Common Health tips for a traveller
MALARIA
Mike Slatter has travelled and written books complimented that in the 15 years of his travelling this is the best advice he has ever read:
We have a clinic & hospital in Pemba.
MALARIA = Accept where you are, there are a lot of mosquitoes, we all get bitten. November is the driest season (very few mosquitoes). The worst time is before sunset (17h00-18h00) and after sunrise, take prophylaxis, use repellants before sunset: spray “Peaceful Sleep (we find it is the best) burn coils (this works) and sleep under a net.
It’s important that your immune system is high:-
* Healthy diet + drink a lot of water (2 Liters)
* Careful with too much partying and travel stress
* Eliminate parasites (de worming is a must, every 6 months)
* Do a blood cleanse (herbal teas), add to your diet boabab pulp (cream of tarter, sugar + water = cold drink) kills parasites and is a great tonic.
* Careful with boiled / filtered water, I still got ill with no energy and malaria symptoms, now I use bottled water and immediately felt better and my coffee tastes much nicer.
* Usually malaria is at its worst during rainy season and we have observed change of season our staff have suffered from malaria: winter to spring.
Often when your immune system is very low your chances of getting an onset of malaria are greater. Symptoms could be; sore lymphatic (joints), feeling tired, out of energy, headache, eyes sensitive to light, diarrhea, vomiting, sore kidneys and liver or rise and drop of body temperature.
As a rule we diagnose ourselves having flu (whatever it is) and immediately TREAT ourselves against malaria and rest for two days, (this is simple and quick, no harm.) If your immune system is down your going to get it, accept it and do something. OR Go to a clinic, get a blood test, wait for results, go to the pharmacy get your medication (quite a trip), if tested negative four days later still feel bad go for another test at clinic.
Should you have headaches and the above symptoms, then you have had Malaria quite a while. The parasite kills your red blood cells and constipates your circulatory system causing pressure, every 6 hours it gets worse and then headaches occur. A blood cleanse is required. Anti-biotic, lots of water, rest, stay out of the sun and you must wear shoes when walking on cement!
Solution: Always carry a pack of malaria medication when you are traveling and make sure you have a pack when you go home. Malaria can show two or more weeks after you have been in that area. The danger is misdiagnoses, too many delays for treatment, high medical bills and even death.
Have a safe and healthy journey.
Symptoms :
- Fever. – Rigors, - Headaches, - Sweating, - Tiredness, Sore eyes –Joints or Lymphatics hurt - Myalgia, - Abdominal Pain – Diarrhoea, - Lost of appetite, - Low blood pressure, - Nausea, - Slight jaundice, - Cough, - Enlarged liver and Spleen
Other Common Illnesses or Injuries:
Yellow fever shots is a must or they will give it to you when you cross the border.
The staff are experienced and gentle using new syringes @ 1 300mts.
The shot is not painful should you relax your arm completely
Deworming: Yourself and pets at least twice a year is a very wise standard of procedure by cleansing ones health. Especially travelling you can not afford your immune system to go down that it can not fight against strange bodies.
Water hydration: Is a must especially ladies swallow your pride and be prepared to go to the loo. Look after yourself and you will have a pleasant approach and trip. Often travelers come in very dehydrated and show the symptoms.
Dehydration shock symptoms: Very tired, head ace, very bad mood and extremely negative. Worst case experiences are very aggressive, swearing like a drunken sailor and shouting the odds.
Drink a glass of water before you arrive at your destination and avoid embarrassment.
* Back problems: Cataflam, an anti inflammatory and pain killer.
B complex injections or tablets.
* Bleeding:
Nose Bleed or Painful periods: 11/2 Yarrow tea with 1 cup of hot water, infuse 20 minutes. Drink the tea warm or cold 4 times a day. It is a blood cleanse and a fantastic tonic.
* Burn shield is great should you have or use Paw Paw skin. Serious burns hydrate with ice cold water for 4 hours and then cover with Paw Paw skin until the would has healed. It’s a cooling agent also an antibiotic.
* Ear ache – ear medication or olive oil with Ttree. Most important do not touch the ear when irritated, the inflammation gets worse, give it three days to heal.
* Eyes – Chamomile tea used like tea bags on the eyes.
* Food Poisoning: take 1t of Apple Cider before you eat Sea food. Best prevention.
With an attack – Charcoal.
* Dental floss – bad breath often meat is stuck between teeth.
* Diarrhea Immodium – is fine, takes a while to kick in.
Mazinna (corn flour) 1t for adult, 1/2t for children and pediatric NONE.
Works within half an hour, lines the stomach and acts as a tonic.
Stops Diarrhea and vomiting, careful 2 days later bowels will open to eliminate the toxins that has caused the diarrhea.
* Muscular, Bones (broken/fractures/calcium build up) or
Back injures – Cabbage leaf.
Put the greenest leaf of the cabbage in hot water for two minutes. Rub red Tiger Balm or
Deep heat to the affected area and around it. Dry the cabbage leaf and bandage it over the affected area to keep the leaf in place. Place a plastic bag over and a towel to keep the are warm. Best to do this before you go to sleep at night. The next morning remove. You will notice a change within an hour.
* Super glue - remove thorns, glue wounds together in a butterfly strip instead of stitches.
* Toothache - Broad spectrum antibiotics and Myprodol
There is nothing a dentist can do until all the inflammation has drained.