Your health with Pharmacist Advice

Travel

 

Travel Health Tips

As Christmas and the New Year is fast approaching many of your customers will be planning trips to spend time with their loved ones over the holiday period. As part of your continuing relationship with your customers, have you considered sharing some health travel tips with them? We have listed below some common travel ailments which will help you to ask the correct questions when speaking to your customers.

  • Motion sickness
  • Extremes
  • Heat and Hypothermia
  • Dehydration
  • Allergies
  • Arthritis
  • Diarrhoea
  • Over active bladder and irritable bowel syndrome
  • Animal and Insect bites

 

Are your customers flying this holiday season?

Most people would agree that jet lag is one of the disadvantages of flying especially on long haul flights across many different time zones. A little information in advance can be valuable in helping your customers to avoid jet lag and to make their holiday a pleasurable experience right from the start. How do you recognize if you are suffering from jet lag?

  • Anxiety
  • feeling disoriented
  • Poor concentration and lethargy
  • Poor appetite
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Headache

 

Ten tips for avoiding Jet Lag

  • A few days before your trip start changing your sleeping patterns to match the time of your destination. Adjusting your bedtime by just one hour a day    will help you to avoid jet lag.
  • Re-setting your watch at the beginning of the flight and sleeping when it is    night time at your destination will get your body in the rhythm of the new time zone.
  • Stay awake during the flight if it is daylight at your destination. Read, talk to the other passengers, watch the movie, or walk the aisles to avoid sleeping at the wrong time.
  • Drink plenty of water and keep alcohol to a minimum. Alcohol is dehydrating to the body. Everyone agrees that dehydration can make jet lag worse.
  • Sleeping aids
  • Sleeping masks, ear plugs and neck rests are all useful in getting quality sleep.
  • Exercise as much as you can. Walking the aisles and doing stretching
    exercises will reduce swelling and discomfort in your legs and feet and can      also prevent blood clots.
  • Eat lightly but strategically. Remember meals are likely to keep you awake and foods high in carbohydrates promote sleep and can make you sluggish.
  • Take “Flight Recovery” which many people say works a treat for them. This is available through your Pharmacist Advice pharmacy.
  • Make sure you wear or pack in your hand luggage comfortable clothes to enjoy the flight in. Tight or restrictive clothing or clothing that makes you too hot will also play havoc to your body’s circulation.
  • If you have the luxury of arriving at your destination a day or two before you  have activities planned why not give your body time to adjust to the time      change a little more gradually?

 

Deep Vein Thrombosis

A deep vein thrombosis is a bloody clot (thrombus) that develops in a deep vein, usually the leg. Long distance travel because of prolonged immobility can cause this condition. However people who may be at higher risk of this condition are;

  • Over 40
  • Smoker’s
  • Recent Surgery
  • Pregnant
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • Obesity
  • History of this condition
  • Bloody Clotting disorders
  • Some medical conditions

 

Exercise and movement is recommended during the flight and compression stockings may be beneficial although someone who is concerned about this condition should speak to their doctor for more advice.


This month don’t forget your companion sales will increase overall profit for the pharmacy so to help you tap into this month’s promotion we have included some for you:

  • Sleeping Mask
  • Compression Stockings
  • Imodium and Antacids
  • Sun block
  • Medic Alert Bracelets
  • Tweezers (if not buying first aid kit)
  • Baby Wipes
  • Adaptors (if stocked)
  • Thermometer
  • Calamine Lotion
  • Paracetamol
  • Cold and Flu Tablets
  • Jelly/Cushion Insoles
  • Neck Supports
  • Insect Repellant
  • Gastrolyte
  • Antihistamine
  • Water Purification Tablets

 

Tips:

# Always carry medication with you in your hand luggage.
# Lonely Planet has healthy travel books for $9.95 which list health information that is country specific.