8 Easy Ways to Ensure Healthy Travel Out of the Country

A vacation overseas is an exciting event. Exotic locations can mean a greater risk for potential health problems and a larger chance of not finding adequate medical services.

Why not prepare your travel health details as carefully as your itinerary? A happy, healthy and safe excursion could depend on using Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the Fox News Channel's 8 Travel Tips for an overseas vacation.

1. Have current immunizations.

Current immunizations recommended for every country are available from the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/travel. The CDC site has great information on the various ways to guard your health while traveling abroad.

2. Brush your teeth with bottled water.

Local water supplies can carry diseases that often cause illness in travelers but not in natives. Use bottled water to brush your teeth. If bottled water is not available, boiling local water for a minimum of 1 minute and allowing it to cool to room temperature will kill bacteria and parasites that can cause illness.

3. Peel fruits and vegetables, don't eat them raw with the skin.

Locally grown foods, like the water, can carry diseases that cause illness to a traveler. Dr. Rosenfeld advises removing the skin from raw vegetables and fruits before eating, while the CDC suggests not purchasing food from street vendors. Only eat food that has been fully cooked.

4. Take extra medication with you.

Your vacation should be fun. The anxiety you would undoubtedly feel by running out of necessary prescription medication could ruin good memories of the trip. Do yourself a favor and avoid that anxiety by packing extra medication beyond the number of days you plan to be away. Murphy's Law exists; negate it by being prepared.

5. Create a travel first aid kit.

Create one or two first aid kits. Why two kits? One that you keep in your suitcase and the other to keep on your person. In the suitcase include anti-motion, anti-diarrheal medications and a mild laxative. A package of preferred decongestant and antihistamine should be included with 1% hydro cortisone and anti-fungal creams. In your personal kit keep latex gloves, band aids, moleskin for blisters and antibiotic cream. Anti-inflammatory medicine of your choice and throat lozenges are important as well.

6. Make a travel insurance investment.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see into the future? But because we can't, buy a cushion of comfort in the form of travel insurance. The more expensive the trip, the more important this investment could be.

7. Avoid swimming in ponds or lakes.

Parasitic and bacterial diseases can exist in lakes and ponds as they can in local drinking water. Avoid swimming in still bodies of water. Swimming in the ocean or in chlorinated swimming pools is okay. But swimming in a local river should be avoided.

8. Combat mosquitoes.

Make sure you pack sunscreen and insect repellent. Repellent should include DEET in a 20-50% concentration which is acceptable for children over 2 months and adults according to the CDC. Apply your sunscreen first then spray the repellent on your body and clothing. Wear long sleeves and pants when possible to avoid mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. Mosquitoes that transmit malaria are more active at dusk and again at dawn. Those that bite during the day tend to carry dengue fever.

Should a serious illness or injury occur to you or a traveling partner, there are several places you can seek help. One such organization is MEDEX, www.medexassist.com. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and The International Society of Travel Medicine are two more organizations that offer different areas of help. Check their websites for more information before leaving.

Healthy travel is easy if you are prepared. Enjoy your travels knowing you are prepared for the worst which, universally speaking, means the worst probably won't happen.