enjoying Sanur Beach – Bali

Travel Tips: Staying Healthy in the Tropics

Of all the amazing destinations on Planet Earth, I have always considered tropical islands and beaches the cream of the crop, akin to paradise on Earth. And I just know I’m not alone in this sentiment!

Who wouldn’t love miles of endless white sand beaches, swaying coconut palms, clear turquoise seas, vibrant coral reefs, rain forests and continuously warm weather with sunny skies and white fluffy clouds, day after day? That’s the stuff of dreams.

Jungle Adventure in Malaysia

Such luxurious environments naturally lend themselves to outdoor living and fun activities like swimming, snorkeling, diving, water sports, suntanning, walking in jungles, cycling. visiting waterfalls and other natural attractions.

With so many fun & adventurous things to do and such inviting weather, it’s easy to fill up vacation days having fun under the sun. In the midst of all that carefree living, though, it’s also quite easy to forget to look after your skin and health

Unfortunately, carelessness in the tropics can lead to a variety of health risks from mild to quite serious, especially for active people. Outdoor enthusiasts who don’t generally live in the tropics don’t realize how quickly & seriously tropical climate can affect them. Therefore, they dash into their tropical holidays unprepared then don’t act carefully enough after arriving.

In my case, although I grew up in a 4-season climate in the USA, I’ve since been living, working and traveling in tropical SE Asia since 1998. As an avid outdoors person, I’ve been regularly hiking in national parks and forests, climbing mountains, cycling, snorkeling, scuba diving and joining heaps of other outdoor fun.

As a result, for my own health and survival, I’ve become an expert at staying healthy in tropics, particularly while exerting myself in hot, humid conditions.

So following is my expert advice for staying healthy, for avoiding illnesses, infections and unpleasant health problems:

enjoying Koh Phi Phi viewpoint – Thailand

1. Take preventative measures

The best advice I can give is to take extra precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses, especially when exercising. They can be serious, but they are very easy to avoid! Take preventative measures to avoid them rather than suffer and have to treat yourself for illness. With basic knowledge, easy preparations and awareness, you can avoid all the nasties.

2. In addition to heat-related illnesses, cuts, scrapes and any open wounds can quickly become badly infected in the hot humid weather.

It’s extremely important to clean them immediately and to clean, disinfect and cover them regularly for several days, until they heal.

3. You must also take extra measures to keep your skin healthy: hydrated, cool, unblemished and unburned.

Cycling in Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

4. In the tropics, health risks to avoid include the following:

* Dehydration

* Heat Exhaustion

* Heat Stroke

* Sunburn

* Heat Rash

* Infections from cuts, scrapes and open wounds

sailing in the Caribbean

5. Here are my recommendations for avoiding the above ailments:

* Learn the signs and symptoms of dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion

Learn the signs of these potentially dangerous ailments as well as how to prevent them. Monitor yourself in the tropics, especially while exercising. If you notice any signs or symptoms, immediately stop exerting yourself, get in a cooler environment, rest and monitor yourself until you’ve recovered. Note that heat stroke requires medical attention, even if symptoms seem to go away.

I travel with a medical book entitled, Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa and Latin America by Moon Publications. It describes all these issues in depth, detailing causes, signs & symptoms, preventative measures and treatments.

* Choose correct exercise times

I strongly recommend exercising during the early mornings and/or late afternoons, NOT during the middle of the day, unless it’s cloudy or rainy. In the morning the earlier you can start, the better. By 7 am it can often already be hot! In afternoons the temperatures cool off around 4-4:30pm in most tropical destinations.

Cloudy and/ or rainy weather can certainly make the temperature less hot. In such conditions it may be fine to exercise midday. Use your own judgment for temperatures & conditions that are comfortable.

cycling in Bali

* Pace yourself when exercising

You will probably get fatigued more easily than you’re accustomed to in tropical heat and humidity. Move at a pace that’s comfortable for your heart, lungs and body. Take many short breaks- that’s what the locals do! Also know your physical limits.

* Drink lots of water and electrolytes

When you sweat your body loses fluids and electrolytes. In the tropics you’re going to sweat more than usual. When exercising sweating increases even more. It’s important to replace BOTH water and electrolytes lost through sweat.

Depending on which country you’re in, you can usually get electrolyte powders at pharmacies (the same meds used for dehydration from diarrhea/vomiting) and electrolyte drinks at super markets, small shops and convenience stores.

* Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Alcohol and caffeine are dehydrating. Avoid drinking them before, during and immediately after exercise in the tropics.

* Protect yourself from the sun

It goes without saying that in the tropics, generally located close to the equator, the sun is very direct and intense. It’s very easy to get burned if you don’t take precautions. Cover up sensitive and untanned skin, use sunscreen on exposed skin. Wear a hat or visor to protect your face and eyes. Wear good quality UV sunglasses.

* Keep your skin and body cool by getting in cool water

Anytime throughout the day, if you feel uncomfortably hot, don’t be shy to take a cool shower. You might end up showering several times a day. That’s perfectly reasonable. Alternately, you can jump into a swimming pool, river, lake or the sea to cool off.

Cooling off with water will help prevent heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat rash and dehydration.

enjoying a ‘sea jacuzzi’ at Langkawi Island – Malaysia

* Keep skin clean and dry

In the tropics, you’re bound to sweat a lot more than you’re accustomed to. That leaves your skin in a constant state of heated moisture. And that, in turn, can lead to prickly heat rash or unsightly blemishes. Cleaning your skin more frequently, especially in cool water, and drying off damp, sweaty skin can help tremendously in keeping your skin blemish-free. More Tips on Skincare here.

Avanti Travel Insurance has written more detailed steps for taking care of skin in hot & humid weather in their article Travel Skin: holiday skincare tips

* Immediately clean, disinfect and cover any wound

In the tropics, more so than other climate conditions, wounds can very quickly and easily become infected, sometimes with dangerous germs like staph. The hot, humid climate keeps skin moist & hot – perfect breeding grounds for nasty germs. And in the tropics, many more dangerous bacteria tend to live there as well. In addition, you’re body is probably not accustomed to dealing with those particular germs.

Never let any open wound, no matter how tiny or insignificant, go untreated. Whether it’s a mere scratch, puncture, scrape or larger cut, make it an absolute priority to immediately stop what you’re doing and take care of it. Clean it thoroughly with water and soap then disinfect it with hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or iodine. Apply a topical antibiotic cream. Then cover the wound.

Even a miniscule wound can become infected within an hour or so if left untreated. Just don’t do that!

Lash in Krabi, Thailand

Conclusions:

If you’re heading to any tropical destination be sure to take time to read up on health in the tropics beforehand. Once you’re informed, prepare yourself, take the correct preventative products/measures and be careful once you arrive.

Preventative action is the best way to deal with potential tropical health risks. Nobody wants to end up sick or injured or infected during their vacations.

You might also enjoy my Travel Safety Tips

QUESTIONS: 

Do you have any more tips to add?

Have you ever suffered from any of these heat-related illnesses? If so, what happened? 

——————————————————————————————————————————–

You might also enjoy:

TIME SHARES Sights and Sands – Exploring Cape Verde EXPLORE SYDNEY’S ABORIGINAL CULTURAL AND NATURAL TREASURES Why Southeast Asia Is Perfect For Bespoke Holidays