Travel Health Tips To Help You Have Fun In The Sun

Summer holidays are just around the corner, and while it should be time to kick back and relax, there's a whole host of health perils trying to spoil your fun in the sun, including sunburn, bites and DVT.

We all enjoy soaking up the sunshine, but exposure to the sun's UVA and UVB rays can be dangerous. Besides sunburn and heat stroke, sitting in the sun for long periods also increases the risk of skin cancer.

Sunburn can easily be prevented by covering up with loose clothing and a hat, and by avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm. You need to apply sunscreen about half an hour before going out, and buy one with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 for adults, and about 40 for children.

If you do get burned, apply after-sun cream to cool the skin and relieve the tightness - or have a cool bath.

Beware of bites

Many of us will get nipped by gnats, wasps and bees this summer, and the more-humid weather is only serving to exacerbate the problem, as insects love warm, wet conditions.

While most bites and stings are painful but harmless, some people can have an immediate allergic reaction. Make sure you use plenty of anti-insect repellent and reapply regularly; products containing the chemical DEET are the most effective.

If you're in an area where malaria is a risk, make sure you cover up as the sun goes down as mosquitoes are most active in the evening. Aim to wear loose-fitting clothes - as insects can bite through tight material - and consider investing in other devices such as insecticide coils, plug-in devices, wrist bands and mosquito nets.

Stay cool to avoid heat rash

Heat rash can make you feel uncomfortable after a stint in the sun, and symptoms include an itchy rash and small blisters. The medical name is miliaria. The best way to avoid it is by trying to stay cool, while wearing loose-fitting clothing and staying in the shade will also help.

Taking an antihistamine may relieve symptoms a little, but once you've developed heat rash, taking a cool shower will reduce its impact.

Reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis

If you and your family are flying long distances to reach your holiday destination, this will mean sitting down for long period of time - putting you at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

To prevent DVT, try to take short walks down the aisle of the plane and exercise the muscles in your lower legs by bending and straightening your toes, ankles and legs. Make sure you keep hydrated, and don't drink too much alcohol or beverages that contain caffeine; also consider buying a pair of compression stockings to wear during the flight.

Combat jet-lag

When travelling to a different time zone from one place that's light to another place that's light, your body's biological clock is expecting it to be dark - and this throws your body's rhythm into disarray. To tackle jet-lag, try to stay awake until the zone's natural night time if you can - to get your body back into its usual pattern.

Get covered

Foregoing travel insurance may seem like a quick and easy way to save money in the current uncertain climate, but you could end up seriously out of pocket if you need to make an insurance claim and discover you don't have sufficient cover.

This is especially true if you are abroad and find yourselves with medical bills costing thousands of pounds - so make sure you and your family are adequately covered for your summer break. Some insurance providers are currently offering family deals where children get cover for free, so do your research and make sure that whether you and your family are jetting off to an exotic destination - or holidaying closer to home - that you have good travel insurance in place.

Read more travel health tips at http://www.confused.com/travel-insurance