Travel Treatments

Travelling to different climates and environments exposes your body to health and disease risks that you haven’t had the chance to build any immunity to. This is why it’s important to ensure you are fully immunised before you take a trip, especially as some illnesses and diseases can be fatal.

The two most common illnesses that affect travellers are malaria and diarrhoea, though they’re vastly different. Malaria is caused by a parasite that’s spread by mosquito bites and is more common in some parts of the world than others, such as Africa and Asia. Diarrhoea plagues at least half of travellers and can be contracted anywhere in the world. It’s caused by bacteria picked up, usually because of poor hygiene, or as a result of being infected with a more serious bacteria or parasite that causes illnesses such as cholera, typhoid fever and salmonella.

Dr Hilary Jones talks about travel treatments

Other conditions associated with travelling include altitude sickness, travel sickness and jet lag. Altitude is an extremely serious condition which requires urgent attention, while travel sickness and jet lag are much milder conditions which are only temporary. Altitude sickness occurs when particular heights are ascended to too quickly, and so it is important for people to acclimatise properly when ascending to new altitudes. Travel sickness and jet lag are ways in which your body responds to the effect of travel, for example jet lag occurs because the body needs time to adjust to new time zones and an altered body clock.

Prescription treatments

Diarrhoea, malaria, travel sickness, jet lag and altitude sickness can all be successfully prevented or treated using certain prescription medications, either on their own or alongside another form of treatment. These medications are available to buy online from HealthExpress, after completing a short consultation.

Malaria

Malarone

Malarone is popular with people travelling to destinations where malaria is showing an increased resistance to another drug called chloroquine. It is a convenient and easy way to protect against malaria.

Paludrine/Avloclor

The Paludrine/Avloclor antimalarial travel pack contains two different tablets which prevent malaria. The Paludrine tablets contain the active ingredient proguanil hydrochloride and the Avloclor tablets contain chloroquine phosphate. Both work to stop the malaria parasite from reproducing once it’s reached the red blood cells.

Doxycycline

Doxycycline is an antibiotic which acts as an antimalarial. It’s popular because it’s cheaper than other antimalarials and has the added bonus of treating acne. Doxycycline is prescribed for areas where malaria is resistant to another antimalarial called chloroquine. It should be taken one day before arriving at the malaria area, taken for the duration of your stay and for a month after leaving.

Travellers' Diarrhoea

Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack

The Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack contains everything you need to provide relief from the symptoms of diarrhoea. As part of the Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack, you can take Ciproxin. This is an antibiotic that stops bacteria from repairing itself and treats diarrhoea.

Dioralyte sachets are included in the Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack. They contain salts that help replace the bodily fluids and salts that the body loses when suffering from diarrhoea. This helps the body to recover, by replacing levels of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium citrate and carbohydrates.

Imodium is also contained in the Travellers’ Diarrhoea Pack. This helps with short-term diarrhoea because it slows down intestinal contractions. This allows your body to absorb more fluids and nutrients from the food and liquids consumed, making stools less frequent and preventing dehydration.

Buccastem provides almost immediate relief from nausea and vomiting associated with diarrhoea. It prevents messages from the brain being sent to the area which controls nausea and vomiting, stopping you from being sick.

Altitude sickness

Diamox

Diamox is a medication which can be taken to help prevent the onset of altitude sickness. However, it should not be used as a substitute for appropriate acclimatisation methods, as such methods are the only way to avoid altitude sickness.

Travel sickness

Kwells

Kwells works to prevent travel sickness by stopping the brain from triggering a vomit reflex in response to motion. It is available in tablets that melt in the mouth, making it a very simple medication to take while on the move.

Avomine

Avomine is a type of antihistamine which works to prevent the symptoms of travel sickness. It comes in tablet form and can be taken as either a preventative treatment to prevent symptoms or as an immediate treatment to be taken if and when symptoms occur.

Scopoderm

Scopoderm is a medication that is administered to the body in the form of a patch which is stuck behind the ear. It is clinically proven to prevent travel sickness and can last for up to 72 hours.

Jet lag

Jet Lag Treatment Pack

The Jet Lag Treatment Pack contains a melatonin-based treatment which can be taken to help the body adjust to new time zones and thus prevent uncomfortable symptoms of jet lag.

Buying travel medications online

We know that a lot of stress goes into planning a holiday, but we can make it as simple as possible to help you organise your travel treatment essentials. You can complete a quick and easy online consultation with one of our registered doctors, who will assess your suitability for the medication. This process ensures that you are safe and suitable for the medication by helping you to receive a confidential and accurate diagnosis.