What you need is a plan! Use these handy tips below to create a plan before and during your trip to manage your medications during your vacation:

Talk with your doctor about your upcoming trip to see if he will have to create a new schedule for administering your medication. Time zones are a real issue and can foul up some schedules.

For traveling abroad, check the rules and regulations for entry in foreign countries to see if you need special medication for things like malaria or inoculations against certain diseases. Be sure you schedule your doctor's visit in plenty of time to get those issues taken care of.

Talk with your pharmacist about your medications. Some of them make you more susceptible to sun exposure. You will have to make proper plans based on this dilemma.

Have a plan to store your medication. Sometimes extreme heat and humidity or even cold temperatures can effect how your body processes the drug or even render it useless. You may have to purchase a special travel pack that can keep your medication at a relatively stable temperature.

Create a traveling medical history and keep it with you. You will need a list of all of your prescribed medications along with dosages on your doctor's letterhead. When security checks your carry-on bags (always try and keep them with you and not in luggage), they may want proof that your prescriptions are legitimate.

Plan for sun related problems if you are going to a hot location. Sunscreen is important and the higher the SPF the better protection you will have from sunburn and skin cancer risks. You might want to plan for sunburn treatment just in case.

Make your own homemade medical kit to pack in your luggage. Be sure to include pain reliever, diarrhea medication, allergy drugs like anti-histamine, antibiotic ointment for bites and cuts, bandages, ear drops for swimmer's ear, and anything else you deem appropriate. If possible, bring a course of antibiotics from your doctor which could be used for anything from a urinary tract infection to other conditions that may crop up along the way.

For places where mosquitoes thrive, be sure to pack an insect repellant with DEET. This will help you fend off mosquitoes that carry all sorts of diseases from yellow fever to encephalitis.

If you are unsure about some of your preparations, talk it over with your doctor and pharmacist. They can offer guidance in order to help you better prepare your medication management during your travels.

Related posts:

1. Planning Those Senior Moments
2. Diabetic Precautions For Your Pre Travel Planning
3. A Primer For Traveling When Youve Got A Heart Condition

You can also get germs from everything you touch from the lavatory handles to your luggage. How can you protect your health and still have a pleasant flight? While you cannot protect yourself one hundred percent against germs (unless you travel in a hermetically sealed bubble), you can take a few preventative measures to cut your risks of getting sick later. Here are seven smart ways to stay healthy long after your airline flight:

1. Build your immunity long before you contemplate your flight. This is really all about taking your vitamins and eating right. If you anticipate your travel plans well in advance, you can start taking some extra vitamin C and even supplements which boost your immunity.

2. Hand sanitizers are a must. Everything you touch in the airport will be teeming with germs from the pay phones to the ATMs to the ticket counters. And let's talk about the airplane itself. There is no way to keep the lavatories clean and germ free given that small enclosed space. Even if you wash your hands in there, be sure to use the hand sanitizer once you get to your seat.

3. Hand sanitizing wipes. You can use these for those times when a sanitizer is not appropriate. You can use them to wipe down the hard areas on your seat arm rests and even your lap tray. Wipe down the vent controls and anything else that you are likely to use. Yes, it may seem overly paranoid to others, but who will end up getting sick? Likely, it will be those who think you are being overly paranoid!

4. Choose a seat away from the bathroom. Aisle traffic bottlenecks around the bathrooms, giving people plenty of time to sneeze and cough all over the place, spreading germs. If you can garner a seat near the front of the plane, you'll be in a good place. Any germs are likely to be carried towards the back of the plane.

5. Nix the pillow and blanket. If an airline attendant offers you a pillow or blanket, decline it. Chances are that the airline has not had a chance to wash or thoroughly clean them between flights. Bring your own inflatable pillow. It deflates and takes just a tiny amount of space in your carry-on bag.

6. Air filters work great. Bring your own portable one to plug into the vent above your head. The vents circulate the air in the cabin and cool it. If people are coughing and sneezing, those germs are circulating through those vents. The mini-air filters will help screen some of those germs out.

7. Use extreme measures. You could always wear light cotton gloves and a simple mask similar to what surgeons wear to protect you from germs. Sure, people will think that you are channeling Michael Jackson, but at least you would be protected from the words of the germs that can cause illness.

There are countless ways to avoid getting sick from your airplane ride. However, following at least several of the precautions above should be enough to keep you from being down with illness once you are home.

