Health Packing list:

Pack It!

You could fill a small packing crate with medical supplies if you wanted, but these essentials should be right in your suitcase:

• Scissors, Band-Aids, tweezers, gauze swabs, tape, bandages, safety pins, non-adhesive dressings
• Antiseptic wipes, chewing gum, multi-vitamins, sunscreen and lip balm with sun block
• Anti-diarrheal, paracetamol and oral hydration sachets
• DEET-based insect repellent and water purifying tablets
• Anti-nausea pills
• Dry ear or rubbing alcohol to prevent ear infections
• Pain medication
• Congestion medication like Actived
• Sunblock
• Comfortable walking shoes and flip-flops
• Telephone numbers of your doctor
• Supplies for the trip home in case you run into any problems

Bring adequate supplies of all medications in their original containers, clearly labeled. Carry a signed, dated letter from the primary physician describing all medical conditions and listing all medications, including generic names. If carrying syringes or needles, be sure to carry a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. Pack all medications in hand luggage. Carry a duplicate supply in the checked luggage. If you wear glasses or contacts, bring an extra pair. If you have significant allergies or chronic medical problems, wear a medical alert bracelet.

Make sure your dive and health insurance covers you for all medical expenses abroad. If you do not have an additional Dive insurance check your regular health insurance for dive injuries and hyperbaric treatment. If not, supplemental insurance for overseas coverage, including possible evacuation, should be seriously considered. If illness occurs while abroad, medical expenses including evacuation may run to tens of thousands of dollars. Bring your insurance card, claim forms, and any other relevant insurance documents. Before departure, determine whether your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.

Pack a personal medical kit, customized for your trip (see packing list). Take appropriate measures to prevent motion sickness and jet lag, discussed elsewhere. On long flights, be sure to walk around the cabin, contract your leg muscles periodically, and drink plenty of fluids to prevent blood clots in the legs. For those at high risk for blood clots, consider wearing compression stockings.

Avoid contact with stray dogs and other animals. If an animal bites or scratches you, clean the wound with large amounts of soap and water and contact local health authorities immediately. Wear sun block regularly when needed. Use condoms for all sexual encounters. Ride only in motor vehicles with seat belts. Do not ride on motorcycles if you have never ridden one before.

If you need any other information please do not hesitate to contact us at info@bluelabeldiving.com

Traveling and health

You’re finally on that beach in Indonesia. You’ve got the world at your feet – and an unfamiliar feeling in your belly. Getting sick is no fun at the best of times, but when you’re traveling and away from the comfort and familiarity of home, it can be highly irritable.

Travel health is a vast and important topic, from basic medical concerns to malaria, cholera, typhoid and all those other diseases that sound so mythical and antiquated but are very much alive and kicking. It is be impossible to cover everything you need to know, but here are some basic rules to stick to.

Before You Go

Go to your nearest travel clinic six to eight weeks before you leave and find out which vaccinations you need. Don’t leave this to the last minute – sometimes a course of vaccinations is required over a period of weeks or you might need to wait a week or two after a shot before it kicks in and you are fully protected. Get a check up at the dentist too – toothache on the road is sheer hell and make sure there are no bubbles any where as you don’s want your tooth to explode when you are watching 10 hammerheads above. Take the record of your immunisations when you go travelling, especially your yellow fever certificate. It’s also a good idea to carry a record of your blood group, home doctor, nearest embassy and copies of any prescriptions (including ones for glasses) you use regularly.

On The Road

Here are a few tips to keep you feeling a million bucks while you’re traveling:

• Allow yourself time to adjust physically and mentally to a new place and recover from jet lag.
• Avoid sunburn. The sun is fierce the world over so use a hat and sun block. And yes you still can get a tan when you are using it.
• Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer and some wet-wipes for when access to soap and water is difficult.
• Keep hydrated. If hygiene’s an issue, stick to major brands of bottled water and make sure the seal’s not broken and that is is actual MINERAL water. If this is not practical or available, have more than one mean of purifying water in case one method fails (eg iodine and a pump-action purifier). Be carefull with ice-cubes.

Know the health risks specific to your destination. That includes risks associated with food preparation and eating out. Blue Label Diving has a section called “Dive destiantions” here you can find Basic, Diving and health recommendations per country.

Be carefull with malaria and dengue! To avoid getting bitten, cover up, get a decent protective net – preferably one soaked in DEET – and use insect repellent, day and night. Anti-malarial meds don’t stop you getting malaria – they just suppress it and you can get very sick of it.

If you do get sick, ask your hotel to recommend a local clinic. Make sure you’re properly insured and declare this before you see a doctor.

Stay Healthy!