Happy Trails

Staying safe and sane on that summer vacation

You’re all ready for your trip. Tickets are in hand, bags are packed, mail delivery’s been stopped, and the neighbor is watching the cat.

But you may have overlooked one of the key ingredients for a great vacation — making sure you and your family have a healthy trip. The key is planning ahead. Although you can’t anticipate every contingency, there are steps you can take to ensure a positive and healthy vacation.

“There is no magic pill you can take before traveling that will guarantee freedom from some of the common travel-associated difficulties,” says Patti Emmett, a nurse and infection control coordinator at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. “Without planning ahead, travel can overrun us. But a little preventive medicine goes a long way.”

Emmett says travelers should be conscious of the need to prepare for their journey in advance.

“If possible, it’s important that you travel when your health is as good as it can be,” Emmett advises. “Increase your normal amount of sleep by one hour per night, making sure you’re getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Also, avoid lastminute planning and packing that can lead to stress. Stress ends up taxing the immune system. Stressing the immune system makes us increasingly susceptible to infections we may encounter during our travels.”

During flu season (November through April), remember to get a flu vaccine, Emmett says. “People who don’t get influenza vaccines may acquire illness due to influenza virus while traveling.”

Of course, it is essential that international travelers be current on their vaccinations before they depart.

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a Web site (www.cdc.gov) where you can see what shots you need for any given destination,” Emmett says. “Physicians are usually knowledgeable on this as well.” The CDC site also offers dietary information to help you avoid digestive problems in virtually any destination.

And Emmett encourages travelers to carry a waterless alcohol hand rub, which you can find at the supermarket in the section with hand soaps. This makes it easy to sanitize your hands when water is difficult to get to on the airplane or in that exotic port-of-call.

Minimizing jetlag is essential to getting your trip off to a good start. Jetlag — which manifests itself in fatigue, nausea, and disorientation — is caused by a complex combination of circumstances, including shifts in time, alteration in magnetic fields, and modifications in climate.

To combat jetlag, experts suggest spending some time outside during daylight hours at your new destination. Adjust your bedtime to the local timetable as soon as possible. It also helps to schedule work or other important activities at times when you are likely to have maximum energy — in the evenings after flying east, and in the mornings after flying west.

Dehydration often begins on the airplane, as cabin air is drier (0 percent to 2 percent humidity) than any desert. Try to avoid drinking alcohol or coffee, which have diuretic properties, and be sure to bring a bottle of water with you on the plane.

Once you land, make a point of breathing some good-quality fresh air, and take a brisk walk to get your circulation going.