Related posts:

1. Winning Ways To Get And Stay Healthy For Summer Vacation
2. Tips For Staying Comfortable On A Long Flight
3. Five Smart Ways To Keep Your Health Information Accessible When Traveling

Some jet lag symptoms that you would be combating include trouble sleeping, confusion, exhaustion, swelling of your extremities and even digestion problems and headaches. Travel experts say that if you travel from west to east, the jet lag problem is quite exacerbated. Therefore, you probably could benefit from some handy tips to leave jet lag behind.

1. Check you watch as soon as you take off. By resetting your watch for your destination time, you will adjust a bit more quickly than waiting until you land.

2. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water. By drinking water before your flight as well as during and after, you can combat the slightly arid conditions of the airplane. Also avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks. Dehydration contributes to disorientation, a common symptom of jet lag.

3. Start preparing for your time zone change several days in advance if possible. Go to bed at the times when you would be going to bed at your destination. By slowly adjusting your schedule, the time difference won't affect you as much.

4. If you can sleep on the plane, do it. Ask for headphones or bring your own sleep mask or ear plugs to help you get some rest. This is especially helpful if you are traveling at a time when it is night at your destination.

5. Keep moving. Sometimes sitting in one place too long can actually wear on the body. Get a little exercise by walking the airplane cabin. Try some stretching exercises. This will keep oxygen flowing through your body and stimulate circulation. This is especially smart to do during those times traveling when it is day time at your destination.

6. A healthy balanced, but light diet during your travel time is the best bet. You do not want to be uncomfortable from eating heavy foods or something that is likely to cause stomach upset. Physical ailments make jet lag worse.

While you may not be able to combat jet lag one hundred percent, you can make great strides in feeling somewhat rested and ready to tackle visiting your destination. Other treatments that may or may not help include taking melatonin or herbal remedies aimed at jet lag sufferers. They don't work for everyone, but if you don't travel well, these alternative remedies may be helpful to you. One final thought … if you can put off the more "strenuous" visiting or sightseeing for a few days into your visit, you will be more rested and ready to enjoy what you traveled there to see in the first place.

Related posts:

1. Four Common Health Problems Most People Get During Travel
2. Aspen Nightlife And The Altitude
3. Health Tips For Traveling With Children

Hot summer weather always bring some issues to the forefront like allergies, dehydration, sunburn and even mosquito type illnesses like West Nile virus, encephalitis and dengue fever. Summer vacation should be about making great memories, so follow some of these winning ways to get and stay healthy:

1. Dehydration is one of the most occurring problems during the summer. You should take a bottle of water with you everywhere. And if you have children, always have plenty of drinks with you when you travel or just walk down the street.

2. The sun is not your friend. Cover up with light clothing or wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn and skin cancer. Every year, millions of people forget their sunscreen and end up as a red, peeling lobster. A few years down the road, some of them will find out they have skin cancer. Don't be one of those people. Make sure you ear sunglasses with proper UV protection too. Cover up!

3. Thanks to air pollution as well as pollination, there is always something in the air to get your allergies and asthma acting up. Sign up for daily air quality and pollen reports through your email or watch the news before heading out for the day. Take care and bring your asthma or allergy medication wherever you go.

4. Know your limits. Sometimes, you may get caught up with an activity outside and not realize that you are exposing yourself to potential sun stroke. Be sure to rest periodically in the shade to cool off.

5. If you are taking medications, read up on the side effects and warnings. Some of them might make you more susceptible to the sun's rays and therefore burn in the sun, even with sunscreen.

6. Alcohol and caffeine should be consumer in moderation, especially in the heat. They can actually leach fluids from your body and you could become dehydrated. Stick with water, juice, lemonade and iced herbal tea.

7. Shoes are important to summer fun. There are appropriate shoes for every occasion. If you plan to go swimming in a pool or the ocean, invest in water shoes. Wear comfortable shoes for walking long distances as well as thick, cushiony socks made of synthetic materials that can wick away the moisture so that you don't rub blisters into your fee.

8. When traveling during the heat, it is important to store your medications properly so that they do not lose their effectiveness.

9. If at a picnic or barbecue, do not leave foods out that will spoil easily, especially the dairy based products. Can anyone say salmonella or botulism?

By following some of the ideas above, you can have plenty of summer fun and stay healthy at the same time. Enjoy your fun in the sun and make some great memories.

