Before You Go

• See your doctor or travel health professional at least 4-6 weeks prior to departure for all necessary advice and vaccinations. Once receiving vaccinations, your body needs time to become fully immunized, so don't wait until the last minute.
• Visit the U.S. Government's Centers for Disease Control website for complete information about vaccinations and relevant health issues in the countries you're visiting.
• Strengthen your immune system with regular exercise, a balanced diet, lots of water, and adequate sleep.
• Stock up on necessary prescription medications.
• Sign up for a free membership with IAMAT (IAMAT). If you need medical help when traveling overseas, IAMAT will connect you with a competent English-speaking doctor.
• Pre-adjust your body to your destination. Beginning several days before departure, change your sleeping cycle by one hour every night until you match the cycle you'll be on at your destination. This may be easier said than done, but try - it can make a big difference.
• Check the netTrav Traveler's Checklist.

When You're In The Air

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they increase the dehydrating nature of flying.
• Drink as much water as possible.
• Walk and stretch every 30 minutes to avoid leg cramps, swelling, and possible clotting. For information on exercising in flight, check out How to Exercise on a Plane.

At Your Destination

• Keep U.S. Embassy contact information with you at all times in case you need assistance with any medical, legal, or financial emergency that may arise.
• Protect yourself from ground-based parasites and insects. Try not to walk barefoot, and if you sit on the ground, use a towel or mat.
• Use insect repellants.
• Avoid swimming in lakes, rivers, or streams.
• Drink only purified water.
• Use caution with food sold by street vendors, especially in developing countries.
• If traveling in mountainous areas, beware of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), caused by lack of adequate oxygen at high altitudes. Only engage in strenuous activities (hiking, rock climbing etc.) if you're in decent physical condition. Ascend slowly. Don't overexert. Drink lots of liquids. Avoid dietary salt. Eat mostly complex carbohydrates.

Blocking Insect Attacks

• For Exposed Skin:
  Consider repellants containing DEET, but never in higher concentrations than shown below.
• 12-hour protection for adults: 3M's Ultrathon Insect Repellant with 35% DEET.
• 4-5-hour protection for adults: Sawyer Products' DEET Plus with 17.5% DEET.
• 4-5-hour protection for children: Skedaddle! by Little Point Corp. with 9.5% DEET.


• For Fabrics:
  Spray a permethrin repellant on your clothing and other fabrics, including mosquito nets. This kind of repellant lasts for as long as 2 weeks through repeated washings and will knock down or kill insects on contact. It's totally safe for humans and, if combined with DEET-containing skin products, provides 100% protection.

Dealing with Diarrhea
Diarrhea comes from contaminated food and water. You're more likely to contract it if traveling in the developing world. To protect yourself:

• Drink only bottled or canned fluids but avoid dairy products.
• Eat rice, gelatin, dry toast, saltine crackers, and bananas, as they're easy to digest.
• Get temporary relief from Pepto Bismol, Imodium AD, or Lomotil.
• If experiencing severe diarrhea, see a doctor, who may prescribe an antibiotic such as Ciprofloxacin, Norfloxacin, Doxycycline or Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole.

Choosing Your Foods

• What to eat:
• Baked goods and tortillas
• Canned foods
• Freshly boiled rice, beans and pasta
• Whatever you can bring from home such as protein bars, dried fruits etc. Also see Traveler's Checklist.


• What to avoid:
• Anything that may have come into contact with water, such as fruits and vegetables (unless they've been cooked or have thick skins and can be peeled)
• Vegetables, fruits and nuts unless they have thick skins and you peel them
• Non-Pasteurized dairy products
• Large fish
• Undercooked cold meats and fish
• Most buffet and street vendor foods

Flying while Pregnant

• The best time to travel is 18-24 weeks into pregnancy, but up until week 36 is considered safe by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
• Learn your airline's rules for doctor's written permission to travel, as they vary from carrier to carrier.
• Reserve a seat with the most room, ideally an emergency exit row or aisle seat.