the wander project dispatches from over there

Staying healthy on the road begins before you leave

Get a Pre-trip Physical

Not a cursory glance like the one you got to play ball in high school, but a thorough exam by a doctor who’ll do more than check your your vitals and send you on your way. Make sure you get a blood test, which will turn up any abnormalities with your red/white blood cell count, kidney and liver function, etc. — all of which you’d rather deal with here than halfway around the world. Ask for a chest x-ray, too, which will allow your doctor to look for irregular masses and other abnormalities in and around your major organs. It’s an easy way to be sure you don’t jet off to Southeast Asia with unexplained fluid in your lungs, an enlarged heart or any number of unpleasantries that are better addressed at home.

Get Dental and Vision Checkups

You don’t want to wander around the world in a fog because you need glasses, and you’d rather not get an emergency tooth extraction from a guy wielding a sharpened stick.

Be Your Own Pharmacy

While globalization makes just about anything available anywhere, you’re better off bringing the important stuff from home. Even if you manage to find an uberpainkiller in the middle of nowhere, there’s no way to guarantee its quality. Consider taking a heavy-duty pain reliever like Vicodin,  an anti-nausea drug like Zofran and broad spectrum (i.e. one that kills lots of stuff) antibiotic like Cipro. You’ll need prescriptions to get all of these, of course, and be sure to talk with your doctor about when and how to use them. Keep copies of your prescriptions with you —they’ll make it easier to get your narcotic pain pills past customs officials.

For more about what to pack, check out Medical Training for Travelers.

Get Travel Insurance

It’s really a no-brainer. You need it. Get it in case you get sick or hurt on the road, and make sure your policy will foot the bill to fly you to a modern medical facility if necessary. Your regular health insurance might also offer some coverage, so check there first. I’m a fan of World Nomads, and companies like MedJet Assist can extract you from pretty much anywhere in the event of an accident.

Get Vaccinated

Plug in your itinerary on the Center for Disease Control’s website to find out what you need. Your doctor can arrange the vaccinations, or you may be able to get them at your local health department (for cheap!). Don’t forget to keep copies of your vaccination records with you, since proof of vaccination is required for entry into some countries.

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