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Travel Tips For Traveling In The Summer

Going for vacations during summertime started with getting summer holidays while we were in school. In those days it was the only vacation long enough to allow us to take a proper trip despite having tons of holiday homework. As adults, we can take vacations whenever we please (only if you are in the good books of your boss), but going for a trip during the months of summer has not lost its charm even after so many years. The fond memories of our childhood and the hope of making more such memories make taking a vacation during the season of summer an even special event.

Why travel in the months of summer?

Considering all the woes the season of summer comes with, the ease of travelling during this season is one of the few benefits summers come with. Apart from the good times, we spent as children during the summer vacations and the associations we make with it as adults, there are actual benefits to travelling in the months of summer. What are the benefits of travelling during the season of summer? 

Let us explore some factors that make travelling during the summertime so appealing.

One should be wary of Common Summer Season Diseases. Dehydration; Food poisoning; Heat Stroke; Cough and cold; Headache; Sunburns. Dehydration. One should always eat freshly prepared hot foods, drink lots of water in summers.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

What are some tips for travelling during the season of summer?

Below is a list of some travel tips you can follow for a hassle-free and fun trip during the season of summer.

Heat exhaustion, headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting and hyperthermia are commonly seen in the summer season. Getting adequate hydration, clear, non-sugary fluids and limited exposure to the sun should be tried as far as possible.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.

Travelling during the summer months has several benefits. You can pack in lighter, go visit water parks and can worry less about landslides and road blockages. Some important tips for travelling during the season of summer include staying hydrated, applying generous amounts of sunscreen without fail whenever you are going outside and carrying mosquito repellents.

Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.

Stress, Anxiety, Pollution: How Traffic Jam Affects Your Health!

Health Impact of Traffic Jam

Traffic congestion is a significant issue in urban areas. Traffic noise and traffic-related air pollutants co-exist in the traffic environment. Polluted air from road transport vehicles contributes significantly to air quality problems through vehicle emissions, which have various harmful impacts on public health.

Traffic and its allied effects can have various adverse health consequences. There is evidence which has confirmed that exposure to traffic noise significantly increases the risk for heart-related diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc. Also, traffic noise can induce adverse effects on the nervous system, leading to the increasing levels of anxiety, irritation, and sleeplessness.

Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Twofold higher risk of Type 2 diabetes is also observed for people exposed to intense traffic. Long-term exposure to particulate matter increases type two diabetes risk in the general population, as does living close to a major road. Also, particulate matter and the increase in oxidative stress have ill-effects on the respiratory system. Besides, traffic noise is significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and can affect the hormonal and digestive system.

The public health effects of traffic during congestion are associated with early deaths. Road traffic noise also has been shown to increase the short-term risk of death from specific diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and hormonal systems.

Moreover, people who live in areas with a higher vehicular burden and face most traffic stress also have the lower health status and higher depressive symptoms that people living in areas with less traffic. These findings suggest that traffic stress may represent an important factor that influences the well-being of urban populations.

Adrenaline Rush and Other Health Issues

Interestingly, studies have also shown that the level of blood adrenaline hormone increases in heavy-traffic compared with during low-traffic conditions. Also, the ability to estimate distance and recognition is reduced due to high-traffic compared to during low-traffic conditions. The increase of the adrenaline during driving on heavy-traffic days can lead to stress because ones accuracy and judgment may be reduced.

Also Read: 10 effects of stress on the body

Air Pollution and its effects

A traffic jam means more vehicular emissions and more pollutants inundating the air. This slowly degrades the quality of air and affects all those who sit for hours at the end amidst traffic congestion. Hence one may say that traffic jams significantly increase air pollution.

An interesting thing to note is that the pollution gathered inside the cars in traffic jams is far higher than that around the cars moving outside. Some of the dangerous and long-lasting effects of traffic jam-induced air pollution are

Also Read: Essential Oils for Congestion: A Research-Based Guide for Relief

Tips to Make Travel Less Stressful

Since we cannot avoid the commute, we need to work around it and make the trip an enjoyable one or at least less stressful.

  1. Try different timings instead of rush hours.
  2. The most important reason we stress out in traffic is that we fear to get late to work. It is better to start a little early since delays increase stress and irritation. It further disturbs us and may affect the rest of the day at work in an imperceptible manner.
  3. If you can, you should have a co-passenger, so try opting for car-pooling with any of your friends or colleagues who stay nearby.
  4. We generally tend to brood over unpleasant issues either related to work or home sitting idle in the vehicle.
  5. In contrast, you should use this time as the precious ‘me-time.’ Arrange for a separate playlist which plays soothing music. Listening to music or a book, we get distracted, and this helps us remain calm.
  6. Meditation early in the morning helps prepare you for the rest of the day, so it does for the commute. Have a healthy complete breakfast; a hungry person gets angrier than a person who isn’t. Try to avoid arguments before leaving home or office, especially, if you are going to drive.

