14 Must-prepared Travel Medicines for Any Globetrotter
Preparing medication and personal first aid items is extremely important to travel. Health problems arising during the trip may prevent you from experiencing the full enjoyment but also incurring additional costs. Hence, a completed and guaranteed journey depends a lot on the luggage you carry. And in that luggage, travel medicines are indispensable to respond promptly to common diseases that can occur.
Here in the post are 14 basic medicines that must be brought to help you prevent common health problems while traveling:
1. Anti-motion Sickness, Antinausea Treatment
Traveling means you have to move a lot with different transportation. To alleviate the feeling of a hangover or prevent motion sickness, you should prepare drugs that contain Dimenhydrinate, or acupressure bracelets. Those medicines and items are really essential.
Some tips when using the drug:
- Before departure, you should be in a good mood, and relax to avoid tiredness because nervous tension often causes motion sickness.
- Need to take medicine 30 – 45 minutes before departure for the best effect.
- When taking the drug, do not drink alcohol.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not be used.
- You should eat some snacks before departure, do not let the body be too hungry or too full because it is easy to stimulate the stomach lining. Do not use fizzy drinks, or alcohol before and during travel.
- Sit at the front of the car; or at the end of the train.
All of the best anti-nausea medicines and bracelets are available on Amazon:
2. Some Types of Analgesics, Antipyretics
Changing the weather, time zone, or fatigue during the trip makes the body susceptible to the symptoms of fever, aches, and pains. Particularly, when traveling far away with children in the group, it is necessary to bring medicines that relieve pain and fever. Thus, you should have appropriate pills ready for each subject to ensure the health of your whole family or your travel partners!
3. Massage Oil
The constant movement from one location to another with outdoor activities will sometimes make your feet ache. Especially, to anyone who loves trekking or climbing, which requires a lot of actions, could get muscle pains easily. The muscle massage potions will help travelers dispel unpleasant pains. This is also one of the 14 travel medicines that you need to take with you on any trips.
You can also DIY the massage oils as your preference. The best recipe is mixing 3-5 drops of essential oil to carrier oil. It will result in the best mixture of massage oil to help you relieve muscle pain after a long day walking, climbing, or doing outdoor activities.
4. Antiseptics to Prevent Infection from An Open Wound
If a slight skin tear is not handled promptly and properly, it can become more serious in a very short period of time. Hence, to prevent infections from minor skin wounds such as scratches, you should bring some antiseptics for open wounds when traveling.
Also, you must remember to bring bandages. Because failure to cover the wound may expose it to factors that could cause infection. In order for the wound to be healed, the cells need to move to the injured area to support the healing process. Therefore, the wound needs to be covered sufficiently for enough moisture.
5. Mosquito, or Insect Repellent
Being in the top travel medicines that must be brought along are anti-mosquitoes and insects. You may face a lot of mosquitoes and insects in tropical areas such as Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Peru, etc.
For the most part, all insect bites are never pleasant to their victims. Minor bites can cause mild, pain, swelling, itching, or even allergies, fever, or coma if it’s heavy. So on long trips, especially climbing and camping in the forest, besides wearing long-sleeved clothes and closed shoes, a travel insect repellent is a must. It will help cool the skin on the site that’s bitten and alleviate the hurt.
Insect repellent comes in varied types such as spray, cream to rub on your skin, candle, wipes, or even wristbands that contain natural ingredients to prevent mosquitoes, or insects. You can easily find all of those on Amazon:
6. Eye Drops
Traveling is not just about sightseeing but also experiencing many interesting outdoor activities. Therefore, it is likely that your eyes will be dry. Furthermore, in the case of foreign objects falling into the eyes, even a piece of mascara may cause eye discomfort. So, make sure you have eye drops with you on trips.
7. Travel Medicines when Being Food Poisoning
Food-borne problems appear quite common when traveling, especially when you try unique cuisines in different regions like Central and South America, Africa, or Asia. Especially when eating strange things, not hygienic, or not well-cooked.
As a result, symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, etc. You should prepare medicines that contain Loperamide or Bismuth Subsalicylate to stop diarrhea as well as other related issues. If your group has young children, try a sweetened vial, it can be easier for them to use. Moreover, the well you prepare digestive enzymes, the better.
8. Constipation Prevention
In contrast to diarrhea, constipation sometimes is a big problem for travelers. Changing eating habits, or consuming a variety of different foods might lead to the issue. Additionally, uncomfortably using a strange washroom, lacking drinking water, or refraining from defecation are also sources of constipation.
In order to solve this problem, you can try using apple vinegar, or ginger tea, drinking more water, massaging your spine, exercising more, or avoiding carbonated, alcoholic drinks. Alongside, it is essential to carry laxatives that contain Bisacodyl or stool softeners that have Docusate.
9. Antihistamines Medicines to Treat Allergies
When traveling, you are likely to encounter changes in weather, temperature, or humidity. If your family or yourself are prone to allergies, you definitely have to prepare this medicine.
Antihistamines help to treat allergy symptoms. If you don’t want to be drowsy, you should buy new-generation drugs such as Loratadine, Cetirizine, or Terfenadine. Antihistamines works well with symptoms such as a runny nose, rash, connective tissue inflammation, allergic capillary inflammation, dermatitis, etc.
