Being sick is bad enough when you’re at home. So when you fall ill while travelling, away from your home comforts and usual remedies, it can be miserable. I’ve had severe food poisoning in Peru, bronchitis for weeks in Laos, been jabbed by a half-dead fish on a Thai beach, had to isolate with Covid-19 during a camping trip and had a mild (yet terrifying) diving problem in Mozambique. None were pleasant at the time.
Talking to a fellow traveller recently, we agreed that it’s one of the worst things about being on the road. What makes for hilarious stories now was anything but funny at the time. She also mentioned that a lot of travellers end their trip and return home when they get ill. Why? Because they usually don’t know what to do and how to nurse themselves back to health to keep going. Which tracks with my experience of travellers asking for advice on what to do and how to cope.
To help you get back on your feet, here are a few of the lessons I learnt on how to manage being ill while on the road.
Please keep in mind that I’m not a doctor and none of this is medical advice. When in doubt, see a medical professional for a proper diagnosis. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. And always, always take out travel insurance that will cover medical emergencies and costs.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, get yourself to a hospital or call an ambulance.
That first time you are ill on the road is awful
The hard part is overcoming that first bout of illness. Once you’ve done that, you’re more confident about knowing what to do and how to get yourself well again.
That first ever food poisoning incident in Peru? Horrendous. I traced it back to eating at a busy restaurant. It was the kind of ill where I could barely move my limbs, let alone get to the toilet in time. At the time, I was on a group tour, and it was the first time I was so ill while alone on the other side of the world. I had a hotel roommate, and she brought in the tour leader, who then brought the doctor.
Testing me to determine what medication to give me, the doctor told me the cause was either bacterial or a parasite. Turns out I had both (which explained why I was so ill). I was able to keep rehydration liquids and dry crackers down, so doctor’s orders were to stay in my hotel bed. One of the group members wasn’t so lucky and ended up in hospital on a rehydration drip. But we were due to take the night bus to Cusco to hike the Inca Trail. Which of course I had to miss, but that’s another story.
That experience taught me the signs of food poisoning and the value in seeing a doctor early on, so subsequent illnesses have not felt as frightening or lonely.
Don’t panic!
If you’re feeling unwell and it’s getting worse, go to a clinic or doctor for a proper evaluation as soon as you can. Like the time I was in a small town in rural Thailand and began to feel weak, lightheaded and with a very dodgy tummy. I had rented a moped to get around, and I felt increasingly worse. Not what I wanted when riding.
A couple of nights before, two people in my hostel dorm had got bad food poisoning. The only way to get them to the hospital was for me to ride my moped to the police station to ask them to call an ambulance. I then had to wait to guide the ambulance to the hostel, which was brand new and not yet widely known. And of course language was a barrier. So after that, rather than risk getting to the point where I needed someone else to take me to a doctor, I went myself while I still could. Luckily, whatever it was passed through my system quickly and by the time I was seen I was feeling better.
Steps to take
I learnt a few lessons from those experiences. First and foremost, that even when solo travelling, you’re rarely alone. Others in a tour group, dorm mates, guesthouse owners and hostel staff will offer help and advice. They will get you to a doctor, pick up your medication from the pharmacy or ensure you eat and drink. In the Peru case, my tour group buddies also carried my bags to the overnight bus and gave me the extra space I needed to sleep as comfortably as possible on the journey.
It helps to be prepared with a basic first aid kit and to have some staples that can see you through. Just as important, though, is knowing when to take (or not) any medication you have with you.
- Don’t take antibiotics for a viral infection.
- If you’re prescribed antibiotics, make sure you finish the course even if you’re feeling better.
- Don’t take Imodium for diarrhoea unless you need to travel. Whatever bug is in your system needs to be flushed out.
- Use rehydration tablets if you are dehydrated, especially if you’re vomiting, have diarrhoea or been affected by heat.
- If you suspect a urinary tract infection, get tested and treated. These can get serious quickly if left untreated.
- If you’re bitten or scratched by an animal, see a doctor as soon as possible.
- Take thrush medication with you if you suffer from it because you can’t buy it over the counter everywhere. (But check that it’s allowed into the country you’re visiting.)
- Cough lozenges and paracetamol (acetaminophen) are good for managing colds and flu.
- Use sunscreen and take shelter during the hottest parts of the day to avoid heatstroke.
- Use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and trousers to avoid mosquito bites.
For everything else, visit a pharmacy or doctor.
Local knowledge is invaluable
Particularly for bacteria and viruses, what you usually take at home may not apply in, say, a tropical country. So it’s worth seeing a pharmacist as a first step when you pick up a bug. Like the time I got a urinary tract infection in Thailand. I had two trainee doctors in my dorm who gave me the names of a couple of medications. The pharmacist was able to tell me which one was most effective for the bacteria in that region.
If you need to travel
Perhaps the worst feeling of all is when you’re unwell but have to travel. I’ve dragged myself across airport terminals carrying my backpack, feeling like death warmed up. I’ve struggled to stay awake so I don’t miss a connection when all I want to do is curl up into a ball and sleep.
Adrenaline and knowing you can sleep on a flight or bus will keep you going to a point. Set your phone alarm to ring, just in case you fall asleep, so you don’t miss your departure time. Talk to friends or family on the other end of the phone to keep you awake and on schedule if time zones permit. And the first chance you get where you’re safe and even mildly comfortable, try to sleep.
Being ill on the road is awful. But it need not mean the end of your trip. Be prepared, be aware of the risks, and ask for help when you need it. You can get through the usual traveller’s problems: food poisoning, mild sunstroke and mild infections. That said, if you are seriously ill and going home is the right thing to do, there’s no shame in ending your trip early. You can always pick up where you left off when you’re better.