Procedure For Carrying Prescription Medicine Abroad

By Faisal Khan

 

It it permitted to carry prescription medicines abroad.

One should keep them in their original bottles and have an original or copy of the prescription with them.

Keep them in your carry on luggage.

Often our over the counter medications may be considered illegal in other countries,  make sure to check with the destination countries via their embassy or consulate before your trip

Source: Alexander Lupenko  M.D. (Medical Director of Passport Health NY & LI) 

Top Reasons to see a Travel Medicine Specialist

By Faisal Khan

 People of all ages enjoy traveling, but as our desire to travel increases so does our concern about about staying healthy while we travel. 

•  Passport Health will protect your health with travel vaccinations, and prevent traveller's diarrhea and other ilnesses. 
• Passport Health provides destination  specific information and tips, which help you make wise food and beverage choices to protect your health.
• Passport Health carefully considers your medical history and medications when giving you travel advice, and customizes medical advice to your itinerary, travel style and health.
• Our travel medicine specialists are highly trained in travel medicine and are up-to-date on new medical disease outbreaks abroad.
• Passport Health is dedicated to one purpose-preventing disease and keeping you safe while traveling abroad. 

50% of travelers who visited their primary care doctor had WRONG medication to prevent malaria.

25% of travelers who visited their primary care doctor did not get necessary vaccinations they needed or got UNNECESSARY immunizations.

 Passport Health is the largest nationwide provider of travel medicine and travel vaccines. To learn more, contact us at 516-626-2004.

What is Dengue Fever?

By Faisal Khan

Dengue Fever is s an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever). 

 

Dengue Fever is a virus based disease that is transmitted principally by mosquitoes. 

More than one-third of the world’s population living in areas at risk for transmission, dengue infection is a leading cause of illness and death in the tropics and subtropics. As many as 100 million people are infected yearly and kills about

Thankfully we may be saying goodbye to Dengue Fever very soon. It is expected to be ready by 2015. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best! Million's of lives will be saved once this vaccine is created.

Staying Safe While Traveling

By Faisal Khan

Avoid Traveling Alone

1. Dress conservatively, try to blend in, avoid clothing that may give people the impression you are a U.S. Citizen.  
2. Don’t draw attention to yourself, avoid wearing flashy jewelry and don’t display large amounts of cash.  
3. Try to leave your valuables at home, otherwise leave them in your hotel’s safe. 
4. Don't share your traveling plans with strangers. 
5. Be aware of your surroundings, and don't go down any poorly lit alleys or side roads. Stay on the main streets. 
6. Only use public transportation that has official markings.  
7. Never accept gifts or packages from an unknown party, and NEVER accept items from locals to carry out of the country or deliver mail to someone they know. 

Money Tips For Travel

By Faisal Khan

When traveling it is always important to prepare yourself for the unexpected.

While traveling abroad, sometimes bank connections might be down, travelers check's may be refused and cash advances on credit cards might not be available.

1. Before traveling always check the exchange rate.

• Checking the exchange rate of the country you are traveling to is an essential part of your preparation. Checking exchange rates will allow you to allocate your budget accordingly.

• Here are some websites online which can provide you with foreign exchange rates within minutes.  

http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency-converter/?u#from=USD;to=EUR;amt=1

2. Carry an inexpensive zippered fabric wallet

• Leave your expensive wallet at home because it gives the impression you have a lot of money. An ugly cheap looking wallet is better for travel.  Money belts worn around the neck or waist are also an effective way to keep your belongings safe.

3. Cash/Checks/Credit Cards

• Carry a currency of cash that is widely accepted, U.S. Dollars are always ideal.

• Carry one or two credit cards, and leave the rest at home. Call your credit card company before hand to let them know you are traveling so they don't decline suspicious purchases. 

• Find out if your travelers checks are widely accepted in the country you are traveling to. Travelers check's are considered safer then cash and usually insured if lost or stolen.

