How not to get sick at sea - rules of behavior on a beach vacation

MD, pediatrician, nutritionist, co-founder of UniProf Academy of Physicians

How not to get sick during a trip to the sea?

Many people strive to spend a vacation at the seaside to strengthen immunity, gain strength, calm nerves. Health problems can mar the vacation at the seaside. We tell you about the most common causes of diseases and how to avoid them.

Sea water

The source of many infections is sea water. A huge number of people swim in the sea, including those who have infectious diseases, fungus. In addition, harmful emissions often fall into the sea: sewage, waste from enterprises. Microbes are activated at a water temperature of +25℃, and at +28℃ they begin to multiply actively.

Despite the fact that high concentrations of salt kill infectious agents, due to the large number of vacationers, the water does not have time to clean itself. The danger is even higher in bays and coves, as the water is renewed more slowly.

One of the unpleasant and common diseases that can be contracted through sea water is intestinal flu (rotavirus gastroenteritis). To avoid such a problem, you should swim only at specially equipped beaches, which are checked by the sanitary service. When bathing, you need to tightly close your mouth, if possible, do not dive or use special equipment for this purpose.

Poor quality food

In the summer we eat more vegetables, greens, fruits. Such a menu leads to a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice – a natural defense against pathogens. In addition, in warm weather products spoil faster. And insects, which invariably flock to food, also carry infectious diseases.

While on vacation at the seaside, wash your hands more often, refuse to buy food in untested places and snacks on the street. Carry wet wipes with antiseptic action, do not wash fruits and vegetables in sea water, drink only boiled water, mineral water and water from trusted stores. Which water is more useful, read in the material at the link below.

Weakened immunity

Intestinal infections are not the only problem on vacation. Sea resorts are places of large crowds of people, which increases the risk of catching an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI). Therefore, before traveling it is not unreasonable to strengthen immunity.

ARVI can manifest itself with a variety of symptoms. Going on vacation, do not forget to take with you an electronic thermometer, antipyretic drugs, lozenges from a sore throat, cough syrup.

When traveling to the sea, you should be prepared that there may be problems with the ears. If water gets there when bathing, a slight breeze is enough to develop inflammation. To avoid this problem, you should refuse to dive or use special protective earplugs. After swimming, you should avoid hypothermia from air conditioning and open windows in transportation.

If you fall ill during a vacation at a seaside resort and feel that the situation is out of control, it is worth immediately seeking medical help. Do not self-medicate.

If you only dream about the sea coast, you can pamper yourself in a pool with sea water. Read about such places in Moscow in the article at the link.