Identify and Research Your Destination
If you happen to come in contact with contaminated water at your destination, your body will alert you very quickly. One of the most common side effects of contaminates in tainted water is traveler’s diarrhea, which happens more often than you would think. The risk of this ailment along with a handful of other very common illnesses is extraordinarily high. An estimated 20 to 50 % of travelers experience an illness due to contaminated water each year.
- Drinking Water Quality When TravellingFoter.com / GNU Free Documentation License
The recommendations of most medical doctors are to be well informed and careful when drinking water from any country that is less than first world in development. Some basic examples of first world countries are the United States, Europe, and Australia. Therefore, educate yourself on the facts and statistics of your destination.
Contact Your Physician
When planning a business or vacation trip abroad, it is always advisable to see you primary physician in advance. Your doctor will inform you of any possible health risks you may need to know about depending on your destination. Also, a physician will be capable of providing you with any information on the possible medications and vaccinations you may require. There are also specialists that you can seek out to prepare for your travel plans. These doctors are specifically meant for travelers. In fact, these offices are referred to as travel medicine clinics.
Protecting Yourself from Water Hazards
In the countries that are less than first world, it is advisable to stick to bottled water. Most people already know this obvious fact, but tend to forget the other ways in which we come in contact with water daily. There are various other ways that these harmful contaminates can sneakily slide into your food or drinks.
One tip is to avoid ice. It is so easy to look past this minor issue, but if you consider it, the same unsafe water you are avoiding is what your ice will consist of. Never forget the risks of showering and swimming either. These can also cause unhealthy water to be ingested. Display extreme caution when swimming in a foreign body of water. Do not be afraid to ask questions of hotel staff or locals in order to determine that the water is safe. Some bodies of water can contain parasites that may lead to serious infections.
Purify Your Water
Fortunately there are wide ranging tools that you can purchase to clean your water. The trick is to seek out quality in the product. There are a few ways to purify, such as filters and purification tablets. However, neither provides a guarantee, as they miss certain viruses. Besides boiling your water, the best and most convenient alternative in water purification is a water ionizer. They are easy to travel with and luckily take the annoyance of boiling all of your water out of the equation. The most affordable water ionizer can be easily found with just some light research. Water ionizers are a necessity when travelling abroad safely and may save you from a potential illness that would otherwise ruin your trip.
