The October holiday is fast approaching, and preparing for travel can be hectic, stressful, and time-consuming. Let Beijing United Family Hospital & Clinics medical professionals simplify the health portion of your planning with their tried-and-tested advice. With tips about surviving all that flying without dehydration, temper tantrums, or deep-vein thrombosis, we’ve got you covered. Of course, we want to wish everyone a wonderful National Day holiday, whether traveling around China, abroad, or just enjoying Beijing!
- Before your trip -
Pack a first-aid kit
You’ve got a first-aid kit at home, so why not bring one with you on your trip? Your basics should include sunscreen, mosquito spray, painkillers, remedies for traveler’s diarrhea, cold and flu medication, allergy drugs, and basic wound care equipment.
Bring some familiar foods for kids
If you’re going to a new destination, your kids may struggle with new flavors and cuisines. If they’re picky eaters and you want to prevent hunger-induced tantrums, simplify your life by packing some snacks you know they’ll like. Don't forget to check the customs guidelines at your destination to make sure they allow you to bring food items into the country.
Be prepared for accidents
The nature of accidents is that you never know when they’re going to happen. Make sure to look up the phone numbers of local emergency services before your trip and save them on your phone. It’s also a good idea to carry the name of your hotel and the concierge's phone number in case you need them to help with emergencies that involve language barriers. As a further proactive measure, brush up on your first-aid skills to know what to do in an emergency.
- On the flight -
Keep kids happy
Flying long-haul on your own is enough of a drag. Add cranky kids to the equation, and your vacation will result in you missing your desk at work. Help kids remain calm by flying when they would usually sleep. You can also prepare some of their favorite toys and games to help them pass the time without getting too antsy.
Boost circulation
At the risk of sounding like your ayi, make sure you drink enough water – this will keep your system running smoothly but will also encourage circulation (and thus prevent deep-vein thrombosis) by making you get up periodically to pee.
- While you’re on holiday -
Eat well
Getting tummy bugs on holiday can take the wind out of anyone’s sails – and that’s as true for kids as it is for adults. Watch out for common causes of traveler’s diarrhea, like unrefrigerated meats and dairy products. Try to ensure your drinking water is clean.
Know when to see the doc
In that vein, know how to recognize when your child has a tummy ache that will pass and when it’s time to seek medical attention.
Just keep swimming
If your vacation will involve swimming at the hotel pool, brush up on your swimming pool hygiene to avoid common water-borne illnesses. That means showering before and after your dip and preventing pool water from getting into your eyes and mouth. And if you’ve had a bout of gastroenteritis in the last two weeks, please forgo the pool facilities. You can still spread those germs to others even after you’ve recovered.
Treat your feet well
Beach vacations mean walking around a lot – often in sandals or shoes with little support. Show your feet some love this summer by wearing covered, supportive shoes when spending a large chunk of time walking and when your feet may come into contact with germs (in public bathrooms, when hiking, etc.).
- When you get back -
Beat jet lag
Cross-border travel enriches your life – but it also wreaks havoc on your body clock. Reset that sucker and combat jet lag by making sure you get some direct early-morning sun, sticking to your normal routine as much as possible, and starting your wind-down routine a bit earlier than usual.
Help kids readjust
After a vacation, your kids may feel a bit deflated or down. Help them get back into the swing of things by getting them to do an activity together like making a photo album of the trip or starting a fun project that they can get immersed in.
Department of Family Medicine at BJU
The Department of Family Medicine (FM) at Beijing United Family Hospital is at the heart of United Family Healthcare. It connects patients & families with specialist healthcare teams. As the term “Family Medicine” implies, these doctors’ scope of consultation is broad and comprehensive, covering both internal medicine and general surgery, women's and children's common diseases, and also, many other frequently occurring diseases. The diagnosis and treatment of patients covers all ages, from infants to the elderly.
The
BJU Family Medicine practitioners’ team is composed of physicians from
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, the United States,
the United Kingdom, China and other countries. The team is not only
skilled in diagnosing and treating common acute and chronic diseases,
but also provides individualized preventive health care and health
management services for timely identification of disease risks, and
active intervention to preserve health.
