What to put in your travel medicine kit during a stay abroad?

What to put in your travel medicine kit during a stay abroad?

Travel first aid kit

The pharmacy kit is an essential element to provide in the luggage of travelers , especially during a trip abroad where pharmacies are perhaps not as frequent or as provided as they are in our regions.

 

Why provide a “travel medicine kit”?

 

Even when traveling, it can happen to suffer from minor ailments that are not serious, but which can ruin the day. It is therefore always desirable to have the right medicines and the necessary care at hand in order to treat them easily and quickly. Therefore, so that the holidays do not turn into a nightmare, the traveler must remember to take the essential products in his first aid kit.

 

Prepare for all eventualities with a well-stocked kit

 

Whatever the trip planned, no one is safe from a sudden toothache, stomach aches,

sunburn , an insect bite or a simple fall. The contents of the first aid kit should be able to cope with this, but depending on the country or region of destination, the length of stay and the mode of travel, other products will have to be added. It is therefore important to find out beforehand about the living conditions of the country (to know, for example, if the tap water is safe to drink ), about any diseases that are rampant in the region, about the necessary vaccinations, etc

 

Traveling with an infant or young child also requires an adjustment to the first aid kit, as what is good for an adult is usually not good for a child.

 

Medications to take in your first aid kit

 

Apart from drugs specific to people who undergo regular treatment and basic equipment (sterile compresses, cotton wool, bandages, antiseptic, thermometer, etc.), there are several drugs and care products that must be included in the list of errands to be carried out to equip his first aid kit.

 

First of all, you have to think about prevention and, in this context, sunscreen and products against mosquitoes are often essential, because even if the few hours spent on a beach are often very pleasant, sunburn can be a prove dangerous. This is without counting the possible bites or stings of various critters found in tropical paradises.

An antihistamine can therefore be useful to calm irritation and itching.

 

Then come antiseptics, haemostatics, dressings and plasters. Indeed, a wound may seem innocuous at first, but it risks becoming infected, especially in a hot and humid climate.

 

Then come antipyretics and analgesics, used to lower fever and calm pain such as paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen.

 

Do not forget antidiarrheals, which help fight stomach aches as well as antibiotics to treat infections such as turista.

 

An antiemetic will be welcome for travelers who suffer from motion sickness .

 

Finally, add the products more specific to the region visited by following the advice given by your doctor.

 

Mistakes to avoid

 

Before storing medicines in the medicine kit, always check their expiry date to avoid ending up with expired and therefore unusable tablets, especially if you are staying in a remote area, far from any pharmacy. Secondly, you must ensure that you always put the medicines in their original box with the instructions. And thirdly, prefer solid drugs to liquids that risk spilling or being contaminated once opened.

 

One last tip

 

Although a well-prepared medicine kit can save you a visit to the doctor, there are cases where it cannot be avoided. In these cases and to meet medical expenses, which in some countries can be very high, it is always useful to have good travel insurance .