A very important part of planning a trip is to think in advance about your health and safety abroad. When travelling to a different country, especially if you travel far from home and to countries with poor sanitary conditions, satisfactory medical help may not always be accessible. The standards of medical facilities and equipment, quality of medicaments and expertise of medical personnel might differ from what you are used to in your home country. Having a first aid kit can be particularly helpful in areas where medicines are in short supply or of doubtful quality. That is why it is wise to be well prepared before you leave and have the basic, yet very important medical items with you. In this article I am going to show you what’s in mine and help you properly prepare your travel medical kit for travelling Asia.
- Plasters – I take plenty of them as minor scratches and cuts are likely to happen. They will protect the scratch from getting infected and help it heal faster. Consider taking waterproof plasters if you plan to do a lot of swimming.
- Wound spray – This one is good for minor scratches and cuts because it has antiseptic properties which help prevent infection. I prefer to take alcohol free spray as it is not painful when you spray it. For bigger injuries please ask for medical help especially if you haven’t had a tetanus booster.
- Paracetamol – For fever and muscle pain relief. Stick to the one you are used to.
- Pain killers – I take these mostly for my painful periods but you can use them for headaches and toothaches as well. Just don’t overdo it. The pills I usually carry with me contain metamizole sodium.
- Electronic thermometer – Measuring your temperature is a good idea if you don’t feel well as it’s very important for making the correct diagnosis.
- Vitamin C – I use 1000 mg of vitamin C supplements. Personally I use the ones from CaliVita International, but any other brand should be fine. Try to get ones with prolonged effect as they stay in the body for longer. I try to take them almost every day as vitamin C helps boost your immunity and there are many things that can lower our immunity while travelling so helping the body a bit is not a bad idea.
- Multivitamins – I also carry multivitamin supplements with me and take them only when I feel tired, when I haven’t had plenty of healthy food or when I feel that my body needs an additional source of vitamins and minerals. I use A-Z Vitamine which contain 27 different vitamins and minerals.
- Antimalarials – You should consider taking these in case you travel to a country with high risk of malaria and only after consulting with your GP. They are quite expensive but you might want to have them just in case, as they can be used both as prevention and therapy. Before we went on our SE Asia trip we got two packages of Malarone even though we didn’t plan to take them as prevention. If you plan to use them as prevention you should start taking them few days before entering the country with high malaria risk, every day during your stay and few days after you have left the country. As our trip lasted for three months, it didn’t make sense to do this. Before taking antimalarials you should also consider the possible side effects. Anyway, to be on the safe side get a package or two before you head on your adventures!
- Antibiotics – this is a tricky one, as certain type of antibiotics is not efficient against all bacteria. Plus you can’t get them without prescription. However if you have any condition that requires or might require antibacterial therapy during your trip, it is a good idea to take a box or two with you. I usually take specific type of antibiotics with me as I am prone to strep throat, so I feel safe having them with me even if I don’t need to use them. Many countries have a problem with counterfeit medications which can do more harm instead of helping you, so getting antibiotics from home doesn’t make you unnecessarily cautious. Please note that you might want to grab your prescription for customs control – just in case!
- Probiotics – They support a healthy microflora in your stomach. Good to have them in case you need to take antibiotics or for any gut problems, which occur quite often especially in third-world countries.
- Activated charcoal – Even though I have never used it (apart from as an ingredient for my face mask) it is a good idea to throw few tablets in your medical kit as it is very good for stomach pains caused by gas, diarrhoea, food poisoning or other stomach issues.
- Antiseptic throat spray – Good to use for early throat symptoms. Personally I use Tantum Verde, but any other would be just fine.
- Nose spray – Good for relief of nasal congestion. I usually chose Olynth, but you should stick to the one you are used to.
- Antihistamine medication – It is basically a drug that treats or prevents allergic reactions. It can be a true life saver! Even if you are not normally allergic to anything, consider taking a box of those as new allergies can appear when in contact with new food or substance.
- Throat lozenges – I prefer to take ones with antiseptic effect. They help relieve symptoms of sore throat and coughs.
- Bandage – Good to have one of these in case of injuries, to protect or support the injured part of the body, to restrict the movement or to hold a dressing in place.
- Sterile dressings – Used to control bleeding from a major wound or to absorb any discharge.
- Tape – It might come in handy for securing dressings and bandages. I sometimes use it to even cover plasters just for keeping them in place if the injury is on an inconvenient place like feet or hands. Plasters are likely to unstick during walking or due to sweating and fixing them with a tape will keep them stay longer.
- Sterile gloves – They don’t occupy much space, but you might want to have them with you. As I said before the healthcare standards in many countries might significantly differ from what we are used to. In case you need any kind of medical intervention you would feel much better if the clinician wears them. Which is not always the case.
- Sterile syringes and needles – Up to you. In case you are too cautious and want to have everything under control. And because of the same reasons I mentioned before – healthcare standards. You might want to have yours in case you need any blood tests or injections.
- Face masks – To a certain level they can protect from infectious diseases in crowdy places and air pollution. If you wear it or not – it is absolutely your decision. Good to have them with you anyway, especially in Asia!
- Ear plugs – Prolonged exposure to noise can harm your ears. It is a good idea to have them with you, especially if you plan to take a long bus ride in Myanmar! 😀 Or if you just need to relax on the plane.
- Safety pins and scissors – this one is pretty obvious, they might come in handy in various situations.
- Any medication that you take on a regular basis – Make sure to take enough to cover the whole stay, plus put some more in case you have any delays on the way or need to deal with lost baggage. Note that you will need to declare it at customs if you have supplies for more than 3 months.
- Hand sanitiser – This ones goes in my hand luggage and I always keep it close to me. For a three month trip I had three small bottles. For shorter trips one should be enough.
- Insect repellent – This one is a must! Especially in countries with mosquito-borne diseases. Spray or cream – it’s up to you. For me the creams work better and are much more pleasant to use. Make sure to have enough of those and always apply them on exposed skin regardless of the time of the day.
- Sunscreen – Needless to say that this is an important item no matter the season and destination!
- Copy of prescription for the medicine that you carry detailing the actual drug name on it rather than the brand name – You should have this for every medicine that requires prescription as you might need it during border control checks, but also in case you need to get extra supplies or you need medical help.
- Copy of vaccine records
- Details of pre-existing medical conditions or allergies
Besides packing your travel medical kit for Asia, it is also very important to be aware of some possible diseases in the country you plan to visit, their symptoms and treatment. Before travelling it is a good idea to see your GP or a specialised tropical disease doctor and have a consultation regarding any necessary boosters and vaccination for every country you plan to visit. Before the visit make sure to check your immunisation list and show it to your doctor. Some countries require that you show a yellow fever certificate on entrance (in case you are coming from a country with yellow fever risk). Others require a polio vaccination certificate. Make sure to have all the necessary information before you go. And last but not least – get a travel insurance for the whole period of your stay and make sure to familiarise with its conditions.
My personal favourite when it comes to reliable travel insurance are the guys from World Nomads. Below is a form to help you check out your options.
I hope that by putting together this list of medical items we have helped you to better prepare for your next adventure. Now you know how to create your travel medical kit for travelling Asia. May your next trip be safe and enjoyable!
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With Love,
Jelena and Luke
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