Travel Treatments

Travelling to different destinations, although more convenient than ever before, can still hold some risks to your health. This is largely due to the fact that your body is being exposed to climates and environments it’s not used to. Making sure you are immunised or prepared when you travel can significantly reduce your chances of becoming ill or developing potentially fatal diseases.

Malaria and travellers’ diarrhoea are two of the most common illnesses that affect people who travel abroad. Malaria is caused by a parasite carried by the female anopheles mosquito, which is commonly found in some parts of Asia and Africa. Diarrhoea is far more common and affects almost half of travellers. It can be contracted pretty much anywhere in the world, although it does tend to be more common in areas where hygiene standards are slightly lower. Travellers’ diarrhoea is mostly bacterial, like salmonella or in extreme cases cholera, but can also be viral or parasitic.

Other illnesses associated with travelling include jet lag and travel sickness, while altitude sickness is a risk for anyone whose travel plans will involve ascending to heights about 1,500m. Jet lag and travel sickness are only minor illnesses which are caused as a result of your body's attempts to respond to the effects of travelling. Altitude sickness, on the other hand, can be very serious, and as such anyone who will be at risk should ensure they are properly prepared before they begin ascending.

Prescription treatments

These conditions that can be prevented, treated or alleviated by using specific prescription medications or taking other precautions. HealthExpress.eu offers travel medications that can be ordered online after completing a quick online consultation.

Malarone

Malarone is one of the most widely used antimalarial treatments. It’s mostly used by travellers who intend to visit destinations where the malaria parasite has managed to develop a resistance to a drug called chloroquine.

Treatment with Malarone is very straightforward, as you only need to take one type of tablet for the entire duration of the treatment. You start treatment by taking your first tablet two days before arriving in your malaria destination. You should continue taking one tablet a day during your entire visit and for seven days afterwards.

Paludrine/Avloclor

The Paludrine/Avloclor is an antimalarial travel pack that contains two different types of tablets that should be taken to prevent malaria. The Paludrine tablets contain the active ingredient proguanil hydrochloride and the Avloclor tablets contain chloroquine phosphate. Just like Malarone, Paludrine and Avloclor prevent the malaria parasite from reproducing in your red blood cells.

Both tablets should be taken to prevent malaria; the Avloclor tablets only need to be taken once a week, while the Paludrine tablets should be taken every day. You must begin treatment a week before you intend on arriving at your destination and continue taking Paludrine/Avloclor for up to four weeks after getting back.

Because Paludrine/Avloclor has been available for so long, malaria parasites in some parts of the world have developed immunity. This is why it’s important that you tell your doctor exactly where you are going on holiday, so that they can be sure that Paludrine/Avloclor is the best option for you.

Doxycycline

Doxycycline is a wide spectrum antibiotic that, apart from being very effective at treating a large number of bacterial and viral infections, is also used to prevent malaria. Doxycycline is usually prescribed, just like Malarone, to people who are travelling to areas where the parasite is chloroquine resistant. Doxycycline is slightly cheaper than Malarone. You should start taking Doxycycline one day before arriving at a malaria destination and continue taking it for the duration of your stay and for a month after returning.

Doxycycline interferes with the parasite’s ability to grow and spread from one healthy red blood cell to another. This leaves the parasite much more vulnerable to your body’s immune system.

Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack

The Travellers’ Diarrhoea pack contains all the medications needed to provide symptomatic relief from diarrhoea and allow you to be as comfortable as possible for the duration of your illness. It contains Dioralyte sachets, Imodium and Buccastem. As an additional measure, the pack also contains the antibiotic Ciproxin, which can potentially help cut down recovery time as it doesn’t allow the bacteria causing the diarrhoea to repair itself and spread as far in your body as it usually would.

Dioralyte sachets contain salts that assist your body in replacing the fluids you lose when you are ill. By replacing the levels of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium citrate and carbohydrates, your body will be able to hydrate quicker, making it less likely that you’ll become dangerously dehydrated.

Imodium helps slow down digestional contractions, which provide short-term relief from the most bothersome symptoms. By making your stools less frequent, Imodium allows your body more time to absorb fluids and nutrients from the food and drinks you consume.

Buccastem can provide relief straight away from nausea and vomiting, which is sometimes one of the debilitating effects of diarrhoea. It works by preventing messages from reaching the areas in your brain that control nausea and vomiting.

Diamox

The only way to avoid altitude sickness is to follow the necessary acclimatisation methods, but a medication like Diamox can be taken to help prevent the condition from occurring.

Kwells

Kwells is a tablet-based medication which can help to prevent travel sickness. It does this by stopping the vomit reflex from being triggered in the brain as a response to motion. The tablets are dissolvable in the mouth, which means they are particularly easy to take.

Avomine

Avomine is also manufactured in tablet form and is a type of antihistamine. It can be taken to prevent symptoms from occurring or as an immediate treatment if symptoms do occur.

Scopoderm

Scopoderm is a medication that is available in patch form, making it very easy to use. The patch is applied behind the ear. This medication is clinically proven to be an effective preventative treatment for travel sickness.

Jet Lag Treatment Pack

Contained in the Jet Lag Treatment Pack is a melatonin-based which can help assist your body in the process of adjusting to new time zones. This can help prevent jet lag symptoms occurring.

Can you buy travel medications online?

Because we understand that a planning a holiday can be stressful, we try and make it as simple as possible for you to get the travel medications you need. All you need to do is complete a quick, free and completely confidential consultation form, so that our doctors can help you find the right travel medications based on your destination and current medical condition.