wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 161HEALTH DISCOVER
Travel
Clinic
Preventionisoftenbetterthancureifyouwanttostayhealthywhiletravellingtheworld,
saysDrJaneWilson-Howarth,whorevealsfiveeasywaystokeepailmentsawaywith D Jane
Dreamstime/Shutterstock
Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth is just back
from Nepal; read her blog at
http://www.wilson-howarth.com168
Drink the water!
Probably the most
common travellers’ concern is to do
with water quality, yet buying
bottled water is not only
environmentally irresponsible, it
doesn’t necessarily provide a safe
drink. Most town and city water is
of a reasonable quality so we don’t
need to be over-obsessed with
avoiding tap water – but travel w
a fi lter to be sure. Most harmful
microbes need to invade us in
considerable numbers to cause
illness and it is actually poor food
handling practises that are far an
away the most common routes of
travellers’ tummy troubles.169
Ditch those
alcohol gels
Solid soap and plenty of water
cleans better than gels. This method
is also generally gentler on the skin
and is environmentally kinder. Lots
of travellers use alcohol gels before
eating rather than trying to fi nd
a sink where grime, pollutants and
microbes can be washed away. In
case of injury, it is also best to clean
wounds by washing them under
running water using plenty of soap.
It’s unusual to be in a place where
you can eat but where there isn’t
any water to wash your hands. One
rare exception of this is in bear
hides in Finland and Estonia where
you may stay overnight. The toilet
will be dry and is ‘fl ushed’ with
sawdust, but there’s nowhere to
pour waste water.Asia people splosh the anal area
after defecating and as long as there
is plenty of water, stool fl ows away
and little manual wafting is needed.
Sometimes a jug or kettle-like vessel
is provided, sometimes there is
a shower-type device. Experiment.
The experience is refreshing and
reduces the risk of thrush.171
Spray your
clothes
Insect repellents are eff ective
against six-legged biters
(mosquitoes and many other small
biting insects), but surprisingly few
travellers have heard of the very
eff ective clothes spray EX4. This
deters insects from biting through
thin cloth and is more comfortable
than applying chemicals directly
onto bare skin. Sadly neither
standard insect repellents nor EX4
give protection against big
aggressive insects such as horsefl ies
and angry bees. For those you need
the right clothing.172
Seek local
wisdom
Ask locals about risks peculiar to the
region as similar dangers diff er
geographically. In North America,
for example, bear attacks are
responsible for on average a little
less than one death a year, whereas
in Finland, where bears are also
present, there has been just one
bear-related death in the last 100
years. Accidents with elk, however,
take ten lives annually.170
Learn to bottom-
wash
The amount of toilet paper people
use is variable. Women use more
than men and Americans are said to
get through three rolls a week each.
Toilet paper production drives
forest felling, and disposal of used
paper is quite a problem in places
where the plumbing isn’t the best.
Finally, rubbing the netherparts
with what is eff ectively wood
chippings is not the healthiest
practice. When, diarrhoea strikes,
frequent scratchy wiping leaves
your tail end sore and sensitive. So
learn to bottom wash! In much ofHealth matters
(top) Use a recyclable
bottle on your travels
and carry tap water;
(below) 'beware
of the elk' signs are not
erected in Finland to
amuse tourists – when
a car hits an elk it often
crushes the driver