A lot of
visitors
get ill
in
India,
and some
of them
get very
ill.
However,
if you
are
careful,
you
should
be able
to get
through
the
country
with
nothing
worse
than a
mild
dose of
"Delhi
belly",
an
almost
obligatory
introduction
to the
country.
The
important
thing is
to keep
your
resistance
high and
to be
very
aware of
health
risks
such as
poor
hygiene,
untreated
water,
mosquito
bites
and
undressed
open
cuts.
What
you
eat
and
drink
is
crucial:
a poor
diet
lowers
your
resistance.
Ensure
you eat
a
balance
of
protein,
energy,
vitamins
and
minerals.
Meat and
fish are
obvious
sources
of
protein
for non-vegetarians
in the
West,
but not
necessarily
in
India:
eggs,
pulses (lentils,
peas and
beans),
rice and
curd are
all
protein
sources,
as are
nuts.
Overcooked
vegetables
lose a
lot of
their
vitamin
content;
eating
plenty
of
peeled
fresh
fruit
helps
keep up
your
vitamin
and
mineral
intake.
With all
that
sweating,
too,
make
sure you
get
enough
salt (put
extra on
your
food)
and
drink
enough
water.
It's
also
worth
taking
daily
multi-vitamin
and
mineral
tablets
with you.
Above
all,
make
sure you
eat
enough -
an
unfamiliar
diet may
reduce
the
amount
you eat
- and
get
enough
sleep
and rest:
it's
easy to
get run
down if
you're
on the
move a
lot,
especially
in a hot
climate.
It's
worth
knowing,
if you
are ill
and
can't
get to a
doctor,
that
almost
any
medicine
can be
bought
over the
counter
without
a
prescription
Precautions
The lack
of
sanitation
in India
can be
exaggerated.
It's not
worth
getting
too
worked
up about
it or
you'll
never
enjoy
anything,
but a
few
common-sense
precautions
are in
order,
bearing
in mind
that
things
such as
bacteria
multiply
far
more...
read
more >>
A
travellers'
first-aid
kit
Below
are
items
you
might
want to
take,
especially
if
you're
planning
to go
trekking
- all
are
available
in India
itself,
at a
fraction
of what
you
might
pay at
home: "
Antiseptic
cream "
Insect
repellent
and
cream
such as
Anthisan
for
soothing...
read
more >>
Vaccinations
No
inoculations
are
legally
required
for
entry
into
India,
but
meningitis,
typhoid,
and
hepatitis
A jabs
are
recommended,
and it's
worth
ensuring
that you
are up
to date
with
tetanus,
polio
and
other
boosters.
All
vaccinations
can be
obtained...
read
more >>
Medical
resources
for
travellers
For
up-to-the-minute
information,
make an
appointment
at a
travel
clinic
. These
clinics
also
sell
travel
accessories,
including
mosquito
nets and
first-aid
kits.
Information
about
specific
diseases
and
conditions,
drugs
and
herbal
remedies
is
provided
at
http://health.yahoo.com
, as
well as
advice
from
health
experts.
You
could
also
consult
the
Rough
Guide to
Travel
Health
by Dr
Nick
Jones
What
about
the
water?
One of
the
chief
concerns
of many
prospective
visitors
to India
is
whether
the
water is
safe to
drink.
To put
it
simply,
it's
not,
though
your
unfamiliarity
with
Indian
micro-organisms
is
generally
more of
a
problem
rather
than any
great
virulence
in
the...
read
more >>
Malaria
Protection
against
malaria
is
absolutely
essential.
The
disease,
caused
by a
parasite
carried
in the
saliva
of
female
Anopheles
mosquitoes
, is
endemic
everywhere
in India
except
high-altitude
regions
of
Ladakh,
Himachal
Pradesh,...
read
more >>
Dengue
fever
and
Japanese
encephalitis
Apart
from
malaria,
another
illness
spread
by
mosquito
bites is
dengue
fever
, whose
symptoms
are
similar
to those
of
malaria,
plus
aching
bones.
There is
no
vaccine
available
and the
only
treatment
is
complete
rest,
with
drugs to
assuage
the
fever.
Japanese
encephalitis
, yet
another
mosquito-borne
viral
infection
causing
fever,
muscle
pains
and
headaches,
has been
on the
increase
in
recent
years in
wet
rural
rice-growing
areas.
However,
there
have
been no
reports
of
travellers
catching
the
disease,
and you
shouldn't
need the
vaccine
(which
is
expensive
and has
several
potentially
nasty
side-effects)
unless
you plan
to spend
much
time
around
paddy
fields
during
and
immediately
after
the
monsoons.
Intestinal
troubles
Diarrhoea
is the
most
common
bane of
travellers.
When
mild and
not
accompanied
by other
major
symptoms,
it may
just be
your
stomach
reacting
to
unfamiliar
food.
Accompanied
by
cramps
and
vomiting,
it could
well be
food
poisoning.
In
either
case,
it...
read
more >>
Bites
and
creepy
crawlies
Worms
may
enter
your
body
through
skin
(especially
the
soles of
your
feet),
or food.
An itchy
anus is
a common
symptom,
and you
may even
see them
in your
stools.
They are
easy to
treat:
if you
suspect
you have
them,
get some
worming
tablets
such
as...
read
more >>
Heat
trouble
The sun
and the
heat can
cause a
few
unexpected
problems.
Many
people
get a
bout of
prickly
heat
rash
before
they've
acclimatized.
It's an
infection
of the
sweat
ducts
caused
by
excessive
perspiration
that
doesn't
dry off.
A cool
shower,
zinc...
read
more >>
Altitude
sickness
At high
altitudes,
you may
develop
symptoms
of acute
mountain
sickness
(AMS) .
Just
about
everyone
who
ascends
to
around
4000m or
more
experiences
mild
symptoms,
but
serious
cases
are
rare.
The
simple
cure -
descent
- almost
always
brings...
read
more >>
HIV
and AIDS
The
rapidly
increasing
presence
of AIDS
has only
recently
been
acknowledged
by the
Indian
government
as a
national
problem.
The
reluctance
to
address
the
issue is
partly
due to
the
disease's
association
with
sex, a
traditionally
closed
subject...
read
more >>
Getting
medical
help
Pharmacies
can
usually
advise
on minor
medical
problems,
and most
doctors
in India
speak
English.
Also,
many
hotels
keep a
doctor
on call;
if you
do get
ill and
need
medical
assistance,
take
advice
as to
the best
facilities
around.
Basic
medicaments...
read
more >>
Ayurvedic
medicine
Ayurved
, a
Sanskrit
word
meaning
the
"knowledge
for
prolonging
life",
is a
five-thousand-year-old
holistic
medical
system
that is
widely
practised
in
India.
Ayurvedic
doctors
and
clinics
in large
towns
deal
with
foreigners
as well
as
their...
read
more >>
