Travel Health
More and more people are choosing to travel to more exotic locations as it becomes increasingly easy and convenient to do so. However, it is important to keep your travel health in mind while you're abroad, especially in particular parts of the world. Two of the most common travel health dangers are malaria and travellers’ diarrhoea, the latter of which affects between 20% and 30% of travellers abroad. Malaria is considered one of the world’s most dangerous diseases, and infects thousands of tourists every year.
At euroClinix you can find travel health advice and medications to help you prepare for your travels. We offer a range of antimalarials, including Doxycycline, Malarone and Paludrine/Avloclor, to make sure you have the highest level of protection against this deadly disease. You can also buy our Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack, which contains medications and treatments to relieve the symptoms and treat the illness. All of our treatments are available with free next-day delivery so you can be sure that you will receive your medication before you travel.
What is Malaria?
Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in the world today, and is a serious travel health risk for people travelling to particular areas of the world. If you are planning to travel to an area at risk of malaria, it is vital that you take the necessary steps to protect yourself. With a variety of antimalarials available, you should be able to find the most appropriate treatment for you, depending on your medical condition and your destination.
The disease is caused by one of four types of plasmodium parasite. The most common is plasmodium falciparum and the other three are plasmodium ovale, plasmodium malariae and plasmodium vivax. The female anopheles mosquito carries the parasite and can pass it on when it bites people. Once in the bloodstream, the parasite invades your red blood cells and multiplies, causing them to burst and release huge numbers of parasites into your body. In the most serious cases, this can result in death.
Early malaria symptoms present themselves as similar to those of the flu virus, which is why people who are infected, often are not immediately aware that this is the case. Malaria is usually curable, but it is far better to prevent the disease rather than wait for it to occur.
What is Travellers’ Diarrhoea?
Large numbers of tourists experience the discomfort of travellers’ diarrhoea every year, usually during the first fortnight of their holiday, making it a significant health concern for visitors abroad. Diarrhoea most often occurs in areas of the world where the sanitary and hygiene standards are lower than the traveller is used to, although it can also affect people whose bodies are sensitive to the bacteria in a new environment. This is more likely if the country you are visiting is hotter than what you are used to.
Diarrhoea is an unpleasant illness but it should not last for very long. With treatment, you should expect to recover after three to five days. Medication is recommended to help your body rehydrate after losing important minerals and salts (electrolytes) during the course of the illness. There is no vaccine to help prevent diarrhoea, but it is easily treatable if it does occur. To protect yourself, it is advisable to drink clean water and make sure the foods you are eating have been handled hygienically.
Can I buy travel health treatments online?
Yes. Here at euroClinix you can take care of your travel health concerns with a choice of antimalarials and the Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack. You will need to complete a brief online consultation, which is completely free, to ensure that the travel health treatment you have selected will be suitable for you. One of our doctors will assess the consultation and prescribe the medication if it is deemed appropriate. This will then be dispensed by our registered pharmacy and sent to you via free overnight delivery.
