Staying Healthy in Tibet

Common travel-related ill-health:

• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Sunburn
• Dehydration
• Foot problems e.g. blisters
• Pesky insect bites
• Common infections: urine infections, chest infections, thrush, eye infections
• Travel sickness
• Accidents
• Altitude sickness

Step 1: Make sure you are prepared by having the recommended vaccinations, obtaining supplies of your regular medication and making sure your teeth are healthy. You may wish to bring a small medical kit (suggestions made previously). Please return your health questionnaires!

Step 2: Travel tips for flying: drink plenty of fluids to stay well-hydrated, wear comfortable clothes and move about the cabin regularly. Avoid eating and drinking anything remotely dodgy in overseas airports.

Step 3: Always obey good hand hygiene practices. Wash hands before preparing food and eating and after using the loo. Alcohol gel helps when water is unavailable but handwashing is paramount!

Step 4: Don’t drink tap water. Use bottled water, boiled water or water treated with iodine to drink and to brush your teeth. Avoid ice cubes. Don’t eat uncooked/undercooked food (unless it is peeled fruit or veg) and unpasteurized dairy products. Foods that have been cooked and have been left at room temperature are particularly hazardous as are foods from street stalls.

Step 5: Keep well hydrated when we are trekking. Make sure you are peeing regularly and your urine is not dark.

Step 6: Avoid sunburn by covering up, using high factor sunscreen with UVA protection and wearing a hat.

Step 7: Look after your feet. Wearing dry, comfortable footwear and paying careful attention to blisters should help prevent problems. Break-in your walking boots well in advance. Wear good hiking socks.

Step 8: Avoid insect and tick bites by covering up and using DEET. If there are mosquitoes around use a bed net or try to avoid letting them into your tent. Report ticks-do not remove by yourself. If you pull them out you may leave the mouthparts behind.

Step 9: Report any unusual illness, especially fevers or diarrhoea. If one person is affected the rest of the group needs to be extra vigilant. Don’t suffer in silence. Report any animal bites or scratches.

Step 10: Avoid accidents and violence. If provided, always wear a seatbelt. Avoid displaying large sums of money or carrying valuable items. Consider wearing a money belt. Stick with other members of the group and always inform a senior member of where you are going.

Step 11: Talk to another member of the group about how you are feeling if you are experiencing emotional problems e.g. fear of flying, homesickness, feeling low. The trip will be an intense and exciting experience which we want you to enjoy.

Note on altitude sickness

It is particularly important that you let me know if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms as we will be travelling to areas of high altitude and altitude sickness can affect anyone, fit and healthy or old and crumbly.

• Headache
• Feeling sick/off your food
• Tiredness, dizziness and difficulty sleeping
• Clumsiness/unco-ordination/double vision
• Feeling short of breath or coughing

Please stay fit and healthy. I expect everyone to be in the best of health for the entirety of the trip!

Suggested expedition member’s medical kit list:

• Pain killers/anti-inflammatories e.g. Paracetamol, Ibuprofen
• Antihistamines e.g. Clarityn (good for itchy bites and allergies)
• Oral Rehydration Sachets e.g. Dioralyte
• Diarrhoea medication e.g. Immodium (note: it is better not to take this unless you cannot access a ‘toilet’)
• Travel sickness tablets e.g. Stugeron
• Plasters/blister dressings
• Alcohol hand gel (I can provide this)

• Regular medication taken e.g. asthma inhalers
• Advisable to buy disposable contact lenses or to wear glasses
• Girls may wish to avoid having a period when away-please see your GP soon to arrange appropriate medication e.g. contraceptive pill or progesterone tablets
• High factor sun screen (SPF 30+ with UVA screen) and lip block

Iodine water purification tablets 50% DEET insect repellent

I’m sure we don’t all need to carry dental kits and sterile needles! I can acquire what we need as a group.

Before you travel

Please make sure all your vaccinations are up to date (diphtheria, tetanus, BCG, typhoid, hepatitis A, rabies, childhood vaccinations i.e. MMR)

I need your health questionnaires asap. Please return them to YSES.

My email: tibetdoctor@yahoo.co.uk if you have any questions