Related posts:

1. Seven Smart Ways To Stay Healthy After Your Airline Flight
2. Savvy Sun Smarts To Avoid Getting Sick On Vacation
3. Summer Travel

1. Get the full work-up. Make sure that your dog is in tip top shape and is up to date on all of his vaccinations and heartworm treatments. You will want to carry a certificate of health with you during your trip which lists your dog's current shot records, negative test for heartworms and most importantly, proof of a rabies shot.

2. Tag, you're it! Your beloved pooch should have a durable collar with an identification tag which states your address and phone numbers. Be sure your cell number is on there, especially since you are traveling with him. Invest in a microchip if possible. These are great for identifying your dog if the identification tags and collar is lost.

3. Carry a document pouch for your dog. This pouch should contain the health certificate and hot records as mentioned above along with a photo of your dog, his veterinarian's phone number and current medications if any. You never know if you may have to call upon your vet for medical advice should your dog get sick on the road.

4. Utilize seat belts for dogs. You can purchase a harness from a pet store which connects to a regular seat belt. This harness will allow your dog to move a bit like lie down, stand or sit; it will also protect him from flying slamming into the seat or dashboard if you have to break suddenly.

Another option is to bring your pet carrier with you. It must be big enough for your pet to maneuver in and have proper ventilation. Of course, you must have a way to secure the pet carrier with a seat belt or harness, depending on where you put the pet carrier.

5. No outside window gazing is allowed. While dogs love to stick their head out the window and let the wind ripple their fur, it is not good for them. They could become sick when the air is forcibly pushed into their lungs; plus, they could breathe in bug or other projectiles and injure themselves. The window itself can be a hazard should it accidentally start to close while the dog's head is still sticking out.

Traveling with dogs can be a joy but it takes prep time to ensure that his needs are taken care of too. Be sure to pack some of his favorite snacks and toys and carry his food dishes too. The familiar always helps a dog acclimatize to new surroundings. And just like with your kids, your dog will likely want and need periodic potty breaks. Just be sure to complete your poop detail! The bottom line is to just use your best judgment when it comes to knowing what is right for your dog and you'll have a grand trip together on the road.

Related posts:

1. Pet Health Tips For That Fun Family Road Trip
2. Tips For Traveling With Dogs
3. How To Protect Your Health When Traveling Out Of The Country

Of course, no matter how careful you can be, sometimes, snakes can sneak up on you and strike. Do you know what to do if you or someone else with you is bitten? Well, until you can get to a hospital, it is up to you to treat the snake bite yourself. With a bit of common sense, you can take care of that snake bite and get to the hospital before it becomes life threatening. Even if the snake is non-venomous, the bite could still become infected and pose a serious danger to health. Therefore, it is important to wash the bite with plenty of soap and water. Look for dirt or even teeth from the snake in the wound.

If possible, without harm to you or anyone else, try and determine the type of snake it is. This could help a hospital in determining which anti-venom medicine is needed, if any. Even if you are positive that the snake is not poisonous, it is still a good idea to go to the hospital for the bite to be inspected. If anything, another tetanus shot may be in order.

When treating the snake bite, remove jewelry and other items which might restrict blood flow. If swelling starts to occur these items might cut off circulation and you could lose a finger, toe or other limb. If you are a distance from any type of medical help, construct a splint for the area where the bite occurred. This will ensure that there is no movement to the area. Hopefully, this will slow down the spread of the venom throughout your body.

Whatever you do, do not try the old cut and suck routine. This just works in the old Hollywood movies because in real life, you could cause an infection. Imagine being sick more from the infection than the bite itself! If you are a frequent outdoorsman, consider always carrying a professional snake bite suction device. While it will not remove any noteworthy amounts of venom, it may slow the spread of it to buy some time.

Other things you should not do in the event of a snake bite is use alcohol to clean the wound or use an ice pack. Neither of these does anything and in fact, could be detrimental. In addition, do not eat or drink anything or apply a tourniquet to the snake bite area. The bottom line is that you should do what you can with what you have in the immediate time frame and then call for help once the snakebite is treated. The quicker you can get to the hospital, the quicker an anti-venom could be administered if needed.

