Are you a travel addict, or do you just travel for your kids? Either way, your health must be on top of your travel plan. Even if you are well-prepared with all the necessary documents for travelling, there is still something you are missing. It is looking forward to visit a travel medicine expert at the best medical and fitness centre around.
So, what Is A Travel Medicine Consultation?
No one wishes to plan for a dreamy trip and get it spoiled by a mere fever. We all know that!
Hence, travel medicine consultation helps you to prepare for the potential health-related consequences of travelling to specific regions around the globe. Indeed, health risks vary from region to region, and they may differ at your destination from your current residence. Travel consultation is important for all travellers; however, it is essential for people who have complex medical histories, special risks, and complicated itineraries. It includes a thorough check of the traveller’s health background and respectively determines the health risks by analysing the itinerary, trip duration, the purpose of the travel, and activities.
What Does A Travel Medicine Expert Do?
The travel medication experts at the Kingswood medical centre provide you with advice about the necessary vaccinations and prophylactic medication. Further, the travel medicine expert will highlight the anticipated exposures and remind the travellers of ubiquitous risks such as vector-borne, food-borne, water-borne, vector-borne & blood-borne infections, respiratory tract infections, and sexually transmitted infections. It is necessary to mention that only the balance between caution and appreciation of the journey ensures the best travel experience.
However, if you visit a travel medicine expert barely perform any typical physical examination. Depending upon your visa/travel program, the doctors may have to conduct an extensive assessment.
In short, the main objectives of a travel medical consultation facilitates you with the following:
- Conducting an individual risk assessment
- Communicating all the anticipated health risks to the traveller
- Offering risk management measures such as immunisation, malaria prophylaxis, and other necessary medications.
While packing your stuff and preparing all the requisites for your journey, why bother to visit a travel medicine expert? According to expert doctors at Kingswood, a visit to a travel medical clinic helps the traveller avoid minor health issues that may spoil your trip to your dream destination. Undoubtedly, while a tour brings about excitement and joy, it also comes with some risks. A visit to the Kingswood medical centre for travel consultation can help your rule out all the potential health issues that can fail your trip. So, here are a few reasons for it that you must consider.
Essential Safety Practices For Special Needs
Indeed, different travellers have varying health and safety concerns due to different health conditions. For example, if you are pregnant, a senior citizen, suffer from a weakened immune system or chronic illness, or have any specific requirements due to any disability, the Penrith GP doctors make sure that all your needs are properly met according to your age and health condition.
Our experienced doctors at Kingswood medical centre recommend that you come in at least six weeks before your trip. Hence, you can have enough time to prepare for and address your concerns.
Education Concerning Food And Safety
As mentioned in the above section, it is vital to visit a travel medicine expert not only for medicines and prescriptions but also to avoid illnesses. Hence, when you want to be well aware of what you are eating, the professionals at Penrith medical centre provide you with all the information you should have about safe food and water practices with respect to your destination. Your visit to the GP doctors in Penrith to completely understand the food and water safety habits in your destination because a traveller may experience;
- Traveller’s diarrhoea or Montezuma’s revenge in Mexico
- Cholera due to contaminated water
- Ciguatera due to contaminated fish, which is common in Caribbean countries.
The GP doctor in Penrith advises washing your hands and using sanitisers regardless of your destination and health condition. Some of the common risks concerning food consumption are;
- Rare or room-temperature meal
- Unpasteurised dairy
- Fountain drinks
- Tap water or well water
- Street vendor’s food items
- Raw or room-temperature meat
Get Vaccination
When you visit a travel medicine expert, you are most likely to get vaccinated against a disease which is not present in your home country but in your destination. Hence, getting vaccinated helps you prevent illnesses and infections during your visit abroad. Most commonly, the travel vaccines include the following.
- Cholera
- Rabies
- Meningitis
- Tetanus
- Polio
- Malaria prophylaxsis
- Typhoid
- Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
- Yellow fever
Lastly, vaccination greatly depends upon your destination. Getting appropriate vaccination is a key part of preparing for a travel health consultation. However, healthy travel is much more than just getting vaccinated. Your current health condition is just as important.
Medicine to Treat Illness
Upon your visit, your travel medicine doctor at Penrith not only guides you for necessary vaccination but also prescribes the needed medication. It may be just for common illnesses as well as any illnesses specific to your destination location. For example, you can grab some over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen for headaches. On the other hand, your GP may prescribe you medication for diarrhoea, altitude sickness, malaria, motion sickness, and other issues that may happen during your stay abroad.
Other than medication, you need to observe safe travel habits during your journey to protect yourself. For example, stay hydrated, use insect repellant, and do not drink over the limit etc.
The End Notes
Lastly, nothing is more important than your life, not even your expedition. Hence, ensure your current health condition and then plan your trip. For example, if you suffer from any health condition that causes your blood to clot, you shouldn’t travel by plan. Moreover, travelling will not be a good idea if you have recently recovered from a heart attack.