10. Ointment or Topical Antifungal Medication
Ringworm is a common disease when you travel to hot, humid tropical countries, or in poor sanitation environments, which creates conditions for the disease to develop and spread.
The most common symptom of the disease is appearing round, discolored, and very itchy spots. When the disease is not properly treated, it will easily become infected by bacteria. In addition, it would lead to more difficult treatment and greatly affect your journey, particularly the long ones.
The best and easiest way to overcome this disease is to use an antifungal cream, at the early stage. The doctors may also prescribe medications to treat ringworm such as Griseofulvin or Terbinafine for severe infections.
Likewise, you should keep yourself hygiene and do bathing every day. Furthermore, no scratching or rubbing of the area of the ringworm, keeping it clean and dry, avoiding use of others’ personal items and public bathrooms, etc. All of that careful attention will help you stay away from the ringworm problem.
11. Vaseline
Vaseline has long been an indispensable item for everyone, in particular for travelers with a variety of uses. To illustrate, those range from softening lips, and balancing nails to treating burns, fixing scratches on shoes, and lining to polish the nails.
Especially, there is a small tip to help keep the perfumed scent long. It is to apply a little Vaseline to the wrist area before using perfume.
12. Travel Medicines for Headache, Flu
A trip with so many activities in a new land, and new climate will sometimes make you feel headache, or dizzy. Changes in climate can also make you catch a cold. A blister pack of pain, fever, or cold medicine will be top needed for you at that moment. Don’t forget to bring it!
13. Lip Balm Containing SPF
Unfortunately, under the effect of the sun, or ultraviolet rays will make your lips darken. It would be better to take with you a lip balm that provides moisture and sun protection index. There are some lip balms which contain SPF that you can buy easily. And it is a must-have travel medication for any of your journeys!
14. Individual Treatment Drugs
If you have a medical condition but can still make a trip with a doctor’s permission, it is necessary to bring special travel medicines to treat your illness.
Before starting the trip, you should see your doctor if you have any health problems that need a long-term prescription. Just make sure you have enough pills for the whole trip. You also need to ask about possible drug and food interactions, as strange foods while traveling can sometimes affect the effects of the medication you’re taking.
If you must use the medicines on time, ask your doctor how to calculate the time when you travel through different time zones.
In the case that your visiting country is experiencing a disease such as malaria, tell your doctor for additional medication for malaria prevention, and specific prevention guidelines.
Besides, you also need to bring a copy of the prescription. For example, you can try TeloTravel pill organizers. They can even attach a note to the holder to remind the user. Then, you store it in a separate place. In case the luggage is lost or stolen, you can still buy the medicines.
Some Notes When Using the Medicines
- Please carefully read the instructions for use before using the medicines.
- Or ask your doctors if there are any problems using the pills, etc.
- Some drugs may have side effects, please note that.
- You can use pill holders to keep the safety of your drug, clean, and organized.
- In some countries, they don’t have the right medicines you are looking for. You can take your sample, or describe the medicines you need. They might have similar ones, perhaps under other brands.
- If you are in an emergency, or in a serious health problem, don’t try to cure yourself on your own. The medicines list in this post are just basic ones. It’s better to find a nearby hospital or infirmary.
Don’t forget to have your travel insurance. You will pay less.
So these are 14 travel medications to help you feel safer, especially in emergencies. All of that careful preparation will help to avoid the adverse events caused by your health and help you to have a more enjoyable and complete trip. Don’t forget to bring it with you!
Note:
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26 Comments
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Ntensibe Edgar Michael
I highly agree with this list….most especially, the medicines for food poisoning! Of late, my tummy is “rioting” and some medicines happen to stabilise me.
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GiGi Eats Celebrities
THIS LIST came at the PERFECT time! We are traveling out of the country in a WEEK and I haven’t left the country in awhile so I have forgotten what to pack, LOL! THANK YOU for this list!
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Audrey McClelland
Having these travel medicines when you’re on a trip makes total sense. You may be traveling outside the country, and most may be unavailable, or very expensive. Always be prepared!
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Matt Taylor
That is a great list. Everyone should have a travel kit with essential medicine and supplies in their especially on long trips, and in their bag when traveling by plain. Never hurts to be prepared.
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WanderlustBeautyDreams
What great tips! I think it’s so important to be prepared when traveling abroad, you just never know what can happen. Thanks for sharing these suggestions.
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The JOYOUS Living | Influencer (@thejoyousliving)
very good list. miralax, dramamine and insect repellent are definite must haves. joy
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Erin Knight
I totally agree with all the medicines on the list. I always bring food poisoning meds. I never know when I really need it so better have it than not to.
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katrina Kroeplin
great options. i def take my oils and other things with me as well.
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Lily
This is a good travel medication list and I pinned this. I like the rehydration salts I need to get some of these.
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Dana Peller (@Pellerini)
Great list of the essentials to pack when you travel. Shared with my parents. They travel often.
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Lyanna Soria
Those are some great items to keep in mind. Whenever we travel we usually plan everything out and make sure we bring all the important items like medicine.
Stephanie S.
Great post! Thank you for sharing this list on 14 prepared travel medicines. Very informative.