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Top 10 Travelers Illness in India
Delhi belly comes it two types: the upset stomach and more serious bacteria or virus.Both involve diarrhea, throwing up and dehydration. The difference is that a bacteria infection or virus is much worse and lasts much longer (1-3 weeks.) Be warned a seriously upset stomach can seem like an infection. An upset stomach will get better on it's own but an infection will get worse. It is always best to seek qualified medical advice! A stool test will determine if it is a bacterial infection and which type of antibiotic to take. Usually they prescribe a 'kill all' antibiotic like Cypro. These are available cheap in India.Unless you happen to be Indian, eat a lot of curry or just have a strong stomach your are likely to suffer from an upset stomach at some time or another during your travels. Causes: Travel, just sitting in one the plane or on a bus, motion can irritate your stomach lining from the constant vibrations.Spicy and greasy foods are also a cause. Do you eat this much oil, butter, cheese and SPICES at home? No well don't be surprise it your stomach rebels. Black and white pepper can be very irritating and is usually used on non-spicy food such as veg-fried rice, veg-noodles.Alcohol, Coffee, chocolate spicy and greasy foods also meat and dairy products are all irritants and should be avoided if you are prone to upset stomach. They are know as NSADSHow to prevent:- Eat plain meals every day (at least once per day) with no spices or grease. Boiled Vegetables, Plain Rice, Plain chapatti, Plain dal. This plain meal can be cooked by ANY Indian restaurant but you will need to do some explaining to get it just right (plain.) You might say something like" no chilly, no pepper, no butter, no clovers etc.."- Drink 3-6 liters of water every day. If you are dehydrated you can add some salt, sugar and lemon this is just like dehydration packets you buy at the chemist. A friend of mine believes coca-cola will kill everything, nay i would say. Water is helpful because it loosens up the stomach.- Avoid eating curries too often, avoid fried foods, avoid excess milk, yogurt, butter and other diary products or meat.- Fried pakorra, samosa etc. is often fried in old grease!- Many people can be lactose intolerant (and not even know it.) You will be amazed at home much dairy can be in one deluxe veg thali at an upscale Narulas.- Avoid eating to much when your traveling. In fact try not eat at all. Do print liquids. Allow your self to rest after you arrive, this is really very helpful fopr even 1/2 hours -3 hours of nap time.- Avoid hard food such as peanuts or other masala fried bits.MSP remedy: acidophilus, these are available at most pharmacies in India, 70 Rs per 10 tabs. look for the ones in silver foil. This is great if you get a stomach problem. Keep yourself health. I believe this is the best remedy against illness. Remember to get exercise and eat 2 oranges and 5 bananas will go a long way.
Everyday in India there are 100's of people killed or injured on the roadways, usually involving a two motorbike. This is not a joke a seriously high number of people are kill on two wheelers.
Enfield are so cool. But don't fall for the hype, you'll still have a great time in India but never miss the 'bike' experience.
Medical facilities are scarce and it may take many hours to reach adequate hospital. Blood transfusion have been know to be dubious.
Many tourists are injured and even die from simply renting a scooter or bike for half a day!
The way they drive India is completely foreign, don't expect to understand it.
Bicycles can be just as dangerous.
Accident on a motorcycle at even 15 km per hour can result in very serious injures such as spinal injury. A train, plane or bus or even a taxi will be much safer.
Avoid taking rides from others on bikes. Pinions are even more likely to be injured if an accident occurs. India does not have adequate emergency road medical service - you could die waiting for ride to the hospital.
In India it is easy to catch a cold or even worse a flu due to unhygienic condition. The bigger risk is usually during or after the monsoon (Aug-Nov.) Wash your hands regularly, a hand sanitizer is very good idea, avoid eating food that has been handled by servers. You might consider a face mask. A good idea is to get the flu vaccine before you go.
Every year a number of tourist just like your self die from altitude sickness. This often not publicized in fear of hurt the tourism market, particularly in the Nepal. Many have die at Muktinath just 3300m. Most had guides with them and were part of tour. The guides try to rush tourist because the will get home sooner and get paid sooner. Avoid guides, DIYS. Take responsibility for your own life, do not trust some incompetent and corrupt guide service.
Many people fly to Leh in Ladak (3200m) or Jomson in Nepal (2600m). This is usually because they don't have enough time. If you don't have enough time - don't go! It is a BAD idea because of the high risk of altitude sickness. Take the bus instead. Believe me i have heard from many many people who had bad experience doing this (including myself) It can also happen if your trekking and ascend too fast. Take the bus through Srinagar and Kargil and rest there for a few days to aclimatize. From Manali by jeep it is over very high passes, so you need to be more careful this way. Keylong is place to try to aclimatize first, also you can do some day treks up to a higher altitude.
