Some of the world’s most rewarding destinations sit at altitudes where the air itself becomes a challenge. Trekking to Machu Picchu through Cusco, standing on the rim of a Himalayan valley, watching the sun rise from Kilimanjaro, or simply flying into cities like La Paz, Lhasa, or Leh all place travelers thousands of meters above … Read more
The journey itself, long before you reach your destination, can be one of the more physically demanding parts of international travel. A modern long-haul flight might keep you seated in a pressurized cabin for twelve hours or more, crossing many time zones, breathing dry recirculated air, and moving very little. None of this is dangerous … Read more
When travelers think about insect-borne disease, malaria understandably dominates the conversation. Yet in much of the tropical and subtropical world, the mosquitoes and other biting insects around you can transmit a whole range of other infections for which no protective tablet exists and, in most cases, no vaccine either. Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and several less … Read more
Malaria remains one of the most serious health threats facing travellers to tropical regions, and it is also one of the most preventable. Each year, people return from holidays and business trips with malaria they could have avoided, sometimes with fatal consequences, because they underestimated the risk or stopped their tablets too early. Understanding how … Read more
Of all the ailments that interrupt a trip abroad, travellers’ diarrhoea is by far the most common. Depending on the destination, between twenty and sixty percent of travellers to lower-income regions experience it, usually within the first week. While rarely dangerous for otherwise healthy adults, it can ruin days of a carefully planned journey, and … Read more
The mountains have never been more accessible. Trekkers walk to Everest Base Camp, tourists fly into high Andean cities, and pilgrims travel to shrines perched thousands of metres above sea level. Yet altitude remains one of the most underestimated hazards in travel medicine. Altitude illness does not care how fit or experienced you are, and … Read more
Yellow fever occupies a unique place in travel medicine. It is the only vaccine that countries are legally permitted to require for entry under international health regulations, and a small yellow certificate can determine whether you are allowed to cross a border. For travellers to parts of Africa and South America, understanding both the disease … Read more
A thoughtfully assembled travel health kit is one of the least glamorous but most useful things you can pack. When you fall ill or injure yourself far from home, the difference between a minor inconvenience and a miserable ordeal often comes down to whether you have the right item within reach. Pharmacies abroad may be … Read more
Having a long-term health condition is no reason to stay home. Millions of people with diabetes, heart disease, asthma, kidney problems, and other chronic illnesses travel widely every year. But travelling well with a chronic condition takes more preparation than the average trip, because the disruptions of travel, from time-zone shifts to unfamiliar food and … Read more
For many of the most serious illnesses a traveller can encounter, there is no vaccine and no preventive tablet. Dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and several others are spread by mosquitoes and ticks, and the only reliable defence is to avoid being bitten in the first place. Insect-bite prevention is therefore one of the most important, and … Read more