Contributed by- Dr. Deepak Parashar
Who does not want to explore the whole world? Who would not like to visit every inch of land on the Earth? Travelling allows a person to come out of their daily routine and experience an all new life. Travelling is also beneficial in the sense that it gives the opportunity to grow mentally and spiritually. But many times people experience some kind of sicknesses during or after the trip which stops them from living their life with full potential.
Such sicknesses are often ignored and left untreated which carries the chances of developing into serious health issues. It sometimes becomes difficult to prevent or cure them as there are various categories of them and symptoms overlap. Thus it becomes important to identify and cure them at the earliest.
Basic categories of sickness during or after the travel are motion sickness, food poisoning, and postural defects. These are discussed in detail below.
Motion sickness
This is the most common travel illness. It happens because of the repeated motions of the vehicle causing a disturbance in the inner ear which results in mixed signals sent by the sensory organs to the brain. Traveling done by car, plane, boat or even train can cause motion sickness.
Common motion sickness symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Loss of or trouble maintaining your balance
- Sweating
- Short breath
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
Some simple tricks to treat motion sickness:
- Face the direction you are traveling to – Swap rear seat with someone in the front seat. Change in position is beneficial as is may help disconnect between the inner ear and visual sense.
- Focus on something far and stationary – Watching passing trees or trying to distract by reading can worsen the symptoms. Instead, focusing on the horizon can be helpful.
- Drink water or carbonated beverage – Sips of cold water or carbonated drink is always a good idea. Don’t go for coffee because it can add to dehydration.
- Get some fresh air – Crack the window or use a fan to blow air on your face. Fresh air helps you deal better with the symptoms.
- Acupressure – Some acupressure points are proved to be helpful in treating motion sickness.
- Medication – If noting works for you or your symptoms are intolerable, visit your doctor to have prescribed medication.
Food poisoning
Foodborne illness is often caused by eating contaminated food. It is often caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. They often contaminate the food causing serious health issues. Symptoms of can start within hours of eating affected food. Some people are able to deal with it with not much trouble but some have to visit the hospital and stay on medication for a longer time period.
Symptoms of food poisoning include:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- Fever
- Weakness
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
Tips and tricks for food poisoning treatment:
- Eat light – Eating light food like saltine crackers, rice, bread or bananas will help in controlling vomiting and nausea. Avoid eating sweet, fried and spicy food.
- Drink clear fluids – Start with small sips and gradually increase. It will help in dealing with dehydration.
- Medication – If the symptoms worsen, seek doctors’ advice. Never take medicines without prescription as side effects of them can worsen your situation.
- Rest – Keep all your tasks aside and have complete rest. Food poisoning results in weakness and complete rest is required to recover fast and fully.
Postural defects
Posture is how your body forms. It is made up with proper positioning of muscles, nerves, joints, and bone. Improper positioning of them can result in a bad posture which can have long-term effects on the body. Bad posture mostly happens when an individual does not try to maintain a good posture during everyday life. Sitting for the prolonged time period is one of the most common causes of bad posture these days. It often happens that traveling requires sitting in one place of many hours. And those who travel frequently are more prone to the risk of bad posture.
Effects of bad posture on the body are:
- Pain and soreness – Slouching can cause our muscles to work harder as it is not a common position for our body. Such pain is often overlooked but can cause serious long-term health issues.
- Improper circulation – Bad posture can increase the pressure of gasses and fluids flowing in our body. This can also result in pain in our bodies.
- Mood – Posture has been related to the mood and attitude of the person. Studies reveal that those with good posture have a more positive outlook towards life.
- Poor digestion – This often goes unnoticed. Body organs are not able to digest the food properly due to the body’s bad shape. Bad digestion is linked with a lot of health issues.
- Tiredness – Our body has to work harder to keep us going which results in fatigue.
How to prevent bad posture:
- Examine your posture – Keep regular track of your posture by either clicking full body pictures or by standing in front of the mirror.
- In-seat exercises – Simple sitting exercises like ankle circles or knee extensions can be very helpful in giving you mini-workout.
- Stretches – Perform regular stretches. Stretching first thing in the morning or doing sitting stretches can give you benefits.
- Quick walks – Walking just a few steps can help in preventing bad posture.
Travel sickness is common. It can happen even on short trips. But can be avoided with simple tips and tricks. All that is required is to stay little attentive and take preventative steps. Traveling should always be for you to enjoy and not to suffer.
