WEEK 15

Tourism English

Who are they?

Forrest Lu and Agnes Chien

What is this?

follow-me – follow-me 2 – follow me 3

How are you feeling today?

How many of the things on the right do you know? Work with a partner.

bruises

needles

scar

acupuncture

stitches

rash

scrape

10 SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP YOU AVOID GETTING SICK

WHEN YOU TRAVEL

Source: Nomadic Matt

Make an appointment with a travel health professional

The average recommended time to see a health professional is 6–8 weeks before you leave, but personally I would aim for a little earlier than that, especially if you will think you will need more than one vaccination or if you have specific health concerns. The worst that will happen is that you will get an appointment closer to your time of departure if it is determined that you don’t need that amount of time to get things sorted.

Take antimalarials when necessaryBasically speaking, if the area you are heading to is considered a high risk for malaria then yes, antimalarials are usually strongly advised. If you are visiting an area that is a low to no risk, then antimalarials aren’t usually advised.

Antimalarials are medications, and like all medications they have side effects. There isn’t one type of antimalarial; there are a variety of prophylaxes available, each of which has a range of common and rare side effects.

Get vaccinated

Prevention is always better than the cure, and nothing is better at protecting you from the risk of getting a disease than being vaccinated against it.

Be careful of food contaminationYou should always ensure — as much as is practicably possible — that any food you eat is fresh, cooked thoroughly, and served piping hot.

I love street food for this very reason, as you can see how clean the cooking environment is, and the food is often prepared right in front of you. But look out for signs of good hygiene practice at any street food stall or food court you eat at.

Don’t be afraid of having familiar food

Eating local food and delving into the local cuisine is one of the absolute true pleasures of traveling and one you should never miss out on, but that said, a degree of common sense is needed too. Jumping straight into a diet of spicy curries or predominantly red meat is a good way to ensure some form of gastrointestinal upset if your stomach isn’t used to it.

Try and stay activeOne of the best ways to stay fit and healthy and fight off unwanted infections is exercise. The benefits of exercise are well known and well documented: it improves your overall health and well-being and strengthens your immune system, which makes you less susceptible to illness. And if you do get sick, your body is better able to fight off the infection and more quickly get you back on your feet. It isn’t foolproof, of course, because fit people still get sick, but in general the fitter you are, the better your body will be at shrugging off that annoying bug or illness.

Protect yourself against the sunSunburn can seriously ruin a good travel experience! I got very badly sunburned years ago in Thailand after snorkeling for too long and forgetting to reapply sun cream. It is not an experience I want to repeat!

Current recommen-dations on sun protection say you should use a minimum of factor 15, though I recommend at least SPF 30.

Protect yourself from mosquito bitesMosquito bites are an absolute nightmare for any traveler. At best they will simply annoy you with painful and itchy welts, but at worst they can transmit a whole variety of diseases, such as yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and chikungunya, not to mention malaria.

Drink bottled water When you can’t be sure of the purity of the local water or you are traveling in areas where sanitation is not that great, then it should go without saying that you should avoid the local tap water. Even if locals drink it without any problems, your stomach may not have the right bacteria to protect you from becoming ill, avoid local water — even ice in your drinks — in countries that don’t purify their tap water.

Wash your handsHand hygiene is essential to stop the spread of infection and can dramatically reduce your chances of diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, flu, norovirus, MRSA, or even hepatitis A.

Many travelers carry small bottles of hand gel, and these are great as a backup, but they aren’t a replacement for good old soap and water. Wherever possible, wash your hands under hot water for at least thirty seconds before and after eating and always after going to the toilet.

How are you feeling today?

Let’s try some more - what are these?

cream / ointment

antacid

lozenges

ginger

diarrhea

constipation

laxative

Match the Ailments Above and the Treatments Below

diarrhea constipation sore throat rash flu heartburn

_________ Apply an ointment to the skin 4 times a day. Don’t scratch it!_________ Suck on a lozenge when it hurts. Drink warm lemon juice with honey._________ Drink lots of water and don’t eat anything that contains milk._________ If you have a fever, go to a doctor and get some medicine._________ Eat some Wakamato. If you really, really can’t go, eat a laxative and wait._________ Drink some ginger tea or eat an antacid, and don’t eat any spicy foods.

rash

sore throat

diarrhea

flu

constipation

indigestion

Ask each otherthe

questions on your

handouts

Ask your partner the questions on your sheet.

Be sure to ask follow up questions!

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B E DF A C

78

prescriptiondiarrhea

electrolyte solutiondiagnosed

ailment

symptoms

79

food poisoning the thing is

allergic to

a prescription

little by littleget

dehydrated

79

80

80

Travel diarrhea is caused by bacteria found in contaminated food or water which has been consumed by the affected person.A low level of humidity weakens the defense system inside of us.

F

F

80

Wash your hands frequently

Wear a mask while you’re on an airplane.

The skin is the first line of defense.

Watch out for the food and drink that you are about to have.

Airline carriers are also carriers of the common cold. A low level of humidity in the cabin weakens the defense system inside of people.

Travel diarrhea is caused by bacteria found in contaminated food or water which has been consumed by the affected person.

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