Such small changes in our daily life may help considerably in dealing with the ill-effects and the adverse health effects of traffic jam on our physical and mental well-being.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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The New Omicron Variant And Its Impact On Your Travel Plans

This article has been medically reviewed and fact-checked by Dr Nikita Toshi.

The year 2021 began with one of the largest vaccination drives in the world right here in India. COVID-19 vaccinations in India were conducted in several phases which began on 16th January this year and helped to dramatically reduce the number of new and active cases within the country. Currently, 128 Crore people in India have been partially vaccinated while 47.7 Crore have been fully vaccinated with two doses. However, the emergence of the new Omicron variant has led to ambiguities about the efficacy of these vaccines.

The Omicron variant is the latest mutation of the Sars-CoV-2 (or the COVID-19) and this strain (B.1.1.529) has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a Variant of Concern (VOC).[1] The WHO has released limited guidelines regarding the Omicron variant that state that there may be an increased chance of re-infection even for those who have developed natural antibodies and/or have been fully vaccinated.[2]

International travel guidelines

Since there is very little research on the transmissibility and effects of the new Omicron variant, the Government of India has revised the COVID-19 travel guidelines for international travellers. Although there has not yet been any flight ban due to the Omicron virus issued by the Indian government, some new guidelines for international travellers coming to India have been imposed. 

All international passengers (whether vaccinated or unvaccinated) will have to submit a negative RT-PCR report that cannot be older than 72 hours before the date of travel. 

Along with submitting a recent RT-PCR report, passengers now also need to submit a self-declaration on the Air Suvidha portal. This will verify the authenticity of your report and if found otherwise, the person can be liable to criminal prosecution.

The new guidelines have made testing mandatory for passengers coming from COVID ‘at-risk’ countries like South Africa, Brazil, the UK, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

The airports have also been directed to randomly select 2% of all passengers coming from countries that have not reported incidents of the Omicron variant, for RT-PCR testing. Those who do not test positive are advised 7 days of quarantine and self-monitoring of health upon arrival, while those who test positive, will be isolated.

International passengers who are found to receive positive results after the RT-PCR testing at airports will be sent to mandatory isolation. Their samples will be sent to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) laboratories for further testing. 

Although the rules of RT-PCR testing are the same for all international travellers, there may be exemptions for certain types of international travellers. For example, if you are travelling from a ‘not-at-risk country’ and have only a transit (without leaving immigration) in an ‘at-risk’ country before taking your destination flight, you can be exempted from RT-PCR testing upon arrival.

Also Read: Precautions to Take Against Omicron Variant

Domestic travel guidelines

Several Indian states have also revamped domestic travel restrictions in the wake of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Here is everything you need to know about domestic travel restrictions with regard to the Omicron variant.

Most states in India still require you to produce a negative RT-PCR test result that is between 24 to 96 hours old. The exact time frame and guidelines vary from state to state.  

In some Indian states, institutional quarantine has been imposed for domestic passengers as well. The state of Maharashtra has declared that all high-risk domestic passengers need to undergo a compulsory RT-PCR test at the airport. If the result of this test is positive, then the passenger will be transferred to a hospital to be kept in institutional quarantine for 7 days.

Travel Ban

During the spread of the Delta and the Delta Plus variants of COVID-19, several countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Canada, had placed travel bans on Indian travellers. However, most of these bans had been lifted following the hugely successful mass immunization in India. 

Also Read: Omicron Vs Other Variants

What Next?

While the new variants may be concerning to both doctors and scientists, it is always advisable to get vaccinated because it does provide a reasonable degree of protection. Keep handy your vaccination certificates while travelling and avoid travel plans if not urgent. Apart from that, you can always eat healthily and stay active to maintain a strong immune system which can also help prevent the contraction of diseases and other viral infections induced by season change. It is also important to strictly adhere to COVID related safety practices.

Also Read: Omicron Variant: Latest News and Updates

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

References

  1. https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/FAQsonOmicron.pdf
  2. https://www.who.int/news/item/26-11-2021-classification-of-omicron-(b.1.1.529)-sars-cov-2-variant-of-concern