Keeping your belongings safe and secure are important if you want to have an enjoyable trip. Passport Health offers many travel related accessories. For more information, call us at 516-626-2004. 

(image source : http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1121/1435739708_5cb0ad5c44.jpg)

Clothes To Pack For Your Trip

By Faisal Khan

  Over packing your suitcase is one the biggest mistakes you can make when traveling.

I strongly suggest that you make a check list of items before you begin packing, to make sure you don't forget anything. Remember that  traveling light will result in enjoyable, productive, stress-free travel experience.

What to Pack: 

1. Pack everything in clear plastic bags (preferably zip lock), divided into items One plastic bag for each type of clothing. This is extremely useful in various ways. When you unpack your bag you just take out a series of bags and you can see immediately what you want.

2. Coordinate your clothes so you don't have to carry too many shoes and accessories to match a variety of colors. Make sure all your items match, choose a color scheme and stick to it.

3. Take as few clothes as possible, and those which are easy to wash on your trip. 

4. Think about where you’re going, and when. Investigate temperatures and pack accordingly.

5. Make sure to have lightweight, comfortable walking shoes and flip flops. 

6. Lastly, leave some space in your bag for souvenirs.

Don't forget to take any medications you might need with you on your trip. Passport Health offers travel medicine and other travel related accessories. For more information call us at 516-626-2004.

Travel Research Tips

By Faisal Khan

 Always Research Your Destination Before Traveling!

• Learn as much as you can about your destination before departure.
• Check with the U.S. State department regarding safety warnings for tourists. 
• Find out what items you allowed to take and bring back with you from U.S. Customs. 
• Make sure your Passport is up to date and valid.
• Find out if you will need any Visas to enter the country.
• Make sure you have all proper documentation with you before you depart. 
• Research the laws and dress codes your destinations have, and abide by them. 
• Carry a translator or dictionary to help familiarize yourself with the local language. 
• Consider purchasing traveling insurance.

Most importantly find out what type of diseases are common to the area you’ll be visiting and take actions to prevent your exposure to those diseases.

Not sure which shots you need? Call us at (516) 626-2004.

(Sources: http://www.alltraveltips.com/research.shtml )

Air Travel Health Tips

By Faisal Khan

Most travelers don't have any problems when flying, but here are some tips for you to have a safer and more comfortable trip.

• Always carry enough and bring extra of your medicines to last your whole trip, and sometime after. 
• Airplane air is dry, drink nonalcoholic and decaf beverages to avoid becoming dehydrated. 

Avoiding Jet Lag

1. Eat well balanced meals, and don't over eat. 
2. Do not have too many alcoholic beverages. 
3. Get used to a new time zone by following the local meal and bedtime schedules. 
4. Be rested before you leave for your trip. 
5. Exercise while on your trip. 

Pain in ears during flight
If your  ears hurt during your flight, try chewing gum or swallowing a lot during the flight. Pacifiers during the flight help babies.

What to do during your flight
Try to walk every now and then during your flight, and stretch your calf muscles to avoid blood clots in the legs.


(Sources : http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/travel/455.html )

The Importance of Vaccines, and why we need them!

 By Faisal Khan

Prevention of diseases is the key to public health. Preventing a disease is always more effective and easier than treating it. Vaccines prevent and protect those who come in contact with un-vaccinated individuals.

Vaccines help prevent infectious diseases, and are life saving. Although vaccine preventable diseases are not so common in the United States, they are still prevalent in other parts of the world.
Remember that many infectious diseases are only a plane ride away, and infected traveler’s bring these infections back into the United States, this is why it is important  to protect ourselves and our children by continuing to receive vaccinations.

 Protect your health, if you are planning a trip and are not sure if you need vaccinations,

call us at (516) 626-2004.

Why do people travel?

By Faisal Khan

Why do people travel? We travel to escape from our daily routine, to rediscover ourselves, and most importantly to see and feel something new.

