Food Poisoning Abroad: What Should You Do to Avoid It

A guest post by: Janella Giselle Domingo

Photo source: http://www.safefood.eu/

Travelling should be fun and be free of any worries. It should be an experience that will bring about the happiest and joyful of memories. But sometimes, we cannot avoid little accidents. And these little accidents could turn into painful experiences that can make a vacation a very traumatic experience. Even though they cannot be avoided, preventing them would be the best defense of a traveler.

A recent study shows that the most common accidents that happen during trips abroad is food poisoning. Our curious tongues often lead us to unwanted incidences that we rarely expect to encounter since we are convinced that others eat are usually safe to put in our mouths. Now how can we really avoid getting food poisoned? How should we act when we encounter such incidents? Here are a few tips on how to avoid food poisoning when travelling abroad.

Stay out of Dirty Swimming Pools

International hotels usually have pools in their accommodations but remember not all swimming pools are safe to swim in. now if you can’t help yourself plunging into a pool, at least look for a pool that isn't green in color and has many dead leaves floating above it. When you dive, the water that you ingest will go directly into your stomach and may cause food poisoning, even though you just accidentally swallowed water.

Planning Ahead

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Getting lots of sleep, eating fruits and vegetables along with exercise will definitely boost your immune system and make your body stronger for against food poisoning. While you ingest food, any unwanted bacteria nd viruses will be taken care of by your immune system. Remember, you never know what food you’ll eat when travelling so keep a strong and prepared body.

Photo source: http://t2.gstatic.com/

Avoid drinking tap water

Its not that your ordinary tap water is not safe, its just that some countires have different chlorine levels and water treatment techniques that may cause some unwanted reactions to the foreign stomach. Ask or buy for some bottled and sterilized water instead.

Eat hot and cooked food

Make sure that you the food that you eat is still hot and fresh when served. You can smell or taste a little bit of meat or vegetable at first but when something is peculiar for your taste, you can ask the waiter to immediately replace the food.

Avoid reheated food

Some places, especially in Asian countries are used to reheated food. Well to be safe, you should avoid eating this kind of food since bacteria may already be growing in them.

Avoid raw and under cooked food

Some places like Japan and the Philippines eat raw fish and oysters for appetizers. You should avoid eating raw and under-cooked food as much as possible since bacteria may still be alive and the freshness of food may already be jeopardized.

These are but just a few tips in avoiding food poisoning when travelling abroad. The best solution is to go to a doctor immediately after some signs and symptoms are felt.

About the Author:

Janella Giselle Domingo is a travel ambassador and blogger from Deck Chair Cruising. They offer cruises out of australia and other services. Aside from blogging, she is also currently employed as a Chief Pharmacist at Wesleyan University Hospital and Cardiovascular Center.Despite of her busy schedule as a Chief Pharmacist, she never forgets to indulge in her wanderlust. Connect with her at facebook or drop a line at janellagdomingo@gmail.com.