AMS is no fun. It can last weeks and ruin you trip even when you back at sea level. You can die very quickly, even in your twenties with a guide, porter and boyfriend with you, you can not cheat altitude. Remember to ascend slowly after 2500m, if you feel unwell stay at the altitude or descend for a day.
The truth is that it take days or weeks to acclimatize not just one or two nights as some people will tell you (like a trekking agency/guide.)
India has the most polluted cities in the world. The pollution particles content in Delhi, Calcutta and other cities far exceed normal limits. Picking up a cough in just a few days after being in Delhi or another metropolis is not uncommon. It is highly recommended that you wear some sort of face mask. I know, you think you will look ridiculous, trust me it makes a big difference. You should wear a mask whenever you are out in the city or even if you take a non-ac class train. Non-ac trains often have a lot of diesel smog entering the carriages.
Smog will not only enter your lungs but also you nose. You can see for yourself after walking in the city for only 1 hour; take a damp tissue and carefully clean out the inside of nasal passage. Black gunk! This can cause sinus problems and even infections. It is a good idea to try and get rid of this stuff after a long journey or a day walking around. Some good q-tips or ear buds are invaluable for removing this stuff.
A smart idea is buy a few mask and you can them cheap from 2$/20pak N95 . Perhaps a large respiratory filter would be better. You still get a lot of smog in but it helps.
Also a regular cotton with foam liner mask is sold in many shops.
You may develop a sinus infection.
Be very careful with any cuts or small wounds particularly on your feet or hands. Immediately apply disinfectant and band aid. Cuts on your feet will very easily become septic. If you have cut on your feet you should wear shoes and socks for sometime to protect them. Be careful sandals or new shoes that cause blisters, some cut into the skin. India chapels are very bad for this.
Mosquito or fly bites can also cause infection. Try not to scratch or itch bites. Sand flies are very common on Indian beach after the monsoon, infections are common.
If you get a skin infection do not delay in seeing a doctor. If it oozing or yellow and seem to reappear or do not heal it's infected. Remember to complete you course of antibiotics.
Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya. Mosquito are mostly a problem during and after the monsoon. If you stay in the mountains until late November you will avoid much of the mosquitoes.
You should make sure to sleep under a mosquito net with permethrin
Dengue is becoming more common through out the country. Be careful in the early morning if you go to a cyber cafe! There is always a mosquito hiding there.
Avoid any guesthouse with mosquito problems.
You can die in 2 days or be cured in 2 days by Malaria, read more here.
Here are some natural products that help to repel mosquitoes
Dust and mold are common problems in India. If you already have allergies you will need take precautions. Dust is a problem in the dry areas such as Rajasthan and much of north India. If you have allergies you might consider avoiding Rajasthan all together. So much dust enters the air due to dry conditions. Smog will make it worse.
Moldy mattresses are a big problem. Because of the monsoon or damp condition in the mountains the mattresses in the guest houses are usually old and moldy. You should be aware of this and check any guest house mattress before you agree to rent the room. New mattresses will not have this problem. Also matresses made from FOAM (not cotton) should not be moldy.
Mold can cause sinus problems, headaches, sore throat. disturb sleeping and other symptoms. Even been know to cause chronic illness or death.
On some occasion concrete walls may contain water and dampness that turns into mold making the room or building unsafe and unlivable due to mold. Unfortunately this is just the sort of room Indians think to rent out to foreigners.
Most people do not expect this problems so end up with 'cold' when really it is caused by their choice in guesthouse.
Be careful in the sun, find a hat, wear good cloths that stop UV rays. Remember to rest and drink lots of WATER. 11am-4pm are hot times to avoid.
Make sure you have a real bacterial infection not just an upset stomach. The only way to be sure is to have a stool test. In Asia there are many clinics that can do this for you.
Every year many foreigners die to drugs or alcohol. Some overdose, some by accident. Some end up in jail due to drug trafficking.
Avoid drinking too much. Do not use unknown drugs or dangerous chemicals. Do not smoke with people you do not know. Beware if you are drunk in public you may become victim to crime.
Do not experiment with unknown drugs in India. Indian made LSD or MDMA may be 10 times more potent than you are expecting.
Bhang has been used for thousands of years in India, and is probably the safest intoxicant to use.
Beer and alcohol in India is very poor quality, it contains much preservative and unfiltered toxins. You have been warned.
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Tips for solo females 
