Vacations are supposed to be a time to take a break and rejuvenate before going back to work. Unfortunately, most people tend to fall sick after their holidays. It prevents them from going back to work and being productive. Its important to find out the reason for this and preventing it.
Here are the ways to prevent it:
Diarrhea is a result of bacterial and parasitic infection leading to weakening of the immune system. It can become unavoidable during vacations as your body is exposed to many different elements.
The first thing to watch out for is the city’s drinking water as it may be contaminated. Your body can react negatively towards the new ‘viruses’ present in the body, reacting more negatively towards it. Secondly, having jet lag can also affect the body’s immune system. Sleep deprivation can definitely affect the body, from disturbed sleep patterns, mood changes, stomach problems such as constipation and diarrhea.
In the case of diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks, calling the doctor is necessary. Diarrhea tends to disappear after just a few days. If it goes on more than that, your body will be in grave condition. You will lose all of the required nutrients and be deprived of nutrition to maintain the body system.
Skin problems
Amongst many of the illnesses that people experience after vacation, skin illnesses are very common. Again, a different environment causes the body to be exposed to ‘new’ and different elements, some that the body will be unable to fight due to lowered immune system or from not having encountered it before.
Therefore, tourists are at risk for rashes, fungal infections, bug bites when exposed to it unknowingly in foreign environments. You can be getting these anywhere from being underwater, in saunas, hot tubs, in public transportation and may even be from eating wrong.
Be careful when the body is feeling feverish, signaling that the illness might be infectious. You might need to be hospitalized or contained in a unit in order not to affect others coming your way. For that reason, it would be the perfect time to head over to the doctor and find out what is happening inside your body.
Cold
Its common to catch a cold after a vacation. A lowered immune system is the culprit, in which harmful elements have a higher chance of entering and infecting the body.
The long hours in an airplane with low humidity caused by high altitudes, can dry out the nasal passages including the nose and throat. These conditions lower the immune system, allowing viruses and bacteria to infect the body.
Travelers going on a long flight can prevent being sick by bringing in saline nasal spray and eye drops in flights to maintain hydration. In that way, your body will maintain its immune system to protect dangerous elements from entering the body and infecting it.
Viral Infections
You are more likely to contract viral infections during vacation as you are outside your usual environment. Exhaustion may be the primary reason, since long travel duration and different time zones results in lack of sleep. Hormone stress level cortisol is triggered which effectively lowers your immune system. As a result, your body might not have the immune system to fight off viruses and infections.
Drinking a lot of booze during your vacation can most definitely make you much more susceptible to illnesses and infection. Of course there is nothing wrong drinking during the vacation, but be aware that your immune system can become compromised. Temperature changes are some of the things that affect the body immensely. What it often does is confuse the body on how to react to the sudden temperature change. At a normal state, the body understands the temperature to which it must adjust to and can fend of viruses with the normal immune system. However when moving to colder climate, the body struggles to adjust to the cold temperature and does not have the power to protect itself from viruses that it can normally fight off.
There are many ways you can prevent viruses from attacking your body during vacation. First, spacing you the days which you drink. Drinking a glass of seltzer or water for every glass of alcohol you drink ensures that you are well hydrated, limiting the change of hangovers. Third, learning how to manage your time and sleeping well is sure to take care of your sleepless nights. Fourth, prevent viruses by washing your hands regularly for an appropriate amount of 20 seconds. If possible, try to maintain some personal space in crowds. Bring some cold medicine to protect yourself in case you get sick during the vacation.
Vacations are a time when people enjoy their time, forget about the problems they have in their life and create experiences to remember for a lifetime. Yet happy memories during vacation can be immediately affected the moment you get a terrifying virus or simply get ill from a simple flu. For that reason, taking care of yourself during vacation helps maintain happy memories while keeping yourself productive after a long vacation.
Do you have any other health tips when going on vacation? What was your worst vacation story? Share your experience in the comments below!