Scientists have discovered that even a slight modification from  an everyday routine, such as traveling to faraway destinations is a way to escape the norm, and fight off stress and depression.

There’s another basic human instinct involved: the need to keep things fresh!

Traveling is a pleasure, not a chore. Where would we be without the desire to explore and gain a feeling of understanding over new worlds.

So go somewhere you wouldn't normally go, and see things you wouldn't normally see!

And remember, good health...don't forgot to take it with you! 

For travel health information, feel free to call Passport Health at (516) 626-2004

Beware of the Pickpockets! (Part 2)

By Hannah Jang

On this very street, my cousin was approached by a man who claimed to be doing promotional work for a night club. My cousin showed disinterest, but the man did not stop there. He started to show off his dance moves, and my cousin admits that there was physical contact that made him uncomfortable. At this moment though, my cousin did not know that he had lost more than just his personal space. The man finally left my cousin alone, but at this point it was already too late. A little while later, my cousin wanted to buy a fresh fruit juice, but as he reached into his pocket to get his wallet, he realized that it was no longer there.

In general, one must be careful in especially crowded places. Another danger zone is the metro. Most of the time, these pickpockets do not work alone—they usually have one or more partners in crime. There will always be someone to distract you in conversation, while the other makes his/her way into your pockets or bag. Make sure you know where your valuable belongings are placed, and make sure your purse is in front of you and not behind. It tends to get crowded in the metro, but if someone is unusually close to you, make sure you keep a more firm grasp on your bag. Or you should consider investing in an inexpensive security pouch, which you can conveniently wear under your clothes.

Another location in which you must also take extra precaution is at the Barceloneta Beach. One of the first people I met in Barcelona was an exchange student from Denmark, and the first thing she told me was to be careful at the beach because she had just been robbed of her camera and wallet. She was at the beach with a friend, and their belongings were in between the two of them as they relaxed on the beach. The girls had been told to be careful of the pickpockets, but with their bags so close they didn’t imagine they would become victims as well. They were approached by two women who were offering a massage service (which is not uncommon at the beach), and as one led them in conversation, the other busily found her way through their belongings.

The unfortunate truth is that the pickpockets get away with their transgressions most of the time. The occurrences of pickpocket and mugging incidents are way too frequent, and there is not much the police actually do about them. It is a shame that in a city so beautifully constructed, there is this one attribute that can ruin one’s experience there. However, it is something that can be avoided, so do your best to be a smart traveler!

Beware of the Pickpockets! (Part 1)

By Hannah Jang

Barcelona is a city with much history, culture and life, but there is one really unattractive characteristic about it that you must always keep in mind. In general, it is important to be careful of pickpockets in Europe, but in Barcelona, Spain, one must take extra precaution because the Spanish pickpockets use their creative ways to gain possession of your belongings.

As one of the most-visited cities in the world, Barcelona overflows with tourists 365 days a year, and the pickpockets are well-aware of this. Although it can happen in almost any part of the city, there are certain places in which you must exhibit exceptional care, of which Las Ramblas is the most popular for pickpocket incidents. 

Las Ramblas is the street that extends from Plaça Catalunya to the sea, and numerous smaller streets branch off from it. On Las Ramblas, you will find various vendors and kiosks that sell souvenirs, flowers, home-made goods, and even pet animals such as turtles, chicks or birds. It is a very busy street and there are always activities and attractions that draw tourists. The pickpockets of Barcelona know that this street is filled with plenty of distractions for tourists, and they do not hesitate to take advantage of this. 

Here and There in Barcelona

By Hannah Jang

As you may already know, there is a lot to do and a lot to see in Barcelona, and the features of the city facilitate your travel from one place to the next. The great thing about Barcelona is that you have many options regarding travel, and you have the liberty to choose how you want to get around the city. 

