You plan it for months. The same check list over and over again. But what happens when half way through your holiday you have forgotten your diarrhoea tablets or some other vital detail?

Sound familiar? Then why not read on and make OSHS and MASTA your one stop travel shop and your check list for a memorable holiday!

Your Travel checklist...Here’s a list to help you remember essential items for a stress-free holiday.

• Health• Travel insurance and proof of health insurance.

• Vaccines and updated international vaccine card.

• Travel medicine kit; painkillers, plus products for diarrhoea, insect bites, travel sickness, sunburn and infections.

• First aid kit; plasters, bandages, tweezers & scissors.

• Insect spray or other mosquito repellent.

• Sunblock cream.

• Your daily medicine.

• Contraception.

• Vaccinations• Check your vaccinations. Some countries recommend

certain vaccinations and in some countries it is mandatory. Vaccinations should be administered well in advance of your departure to offer the best possible protection.

• Both vaccinations and antimalarial medication depend on which countries you intend to visit and how long you will be away. At OSHS, we can provide a free travel health brief taking into account your accommodation, length of stay and activities.

• For mandatory vaccinations, you will need to get an international vaccination card signed and stamped, and take it with you on your holiday.

• At OSHS, we have the facility to administer Yellow Fever which must be approved by the World Health Organisation.

Prevention of MalariaMalaria is a serious disease, which in the worst case may be fatal. It’s widespread in tropical and subtropical areas.

In recent years, about 1,500 people have returned to Britain with malaria that they have contracted abroad, and of these, an average of 12 die.

Many of those infected didn’t take malaria prophylaxis medicines, and they are mainly people visiting friends and relatives in their countries of origin. Most of these cases (70 per cent) are Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Prevention requires A, B, C & D• Awareness of Risk.

• Bite Avoidance.

• Chemoprophylaxis (taking preventative medication if you are travelling to or living in a malaria region.

• Diagnosis made promptly with early treatment of an infected case.

Awareness of Risk...The risk of being bitten by a mosquito and the type of malaria transmitted varies, depending on the country you’re visiting and the time of year.

Measures to avoid bites should always be taken. If malaria is prevalent in an area you’re travelling to, you would be wise to take preventive medicine.

OSHS Ltd offers a wide range of training programmes and workshops for both associates and management alike.

Contact us Now on 01292 262770

www.oshsltd.co.uk info@oshsltd.co.uk

Thinking Ahead to the Holiday Season...

Make sure you take every precaution and make sure your Holiday is one to remember for all the right reasons!

!

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Prevention of MalariaCont’d

Avoid Mosquito bites...Mosquito bites particularly at twilight and at night, so you should take most precautions during this time.

Sleep in rooms that are properly screened with gauze over the windows and doors. There should be no holes in the gauze and no unscreened entry points to the room. Air-conditioned rooms are good, too.

Spray the room with an insecticide before entering to kill any mosquitoes that have got inside during the day.

Otherwise, you should use a mosquito net around your bed, impregnated with an insecticide such as neet deet which can be purchased from our clinic or at one of our recognised MASTA clinic throughout the UK.

Preventive Medicines...Taking medicines to prevent malaria is essential, especially if you’re visiting an area where malaria is prevalent. Our travel health brief will provide you with the exact recommended prophalaxis for your visit.

HeatstrokeWhat is heatstroke?...Heatstroke is a condition in which the body becomes overheated in a relatively short space of time.

This can be a life-threatening condition, requiring urgent medical attention. Some soldiers on training have died from this condition.

Abnormally high body temperatures (hyperthermia) may occur in several different circumstances, such as:

• Classic heatstroke (also called sunstroke: a little misleading because the condition can arise without the direct effect of the sun) when, typically, the skin is flushed, red and dry.

• Heatstroke caused by exertion, which often occurs in conjunction with pronounced physical exertion, eg sports activity.

• In extensive burns (including sunburn), where the sweat glands have been damaged or destroyed.

Preventive Medicines...Heatstroke occurs when the body cannot dispose of excess heat in the normal way.

Heatstroke and fever can be distinguished as follows:

• Fever, in which the body’s mechanism for regulating temperature is functioning and set at a higher level. The patient is, typically, flushed and bathed in sweat.

• Primary hyperthermia (for instance, heatstroke), where temperature regulation is either partially or totally out of action. The patient often sweats only a little or not at all, and the skin is flushed red, hot and dry.

What puts the traveller at risk of heatstroke?...• Surroundings with high temperature, high humidity and

strong sunlight (typically in the tropics).

• Too much physical exertion (eg sport), particularly in the above conditions.

• Extensive sunburn, particularly in a hot and humid climate.

• Lack of fluids or salt in hot (particularly tropical) surroundings.

• Excessive alcohol consumption under the same conditions.

What can you do to help yourself?...• It’s important to get used to heat and humidity slowly,

particularly before physical exertion. This acclimatisation to the tropics can typically take one to three weeks.

• Make sure you drink plenty of liquids (at least 3 to 5 litres a day, but not alcohol). In very hot conditions you may need to drink much more and a good tip is to start the day by drinking at least two litres!

• Wear light, airy, loose-fitting clothing (light cotton).

• Be careful if you undertake any hard physical exertion, particularly if your fluid/salt intake is low.

• Stay in the shade or, if possible, in an air-conditioned environment.

• Take frequent dips in cool water (sea or pool), particularly if you are sunbathing a lot.

InsuranceUK residents are entitled to free or subsidised healthcare when visiting countries in the EU, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You need to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to be covered. You can get these free of charge by:

• applying online through the EHIC website http://www.ehic.org.uk

• calling 0845 605 0707 or if calling from abroad +44 191 212 7500

• picking up an application form from the Post Office.

Each member of your family needs a card. You can also apply for a card for your partner and children up to the age of 16 (or 19 if they are in full-time education) at the same time. You will need to provide a name, date of birth and national insurance number for each person.

The EHIC replaces the old E111 forms, which are no longer be valid.

Always take out private medical travel insurance too, read the exclusions carefully.

A full Masta Health brief available atA free MASTA Travel Health Brief provides the very latest information on any health risks in the countries you are

visiting, how to reduce risk and details of all vaccines and antimalarials.

Every country has different Health risks. To obtain your free health brief, call us now on 01292 262770 or email us at travel@oshsltd.co.uk

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