Travel Health

To help keep you healthy on your travels we stock a wide range of travel health products. 

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Sunscreen – Depending on your destination (even for winter sports) sunblock with an SPF factor of at least 15 is essential and it is important for the sun cream to have a broad-spectrum to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

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Aftersun – The sun's rays can dehydrate the skin so it is important to keep it at its best. Aftersun helps to rehydrate the skin and undo the damage the sun has caused and is particularly important in sunburn.

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Antiseptic and first aid – Small scrapes and scratches have an increased risk of infection in hot and humid climates so it is important to take either a small bottle of antiseptic or antiseptic wipes in case problem occurs. Bandages, plasters and tweezers may also be useful.

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Antihistamines – Itching and inflammation caused by bites can spoil your holiday. Over-the-counter antihistamines, gels and creams can help relieve these symptoms. Some steroid creams may also be appropriate for nastier bites.

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Insect repellent – As well as considering the risk of malaria at your holiday destination and taking appropriate medical advice, other measures to help prevent getting bites in the first place include nets, plug-in repellents and DEET-containing insect repellent.  We do stock non DEET repellents for those who prefer this.

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Rehydration Sachets -  These can be essential to help replace fluids and salts that are lost from diarrhoea, vomiting and the problems associated with too much sun. These sachets help you stay hydrated much better than drinking regular water.

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Antibacterial hand gel – When you don’t have access to soap and water antibacterial hand gels can kill germs especially before eating and after going to the bathroom. 

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Common medications – When travelling abroad you can’t always guarantee the quality of the medication you receive so make sure to pack the essentials, such as paracetamol, or anti-diarrhoeals in addition to any regular prescription medications that you take. 

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Remember that if you are travelling to Europe you will need a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to enable you to obtain medical treatment. This replaced the old E111 and will cover you for all EU countries plus Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. Visit your local post office, benefits office to pick up an application form for one of these or apply online https://www.gov.uk/global-health-insurance-card