TRAVEL RULES

The holiday season is at its height and we all remember the well-known traveller, Winston Churchill, who could not leave home without his portable bathroom. We have to understand that this was not a manifestation of eccentricity: Before the 1960s, any journey was an adventure without a guarantee of comfort. 

If we ask an experienced "Cousteau" today, he will definitely say that the suitcase can be big enough to hold anything you buy from beach shops, but there has to be one suitcase with wheels. It is clear that it should hold everything you need - a set of clothes suitable for the climate and for the season in the country where you prefer travelling (you should ask your tour operator about this in advance), a camera and an interesting book. The most important thing is not to forget your passport, with a photocopy. If you lose the original, it will facilitate your return home. Your medical insurance, if available, air ticket and driving licence should also be with you.

During your journey, you might need scissors, sellotape, iodine, napkins and a bandage, better a sterile one. If all this does not come in handy, somebody else might need them. All these trifles, which are easy to find in any pharmacy at home, might cause a lot of trouble in an unfamiliar place, if it is suddenly unavailable… So get your first aid kit in advance.

The contents of the first aid kit

So the risk of falling sick depends on the country you are heading for. The USA, northern Europe, including France, and New Zealand are "low risk" countries. The "moderate risk zone" includes Mediterranean and Caribbean countries (except for Haiti and the Dominican Republic), as well as Israel and South Africa. And finally, the likelihood of disease is highest in Mexico, central and southern Africa and Asian countries.

Filling the first aid kit before the journey is a problem that is almost impossible to solve. On the one hand, you do not really want to carry a whole bag of tablets and ointments, and on the other - it is very difficult to find the medicines we are used to in foreign pharmacies, even in the West. In addition, unlike our country, even slightly "serious" medicines are sold on prescription abroad, while medicines that are easy to obtain are much more expensive (You might have to pay 10-12 euros for an ordinary antipyretic). You cannot really do without a first aid kit at a holiday resort. So what you need to take with you for your journey are disinfectants and bandages. You need an individual package, sterile bandage (wide and narrow), an ordinary roll of cotton wool, as well as antibacterial tapes (in packages) and wet paper napkins. Do not forget to take a pair of scissors to cut bandages and tapes. Disinfectants are needed to apply to your wound before bandaging it. So there is no chance you can do without iodine or alcohol.

You should also take with you antipyretics and pain killers, for example paracetamol or aspirin (better soluble), or another medicines you are used to.

A serious risk at a holiday resort is a stomach and intestinal problem. According to statistics, every third traveller has an intestinal problem, even if he stays in a five-star hotel. There is even an expression, "traveller's diarrhoea". The medicine Yomogi will prevent this. You can also insure yourself against diarrhoea by starting to take one capsule of Yomogi per day before your journey. In this case, your intestines will be invulnerable to microbes that cause diarrhoea. Moreover, take some No-spa with you in case you have a stomach pain. If your stomach is unable to digest exotic dishes, you will need ferments, for example, enzimin. In order for an injury or back pain not to spoil your holiday, do not forget about kaynostat. Kaynostat is a solution in the form of a ball-type applicator. It will not just quickly kill the pain - its main property is that it will not contaminate your clothes and you will not smell of medicines.

Another frequent problem at holiday resorts is an allergy. Even those who are not allergic might become allergic. For this reason, you definitely should take anti-allergic medicines with you. It is better to take one without a somnolent effect, so as not to oversleep all your holiday, for example, alfexen. Alfexen will also eliminate itching after an insect bite. You can also get rid of itching after an insect bite by applying cotton wool moistened with liquid ammonia to the place of the bite.

If you are planning a lengthy sea trip during your journey, or you suffer from motion sickness, do not forget to put a package of avia-more in your first aid kit.

During your journey, you will probably need cold drinks and ice-cream. For this reason, you have to insure yourself against tonsillitis or a sore throat. Mediphon is suitable for this. When there are first symptoms of tonsillitis (pain or burning in the throat), take one or two tablets of mediphon which will slowly release you from pain. If you are travelling with children who have a sore throat, or suffer from tonsillitis yourself, do not forget to take oronorm spray with you, which will not only quickly relieve the symptoms of the disease, but will also cure your throat. 

Unfortunately, you are not safe from a nervous breakdown, even during your holiday. In order for an unreserved hotel room, or any other unpleasantness, not to take you aback and spoil all your holiday, take a vegetable sedative, for example the German medicine Ardeysedon Nacht. Ardeysedon Nacht will not just help you relax, eliminate stress and take a philosophical approach to all your troubles, two tablets of it will help you sleep better after a busy evening.

Also, do not forget about nasal drops like naftizin or glazolin, as well as ear and eye drops. Incidentally, in order to give a proper assessment to the state of your body (to find out whether you are really sick or are simply "overheated"), you might need a thermometer, but only an electronic one, not a mercury one, as you cannot take this on board the plane.

If you have a chronic disease, you should definitely take medicines in case it gets worse, which is not so rare when you change climate.

Another issue is a bronze holiday suntan without unpleasant consequences. What you will have to do is to put in your first aid kit some protective agents and cream to be used after a visit to the beach. It is better if the cream protects you from so-called ultraviolet rays that cause skin ageing and other unpleasant consequences. If you "burn" in the sun despite all your precautions, panthenol spray, or any other medicine sold in a pharmacy can help you. If they are not available, you can use ordinary moisturizing creams and gels or such well-tried popular means as yogurt or sour cream.

And do make sure that all medicines are in their original packaging and have instructions for use inside - dubious tablets and powder might raise unnecessary questions at the customs. It is better to write on all packages what this medicine is for and how much of it you should take, so that you do not waste your time trying to find out later.

In conclusion, we would like to wish that you do not have to use your first aid kit while on holiday. Have a nice trip and enjoy it!