Related posts:

1. Things To Do When Camping In New York
2. Consider Camping In The Florida Keys
3. Your Mauritius Vacation Will Be An Adventure In Culture

Basically, there are four common health problems most people get during travel, regardless of who they are or where they are going. These problems may not happen every time. However, when they do happen, you should be ready to combat the problem so that you can enjoy your time away from home. So what are these four common health problems? Read on to find out:

1. Traveler's diarrhea – This is a common condition often brought on because your body is not accustomed to the different water supply or food. In addition, if you are traveling to a different country, some of them do not adhere to very strict standards when it comes to cleanliness of the water supply. Your best bet is to stick with bottled water for drinking and even brushing your teeth. And do not order drinks with ice unless you are sure that it was made with purified water.

2. Jet lag – Jet lag is common for airplane travel when crossing several different time zones. Your body wants to stay in your home time zone while you must adapt to the current one you are in. Just a few hours time difference can throw your body out of whack. If possible, try and adjust your schedule to the new time zone a few days before you actually leave. That way, the transition will be easier on you. Staying hydrated and active during your flight and the day time hours will also help during the time zone transition.

3. Ear aches – Airplane travel brings on a few different types of maladies. Ear aches are the worst and the most uncomfortable. During takeoff and descent of the airplane, you can expect for the cabin pressure to change. Sometimes, your ears cannot adapt to the change so you must do something to equalize it. You can chew gum or yawn to keep those ears from hurting. For kids, if you give them some children's pain reliever in advance, it will help take the edge off. Sucking on a bottle or pacifier will work as well.

4. Motion sickness – This motion sickness is often caused because your inner ear (where most of your balance comes from) feels that there is movement while your eyes may detect something different. When the eyes and ears don't agree, motion sickness can occur. This can happen in practically any mode of transportation, although it usually occurs on ships. There is medication you can take in advance to help with motion sickness. In addition, wrist band that use acupressure are noteworthy as are herbal supplements like ginger.

Being prepared for these main four problems may go a long way towards a smoother travel time. No one can predict when it happens. However, having the solution will help you more fully enjoy your traveling time.

Related posts:

1. Motion Sickness Remedies For Those Traveling Moments
2. Three General Health And Safety Tips To Ponder Before Travel
3. Healthy Travel

Of course, to avoid high altitude sickness, you can either avoid traveling up mountains or take your time in making your ascent. It is the level of oxygen in the air that takes the most time to adjust to. To help with the acclimatization, you could also spend the night at or below the approximate line of your acclimatization before making your ascent.

If you are going to suffer high altitude sickness, you would likely experience it during your trek up a mountain. If possible, keep a log of the different altitudes during your travel, so that you can pace yourself during your climb or trek. In addition, avoid any medications, especially those with codeine, narcotics or other type of depressant or anti-depressant. High altitude can intensify the effects of the medication plus lower your heart rate and oxygen absorption.

There are three kinds of illnesses that stem from high altitude sickness. Each one is progressively worse than the last. First of all, there is acute mountain sickness also known as AMS. Symptoms of high altitude sickness can start to manifest themselves as low as 5,000 feet to 8,000 feet. You may get fatigued, nauseous, headachy and irritable. No appetite, inability to sleep and edema are other symptoms. If possible, slow down or stop ascending if you can until you feel better and acclimatize.

Acute mountain sickness can get worse and become high altitude cerebral edema or HACE. Basically, your symptoms get worse and you may start to hallucinate, loose coordination, have severe migraine type of headaches and extreme lethargy. If left untreated, this form of high altitude sickness can lead to death. The last stage of high altitude sickness is called high altitude pulmonary edema or HAPE. Your lungs start to fill up with fluid and you will develop chest pressure and lose your breath.

Some drugs do exist which can help high altitude sickness. However, the key is to quickly get medical treatment as soon as the drug is administered and you realize that you need help. It is not recommended to try and climb back up that mountain immediately after recovering. In fact, you have a higher probably than most of developing high altitude sickness again, even with proper precautions. The bottom line is that you need to be careful and be sure to travel with a companion or group. That way, if you do become incapacitated, you have the assistance you need to get off the mountain and to help.

Related posts:

1. Aspen Nightlife And The Altitude
2. Healthy Travel
3. Motion Sickness Remedies For Those Traveling Moments

So what is the seasoned traveler's secret for keeping a sunny disposition? It has to do with planning and a bit of preventive maintenance. The key to traveling and staying healthy starts at home, way before you leave for a trip. If you take care of some health business beforehand, you will not be suffering the consequences long after you return. Here are a few health tips that are sure to keep you up and running before, during and after your trip:

Start conditioning yourself months in advance, especially if you are planning any outdoor physical activity like walking, hiking, kayaking and more. This will likely start with a healthy diet and an exercise program that will get you ready for that trip. Of course, if you are a bit out of shape, you will want to consult with your doctor before starting any strenuous activity.

