guest
lecturer at a PALS’
(Perimeter Adult
Learning Services)
meeting, where
she described her
remarkable Journey
to India.
She also provided excellent
advice at a recent Dining for
Women [an organization that
funds grassroots projects in
developing countries to fight
gender inequality] event in
north Fulton County.
She offered some tips on
ways to stay healthy when
you’re traveling in distalnt
lands.
Medication and safety advice
“Before you go, gather your
medications in one place,”
Barto said. She advised that
travelers take a photograph
of their meds, especially the
labels, with their smartphones.
“That way, you know exactly
what you need to have with you
and if something unforeseen
should happen, you have your
most current
record on your
phone,” she said.
Another of
her suggestions
is to email
photos of your
passport, medical
information and
other important
documents to
yourself so you
can recover them
online, if needed.
Marietta
resident Kaye
McCall was also
at the event. She
talked about
the problem of forgetting
medications. On an overseas
trip to Milan, Italy, McCall
left town without her allergy
nasal spray. She explained that
allergy sufferers don’t always
know when they might need it.
Her allergies flared up,
necessitating a trip to the local
pharmacy (‘farmacia’ in Italian).
Fluticasone, the generic name
for Flonase, usually relieves
round allergy symptoms, such
as a runny nose and itchy eyes.
It’s not a life-threatening issue,
but allergies can take away
from the fun of sightseeing.
She was surprised to learn
that her brand wasn’t available,
even though Milan is a well-
traveled city by Americans and
the spray is a familiar over-
the-counter medication in the
U.S. McCall assumed that most
European pharmacies would
carry it; she quickly learned
even routine over-the-counter
meds may be unavailable in
other countries.
A local pharmacist was able
to provide her with something
similar, explaining it would be
close to what she asked for, “but
it didn’t work as well,” she said.
Some things to know about
vaccines and food
The Georgia Department of
Public Health advises travelers
to learn what vaccines or
preventatives are required
before traveling, and to do so
well ahead of the planned trip.
The CDC reminds everyone that
the flu occurs year-round in the
Caribbean — and April through
September in the Southern
Hemisphere.
Other threats to avoid when
heading for international
destinations include malaria,
typhoid, hepatitis A and
B, yellow fever and rabies,
according to the DeKalb
County’s Board of Health
website.
The Mayo Clinic suggests one
of the first stops before overseas
travel should be a visit with
a “travel medicine specialist.”
Of course, Mayo travel clinic
physicians and nurses are
located in Minnesota, Florida
and Arizona.
Fortunately, Atlantans also
have many excellent travel
specialists, including Dr.
“gSpI
|m
1F~T
■ "
1 J
SPECIAL
Dr. Alawode Oladele
Alawode Oladele, a supervising
physician in the DeKalb County
Board of Health’s Travel Clinic.
He said that travelers should
be protected for cholera and
typhoid, and other diseases, if
needed. In addition to planning
ahead for vaccines, Oladele
reminded all international
travelers to take precautions
once they arrive.
“Boil it, cook it, peel it — or
don’t eat it. That’s where we
get into trouble,” said Oladele.
“Even if the food is safe, some
travelers will still ask for an
ice cube, and that can be the
beginning of a multitude of
problems.”
According to the CDC, it is
best to avoid ice in developing
countries, as there is no way to
know if it was made with safe
tap water.
Travelers might believe the
vaccines they received will keep
them safe from food illnesses.
“That’s not necessarily so,”
Oladele said. “Not all enteric
diseases [those relating to or
affecting the intestines] have
preventive vaccines,” he said. “A
few do, but certainly not all.”
What about travel insurance?
Many people turn to Rick
Steves’ publications for travel
information and advice.
Headquartered in Washington
State, the company produces
guidebooks, television and
radio shows and a wide variety
of travel-related information.
When it comes to travel
insurance, Steves says, “For
Judith L. Kanne,
RN, BSN, BA
is a registered nurse and
freelance writer who lives
in Atlanta.
McCall’s seasonal and year
JULY 2019
ATLANTASENIORLIFE.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/ATLANTASENIORLIFE
IMAGE BY JASON TAIX FROM PIXABAY