Barcelona Bus Turístic

The Barcelona Bus Turístic is the official tour bus that takes you to all of the main attractions across the city. There are three lines for the Bus Turístic—the red, blue and green—and each takes you to a different part of the city. If you are in Barcelona for a short period of time, it is highly recommended to take advantage of the Bus Turístic because these busses take you to all of the places you will want to visit. You can choose the 1-day or 2-day pass to visit as many of the 44 stops as you want. All you have to do is hop off at a stop that you want to see, and after your visit there, you just hop right back on the bus to get to your next destination. The busses run every 5-25 minutes so if you miss one bus the next one is already on the way. There are a few stops that coincide among the different lines, so you can even hop from the red to the green to the blue to see all 44 stops! If you choose not to hop off at certain stops, don’t worry because throughout the whole trip you can learn about the city through the audio guide provided on each seat, and this guide is offered in 10 different languages. The Bus Turístic runs in both rain and shine, and gives you the option to sit inside the bus or climb upstairs and view the city from up top. For more information, visit http://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/web/guest/home

Public Transportation: Metro and Bus

If you want to plan out your own itinerary and travel around the city throughout a time span of over two days, the metro or public bus would be your solution. The metro and bus system in Barcelona are extremely efficient, so traveling from one part of the city to another is not difficult at all. You can get to all of the main attractions and even more via metro or bus, and you will be surrounded by native Catalonians as opposed to tourists from all around the world. Take caution though, because the busses and metros get crowded, and it is in the metro stations and trains that tourists get a taste of Barcelona pick-pocketing—this is something you will want to avoid! If you plan on taking the metro or bus various times, get the ticket for ten rides instead of one because you can save some money this way!
For a copy of Barcelona’s metro map, visit http://www.tmb.cat/img/genplano.pdf
For information on Barcelona’s bus lines, visit http://www.tmb.cat/en_US/barcelona/moute/planols/planols.jsp#

Madrid, Spain: Another City Full of Life (Part 3)

By Hannah Jang

There is one thing that is homogeneous across Spain, and that is the fervor and passion for the sport of soccer, el fútbol. FC Barcelona’s archrival is Madrid’s very own Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. Real Madrid CF is a dominant team with distinguished players such as Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, Kaká from Brazil, and the World Cup champions Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, and Xabi Alonso. The city comes alive at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as fans cheer on for their favorite team. It is definitely worth it to visit the stadium because you can embrace the ardor and pride as soon as you walk in. As you view the stadium from above, the energy of the field hits you, and it feels good. Your visit to the museum is like walking through a time machine of the club’s history. You see and hear the flashing of the cameras as you take a seat in the press conference room. Even when it isn’t a game night, there is so much life in this place.

After your thrilling visit to the stadium, you may want to retreat at the el Parque del Buen Retiro, the park of the pleasant retreat. The Buen Retiro Park, in the center of the city, is filled with gardens and lakes, sculptures and monuments, and also the Palacio de Cristal, the crystal palace. Throughout the year, there are various events held at the park that make it even more attractive. This park is not solely a place for retreat, but it is also a significant landmark that embraces historical importance as well. Whether you are sitting on a bench, walking through the many paths, or rowing a boat in the pond, your time at the Buen Retiro Park will be a peaceful and enjoyable one. 

Madrid, Spain: Another City Full of Life (Part 2)

By Hannah Jang 

If you think you’ve seen enough art after your walk through the palace, you are wrong. You will see more of Velázquez’ and Goya’s works at the Prado Museum, which is one of Madrid’s most-visited sites. The Prado Museum holds the largest collection of Spanish paintings, which include Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s The Third of May: the Executions of Príncipe Pío. Meanwhile, at the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art, you will find Picasso’s notorious painting of the Guernica. Both museums are homes to a multitude of paintings and art, so make sure you plan your time wisely or else you might be in there forever, because there is more to see in Madrid so you don’t want to miss out on that!