Spain Once In Spain Or Portugal

Common sense is the simplest prescription for good health while you travel. Drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration and constipation and wear sturdy, broken-in shoes and clean socks.

Heat exhaustion and dehydration: Summer temperatures in southern and central Spain can reach a scorching 36˚C/97˚F. Heat exhaustion leads to nausea, excessive thirst, headaches, and dizziness. Avoid it by drinking plenty of fluids, eating salty foods (e.g., crackers), avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol, and wearing sunscreen.
Sunburn: Always wear sunscreen when spending excessive amounts of time outdoors. If you get sunburned, drink more fluids than usual and apply an aloe-based lotion.
Hypothermia and frostbite: A rapid drop in body temperature is the clearest sign of overexposure to cold. Victims may shiver, feel exhausted, have poor coordination or slurred speech, hallucinate, or suffer amnesia. To avoid hypothermia, keep dry, wear layers, and stay out of the wind. When the temperature is below freezing, watch out for frostbite. Drink warm beverages, stay dry, and slowly warm the area with dry fabric or steady body contact until a doctor can be found.
High altitude: Allow your body a couple of days to adjust to lower levels of oxygen before exerting yourself. Alcohol is more potent and UV rays are stronger at high elevations. You’ll want to be careful in parts of the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa, the Sierra Nevada, or in Spain and Portugal’s other high-altitude areas.

Insect-Borne Diseases

Many diseases are transmitted by insects—mainly mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and lice. Be careful of insects in wet or forested areas, especially while hiking and camping. Wear long pants and long sleeves, tuck your pants into your socks, and use a mosquito net. Use insect repellents with DEET and soak or spray your gear with permethrin (licensed in the US only for use on clothing). Ticks —which can carry Lyme and other diseases—can be particularly dangerous in rural and forested regions of Spain and Portugal.

Lyme disease: A bacterial infection carried by ticks and marked by a circular bull’s-eye rash. Advanced symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and aches and pains. Antibiotics are effective if administered early. Left untreated, Lyme can cause problems in joints, the heart, and the nervous system. If you find a tick attached to your skin, grasp the head with tweezers as close to your skin as possible and apply slow, steady traction. Do not try to remove ticks with petroleum jelly, nail polish remover, or a hot match.

Food- And Water-Borne Diseases

Prevention is the best cure: be sure that your food is properly cooked and the water you drink is clean. Watch out for food from markets or street vendors that may have been cooked in unhygienic conditions. Other culprits are raw shellfish, unpasteurized milk, and sauces containing raw eggs. Salmonella bacteria, transmitted by raw eggs and egg shells, has been a prevalent problem in Spain in the past decade.

Traveler’s diarrhea: Results from drinking fecally contaminated water or eating contaminated foods. Symptoms include nausea, bloating, and urgency. Try quick-energy, non-sugary foods with protein and carbohydrates to keep your strength up. Over-the-counter anti-diarrheals (e.g., Imodium®) may counteract the problem. The most dangerous side effect is dehydration; drink 8 oz. of water with tsp. of sugar or honey and a pinch of salt, try uncaffeinated soft drinks, or eat salted crackers. If you develop a fever or your symptoms don’t go away after 4-5 days, consult a doctor.
Giardiasis: Transmitted through parasites and acquired by drinking untreated water from streams or lakes. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, bloating, fatigue, weight loss, and nausea. If untreated, it can lead to severe dehydration.

Other Infectious Diseases

The following diseases exist all over the world. Travelers should know how to recognize them and what to do if they suspect they have been infected.

Hepatitis B: A viral infection of the liver transmitted via blood or other bodily fluids transmitted through unprotected sex and unclean needles. Symptoms may not surface until years after infection, but include jaundice, appetite loss, fever, and joint pain. A 3-shot vaccination sequence is recommended for sexually active travelers and anyone planning to seek medical treatment abroad; it must begin 6 months before traveling.
Hepatitis C: IV drug users, those exposured to blood, hemodialysis patients, and recipients of blood transfusions are at the highest risk, but the disease can also be spread through sexual contact or sharing items like razors and toothbrushes with traces of blood. No symptoms are usually exhibited. Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure.
AIDS and HIV: For detailed information on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Spain or Portugal, call the 24hr. AIDS Hotline at ☎+1-800-342-2437 (USA).
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital warts, syphilis, herpes, HPV, and other STIs are easier to catch than HIV and can be just as serious. Though condoms may protect you from some STIs, oral or even tactile contact can lead to transmission. If you think you may have contracted an STI, see a doctor immediately.

Other Health Concerns

Medical Care On The Road

The public health-care system in Spain is very reliable; in case of emergency, seek out the urgencias (emergency) section of the nearest hospital. For smaller concerns, private clinics let you avoid long waits. Expect to pay cash up front (though most travel insurance will pick up the tab later, so request a receipt) and bring your passport and other forms of identification. Farmacias in Spain are also very helpful. A duty system has been set up so that at least one farmacia is open at all times in each town. Look for a flashing green cross. Spanish pharmacies are not the place to find your cheap summer flip-flops or greeting cards, but they sell contraceptives, common drugs, and many prescription drugs, answer simple medical questions, and can help you find a doctor. Portugal's public health system is equally good. A private clinic may be worth the money for quick, covenient service, and most travel insurance providers will cover the tab. Portuguese farmacias offer basic drugs and advice.

If you are concerned about obtaining medical assistance while traveling, you may wish to employ special support services. The MedPass from GlobalCare, Inc. (☎+1-800-860-1111; www.globalcare.net), provides 24hr. international medical assistance, support, and medical evacuation resources. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers ( IAMAT; US ☎+1-716-754-4883, Canada +1-519-836-0102; www.iamat.org) has free membership, lists English-speaking doctors worldwide, and offers information on immunization and sanitation.

Those with diabetes, allergies to antibiotics, epilepsy, heart conditions, or other health problems may want to obtain a MedicAlert membership (US$40 per year), which includes among other things a 24hr. collect-call number and ID tag. Contact the MedicAlert Foundation International (☎888-633-4298, outside US +1-209-668-3333; www.medicalert.org). If your regular insurance policy does not cover travel abroad, you may wish to purchase additional coverage.

Women’S Health

Vaginal yeast infections may flare up in hot and humid climates, but wearing loosely fitting trousers or a skirt and cotton underwear can help. Bring supplies from home if you are prone to infection, as they may be difficult to find on the road. Tampons, pads, and contraceptive devices are widely available, though your favorite brand may not be stocked. Abortion is illegal in Spain and Portugal, except in the first trimester for health reasons or in the case of rape. For sexual health information in Spain, contact the Federación de Planificación Familiar de España (FPFE), C. Ponce de Leon 8, 28010 Madrid (www.fpfe.org). In Portugal, contact the Associação Para o Planeamento da Família (APF), 38 Rua da Artilharia, 1250-040 Lisboa (www.apf.pt).