Take care of any dental work in advance. If you have something complicated like crowns or bridges do these procedures at least a month prior to departure. That way you will have time to get over any lingering pain. Plus, if something goes wrong you can get it fixed immediately rather than have to wait and suffer until after your trip.

Are you traveling abroad? Determine which inoculations you will need to enter the country as well as protect you while you are there. And even if the country may not require a vaccination, research to see if there are any diseases prevalent in the country. For instance, Mexico does not require vaccinations but there have been cases of dengue and yellow fever from mosquito bites. There are no vaccinations for dengue fever but there are for yellow fever. Wouldn't you rather have a shot than suffer through the effect of a disease?

Visit with your doctor and get a complete physical. If your destination requires vaccinations, you might want to also consider consulting with a doctor that specializes in travel medicine. They understand what shots protect you from certain diseases. In addition, they would know best which malaria medications would work for you based on where you are traveling. A regular family doctor would not necessarily know that.

Do you anticipate needing medical care or medicine during your travels? Consult with your current health insurance to determine whether or not they would cover your health needs if you had to be treated in a foreign country. You may have to consider travel health insurance.

Identify the hospitals, medical clinics and even pharmacies around your travel destination. That way, you have a game plan should you require treatment or medication.

Be sure to bring double of any prescription medication you need. Carry a list of your medications on your doctor's letterhead with prescribed dosages. This is just in case any airline security officials question you about them.

Pack an all-purpose medical kit containing all the necessities for a trip. From different types of band aids and bandages to pain relievers and ointments, you want to make sure you are prepared for any contingency.

Related posts:

1. How To Protect Your Health When Traveling Out Of The Country
2. Avoiding The Mosquito Mayhem In Mexico With Your Health Intact
3. Helpful Hints For Traveling While Pregnant

So how do you avoid a bed bug problem when traveling? Luckily there are some tell tale signs of a bed bug problem. It is important to remember to do a few things before you go exploring around your hotel room looking for them. First of all, do not set your luggage or clothing on the hotel bed when you first arrive. If there is a luggage stand or dresser, set everything down on there.

Next, inspect the mattress inside your hotel room. Bed bugs look distinctive and leave some recognizable trails which can signal you to their presence. They are flat, brown and small. As adults they are the size of a small bb pellet. When adult bed bugs have had their fill of blood, they changes colors to a reddish rust color. As nymphs (new bed bugs), they retain a pale cream color until they eat and gain a reddish hue. These youngsters often blend in with the mattress colors.

Bed bugs like to live anywhere where they can get their bloody meal. It just so happens that they enjoy beds because they have a "captive" meal. They enjoy the cracks and crevices and seams of a mattress as much as living in carpets and furniture. Even if you cannot see the bugs during your inspection of the mattress, you should still be able to see the streaks they leave behind. These streaks are black or red in color (hmmm, the color of old blood?) and can be found on the sheets and even the mattress too. Some people claim that bed bugs also put off a particular smell. However, the place would have to be literally crawling with these bed bugs in order for that to happen.

The reason why even the most upscale hotel could have bed bugs is that they like to hitch rides on unsuspecting humans and their things. So if you spent the day outside exploring, these guys could have hitched a ride on your clothing, shoes or backpacks. Then, when you go check into your hotel for the night, these little critters hop off during the night and start making themselves at home. Before you know it, the bed bugs have set up housekeeping and they have a new dinner guest each night in unsuspecting people just looking for a spot to lay their weary head.

For the most part, bed bugs have never been much of a problem in hotel and motel establishments these days. However, it does still happen occasionally. The best thing for you to do is ask for another room or look for another place to stay if you happen to find them. Hopefully, the hotel will take you seriously and make sure that the room is properly treated to eradicate those nibbling critters.

If you suspect that some bed bugs hitched a ride home with you, you will have to totally wash everything in the hottest water you can and vacuum out your suitcase, backpack and other containers. Dry clean what you cannot wash. While not serious, these critters are a pain in the rear so do what you can to ensure that you avoid them.

Related posts:

1. Bug Bite Prevention for Outdoor Travel Adventures
2. Mobilize Efforts To Avoid Travel Related Deep Vein Thrombosis
3. Packing For Holiday Travel