Health in European travel: practical tips for travelers
Kyiv • UNN
When traveling in Europe, take care of your health insurance. Gather a first-aid kit with medicines and buy labeled products.
Traveling around Europe is always exciting, but even the best adventure can be ruined by health problems. To avoid trouble, it is worth preparing in advance. UNN tells you which countries require medical insurance, what you need to bring with you on your trip, and how to protect yourself from unwanted health problems.
Medical insurance
Before traveling to European countries, you should take out travel medical insurance that covers treatment, hospitalization, and transportation. Despite the simplified procedures for leaving Ukraine due to the war, verification of the insurance policy is possible when crossing the border of any country. Therefore, to leave, citizens of Ukraine are required to have an appropriate insurance policy.
In the absence of medical insurance, a person will have to independently organize their treatment and pay for all medical services provided. A patient without insurance will also have to wait a long time to see a doctor, while insured patients receive medical care faster.
For example, to travel to Poland or Germany, you must have medical insurance that covers expenses of at least 30,000 euros and is valid for the entire period of your stay in the Schengen area. Also, if you are traveling to Germany with a child, you must also have medical insurance for them.
A medical insurance policy is also required for Moldova. It is also worth noting that in Slovakia and Hungary, people with temporary protection have access to free medical care through the state system.
It is recommended to take out travel or voluntary medical insurance for Georgia.
Traveler's first aid kit
Insurance is good, but you should not forget about the first-aid kit. First of all, it should contain a basic set of medicines: antipyretics, anti-inflammatory drugs, remedies for stomach disorders, plasters, antiseptics.
If you are taking regular medications or have chronic diseases, it is better to stock up on them for the entire duration of the trip, and also take a prescription in English or the language of the country.
Also, do not forget about acclimatization, which many vacationers face at the resort, especially when visiting distant countries where climatic conditions differ sharply from the usual ones.
In some cases, acclimatization manifests itself in the form of respiratory syndromes, fever, heart rhythm disturbances, and blood pressure fluctuations. This often happens to people who have come to countries with very hot climates.
In other cases, there may be weakness, dizziness, nausea, and headache. Such symptoms are encountered when traveling in the mountains and are explained by the reduced concentration of oxygen in the air.
To reduce unpleasant sensations during mountain ascents, it is recommended to gain altitude gradually, drink more water (up to 3 liters per day), eat low-fat food and not overeat. In northern countries, multivitamins, high-calorie food and warm, windproof clothing will help to cope with stress.
Hygiene and food safety
While in European countries, you should drink bottled water, especially in southern regions. You should also avoid raw foods in street food, especially fish, meat, and eggs.
Avoid products without labeling in markets or kiosks. Keep receipts - this is necessary in case of food poisoning or return of goods.
Store food in the refrigerator according to temperature regimes. Do not freeze products again. Watch out for allergens: in the EU, they are highlighted in bold on the label.
Disease prevention
Before traveling to Europe, it is important to clarify the epidemiological situation in the region, for example, seasonal outbreaks of influenza, etc.
If you are planning an active vacation (mountains, camping) - get appropriate vaccinations, in particular against tick-borne encephalitis or hepatitis A.