Travel first-aid kit checklist

Tips on how to pack your essential holiday first-aid kit

The school holidays are almost over. Have you been on holiday or are you still looking forward to a few more days of relaxation? And did you think about taking certain medications as well? Of course, you hope that you won’t get sick during your trip. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry and to pack at least the most important medicines in your travel bag.

For example, traveller’s diarrhoea is much more common than you think and painkillers and plasters are also essential. And what if you get bitten by a tick? We’ve put together a list of some of the most common travel diseases to help you decide what to take.

Hangovers, mosquitoes and ticks

Suffering is never pleasant, especially on holiday. But after a fun evening with some wine or beer, the next morning you are usually in bed with a headache. In this situation, it is good to know that you can simply take one tablet of paracetamol out of your first-aid kit to relieve the pain rather than try and find a pharmacy. Tip: Take melt tablets with you on holiday, as you can take them without water!

Itching is a very annoying matter. Unfortunately, many mosquitoes on the patio find your legs delicious. Anti-insect products such as DEET prevent you from being stung and can also keep ticks and malaria mosquitos at bay. If you have been stung, then a lotion such as Afterbite usually helps. Don’t forget to pack a pair of tweezers or a tick-removal tool as a single tick bite can lead to Lyme disease.

If you are holidaying in the tropics, malaria pills are a must-have item in your first aid kit.

“Where are the toilets?”

The food in the restaurant around the corner looked so delicious. But a few hours later, you are spending more time in the bathroom than on the deck chair. Hygiene standards in the kitchen are often not taken as strictly abroad and food poisoning is very common, especially on cruise ships. For this reason, diarrhoea-inhibiting agents such as Imodium and a hydrating agent (for dehydration) should not be missing in your suitcase.

If you are more prone to constipation, taking some Dulcolax or another laxative is highly recommended.

Travel sickness and jetlag

Travelling is great, but not so much if you get carsick, airsick or seasick. Fortunately, there are plenty of remedies that effectively relieve nausea and prevent dizziness, so you can look forward to getting on a plane. Are you flying to a different time zone? In this case, bear in mind the fact that your sleeping rhythm can be disturbed enormously. Melatonin will help you to fall asleep faster.

Apply suncream!

Believe us when we tell you that many people are still burning in the sun despite countless warnings. Sunburn can lead to skin cancer. This means cream, cream, cream! It is best to use a high-quality suncream with a high sun protection factor. You should also wear a hat or carry a parasol and drink plenty of water!

Children need special protection as they are more sensitive to the sun and can get sunstroke faster.

Checklist

Is your travel first-aid kit complete? Use the following list to check what you should consider taking:

Analgesics, such as (infant) paracetamol;
Plasters;
Insect deterrents with DEET;
Afterbite or other itching-soothing product;
Tweezers or a tick removal device;
Malaria pills (especially if travelling to the tropics);
Anti-diarrheal and/or laxative agents;
ORS (for hydrogenation);
Travel sickness tablets, e.g. Kwells;
Melatonin;
Suncream.

You can easily and conveniently order most of these products online via dokteronline.com. Which medications do you take on holiday?

What you need to consider when taking medicines abroad can be found here.

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