sights uncovered
Travel with Tessa

Top 10 Tips
Natural Medicinal Remedies And Medications That May Help.

  1. I don’t leave home without Advil for muscular aches and pains. Tylenol or Excedrin for headaches and fevers.
    1. Bonine for motion sickness. It does not make me drowsy and can be popped into my mouth and left to dissolve without water.
    2. Tip for lessening the effects of motion sickness: keep your eyes fixed on something in the distance like the horizon or a mountain. Something that doesn’t move.
  2. Pack an ankle guard or ace bandage that can be used for ankle and foot sprains.
  3. One of the most common ailments when traveling is a Gastrointestinal infection, which can be viral or bacterial and develops either from contaminated food or water or through contact with someone who is infected. The symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes cramps and fever.
    Tips to minimize the risk:

    1. Wash your hands well before touching anything that you plan to put in your mouth.
    2. Drink only bottled or purified water.
    3. Avoid butter, mayonnaise, cream, cheese, and creamy ice cream. Any dairy product that may not have been properly handled and refrigerated.
    4. Eat only well cooked food, nothing rare – especially chicken.
    5. Eat only fruits that you can peel.
    6. Avoid salads. Lettuce and other veggies may not have been properly washed or washed with contaminated water.
  4. Natural remedies that may help with nausea:
    1. A scant teaspoon of grated nutmeg mixed with honey helps to treat nausea and chronic diarrhea.
    2. Chewing mint leaves or steeping mint leaves in hot water then allowing it to cool to room temperature and drinking.  Sucking on a mint candy can also be helpful.
    3. Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with one teaspoon of honey, add some water and drink. Drink three times daily with your ‘meal.’
    4. I don’t leave home without a prescription medication for nausea from my doctor which I resort to if all else fails.
  5. Natural remedies that may help a case of diarrhea:
    1. Try the nutmeg and honey remedy described in 5(a) as well as the cider vinegar remedy described in 5 (c).
    2. Grate an apple with the skin on. Leave it to turn brown before eating.
    3. Grated fresh ginger ( 1 teaspoon) with honey. Add to warm water to make a tea by allowing it to steep and then drink. You can substitute a half teaspoon of dry ginger if no fresh ginger is available.
    4. I never leave home without Imodium and a prescription medication from my doctor for severe cases. You’ll know when it’s severe. I developed a bout on a remote island accompanied by a fever, cramps, the whole enchilada. The medication did the trick.
    5. Adopt the BRAT diet as soon as you feel the onset of nausea and especially diarrhea: bananas, rice (with no oil nor butter), grated apples, toast (dry crackers) and tea (no milk).
  6. Years ago we were given a tip by a friend of ours who is a physician from Peru-South America. He advised us to take one Pepto Bismol tablet every morning before breakfast to coat the stomach. We have followed his advice for years and it seems to have worked pretty well. Note: Consult your doctor. All remedies, whether natural or regular medications, can affect us differently depending on what other medications we are taking and what health issues we may have.
  7. Altitude Sickness can be very unpleasant and ruin a trip.
    1. Consult your doctor before leaving home. He/she may recommend taking medications. We have taken medication on several occasions and it has helped enormously.
    2. When at a high altitude: allow your body to acclimate by walking slowly, drinking lots of water, eating lightly, and avoiding all alcohol.
    3. Natural remedies are: chewing Coca leaves as they do in South America where they are readily available, and drinking coca tea. These remedies are most likely not available in other countries, in fact they’re probably outlawed.
  8. Don’t leave home without a small nasal spray for colds and allergies. When your nose is running or so blocked from a cold that you can’t breathe, it’ll be your best friend and it takes up no space in your luggage.
  9. A small tube (travel size) of athlete’s foot ointment.