Still others benefit by arrangements that allow them to
enjoy a series of four-day or five-day vacations, taken perhaps four times the
more each year. 1f it is possible for you to have such flexibility, it could be
well worth-while.
Before You Go on Vacation It's a good idea to see your doctor
before you go off on an extended vacation-so you won't have to see him after it
is over. In fact, just before a vacation can be an especially suitable time for
having your regular periodic checkup.
For one thing, your doctor can tell you how much and what
kind of exercise you should undertake. If he finds you are not in condition to
climb mountains or play tennis, you can select a place where you won't be
tempted to engage in such activities. You will have more fun perhaps lying on a
beach or sitting in a boat pulling in fish.
Deciding where to go on your
vacation can be important if you have a health problem such as hay fever, for
example. Your doctor can advise about avoiding certain places at certain
seasons. If you have a heart or lung problem, he can advise about altitudes and
their possible effects.
Tell your physician not only where you plan to go but how
you will get thereby train, plane, ship, or car. If you have any tendency to
motion sickness, your physician can prescribe medication to help prevent it.
Depending upon where you plan to go and the availability there of medical
facilities, your physician may suggest that you take along a first-aid kit.
A
minimum one, under some conditions, might include the following items, and your
physician can provide prescriptions for those that require them: Aspirin-for
headache, fever, muscle aches and pains Antiseptic, such as hydrogen peroxide,
tincture of iodine, or benzalkonium chloride Skin lotion-to protect against
sunburn and windburn Anti-Nauseant for motion sickness Antacid-for mild stomach
upset Sedative for emotional upset, overstimulation, or nervous upset
Broad-spectrum antibiotic-effective against a wide range of bacteria, in case
of serious illness; to be selected by your physician and used precisely as he
instructs container of small bandages Sterilized gauze squares Roll of adhesive
tape, one-half inch wide A pectinkaolate compound such as Kaopectate, or
paregoric, or Lomotil for diarrhea and "tourist trots"
