What To Do If You’re Sick On Holiday
The weather has turned out to be fantastic, your hotel is everything you could possibly wish for, but your health seems to be getting worse by the hour. Being ill on holiday is not only unpleasant, but it can also be doubly annoying because it can spoil everyone’s enjoyment of a unique, memorable time you might spend playing blackjack games with your family or friends. If you know you need to see a doctor quickly, that should be your absolute priority. But there are times when a trip to a supermarket pharmacy is all you need to get back on the road to recovery. But if you have followed pre-travel advice, and you’re sure the illness is relatively minor, there are often home remedies you can successfully employ to get you feeling well again and once more ready to start enjoying some serious rest and recuperation.
So here’s a look at what you can do to combat some common problems:
Domestic remedies for treating sunburn
After a long hot day at the pool or on the beach, the problem can sometimes arise all too quickly: In spite of all those applications of sun cream throughout the day, come the evening your skin starts to feel burned and looks very red indeed. A well-known remedy for sunburnt skin is to purchase some yoghurt from the hotel where you’re staying or from the local supermarket. Yoghurt is, of course, available in nearly every country of the world and should be generously applied to the area of your skin which has been burned. Leave it in position for around 15 minutes and you will find it helps to cool off the area where your skin has been damaged and also helps to relieve the burning pain which accompanies sunburnt skin.
And if you happen to be holidaying in the hotter southern regions of the world, you will often be able to locate some aloe vera, a common plant which grows in such countries. Simply pick a supply of aloe vera leaves and rub the gel which oozes from the leaves gently into the sunburned area. This will have an immediate cooling effect, and will also help to promote skin healing.
Domestic remedies for treating travel sickness
Holidays so often involve a long journey by rail, car, plane or sometimes by bus or coach. And some people are particularly susceptible to what is often known by the catch-all term of ‘motion sickness’. Bouts of sickness during travelling are quite distressing to the victim but can often be alleviated, or even cured, by some slow, light breathing. Breathing slowly in and out, taking deep, long breaths can make the patient feel a lot calmer and help to improve the sickness symptoms. Another helpful tactic, especially where the sufferer is a child, can be to engage them in some kind of distracting conversation in order to take their mind off their illness. This itself can give calm reassurance which will be helpful and also reduce the symptoms.
In addition, anyone suffering from travel sickness should wherever possible be seated at the front of the car, or escorted to the front of the ship. From this position, the person affected should be encouraged to look directly at the horizon. This is another useful strategy to help to relieve the discomforting effects of travel sickness. Other helpful remedies include drinking plenty of fluids, restricting your intake of food, and also chewing on a piece of ginger, which is known to ward off travel sickness during the journey.
Domestic remedies for diarrhoea
Never a pleasant experience, bouts of diarrhoea can, unfortunately, occur during travelling. A useful domestic remedy is to eat some pieces of grated apple to alleviate the symptoms. Don’t peel the apple before grating because the apple peel contains a chemical called pectin which is very good for combatting the symptoms of diarrhoea. Banana is another food which can be equally helpful to those stricken with symptoms. And to compensate for the loss of electrolytes which the body experiences at such times, mix a glass of orange juice or mineral water with some salt and sugar. This drink should then be taken several times during the day.
Domestic remedy for insect bites
This is usually a minor problem, but if not treated carefully can sometimes cause some nasty infections. The golden rule with any insect bite is to keep it clean and try not to touch the affected area. Above all, try not to scratch the bite which can quickly turn it into an open wound. The best approach is to cool the area as soon as possible. Ice is best, but if no ice is available, cool the area by applying cold water. This will both ease any pain or itching and also help to reduce any swelling.
Domestic remedies for jellyfish stings
A jellyfish sting produces a burning pain, but the area should never be washed with fresh water. Instead, the offending sting can be more effectively be removed by using some shaving foam and a credit card. First, cover the area of skin affected with shaving foam. Next, carefully scrape away the tiny spines of the sting. Finally, administer some pain relief by cooling the affected skin. In cases of severe pain and irritation and/or if accompanied by vomiting, consult a doctor immediately.
