Health on location

Besides reading the general advice provided here, please be sure that you have received the correct vaccinations for your holiday destination. It's also important to try to be as healthy as possible prior to departure. Of course you'll also want to avoid becoming ill while you are on holiday. Remain vigilant about your health, when in doubt, consult a doctor.

Jet lag & overcoming it
The common traveller's 'ailment' known as "Jet lag" is caused by a disruption to your biological clock (primarily your sleeping and waking rhythms) due to flying through different time zones. The body needs time to adjust to the new biorhythm for the first few days after your flight. During this time you can feel tired and irritable. Try to avoid drinking coffee or alcohol during the flight or do so in limited amounts. On arrival in Cambodia, try not to demand too much of your body for the first couple of days. It's also best to adjust to the time-difference and the new sleeping rhythm as quickly as possible. We recommend an hours sleep after arrival and then remaining awake until (early) bedtime.

Diarrhoea
A change of rhythm, climate and food (especially spicy food) can cause your stomach to become out of sorts. As long as your only symptom is loose, watery stools and no other symptoms, you should be just fine if you rest a bit and drink plenty of water in small quantities. It may be necessary to take some Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) dissolved in water to prevent dehydration and this is especially important for the elderly and children. Drugs, such as loperamide and diphenoxylate, can be taken if you really when on the road to prevent diarrhoea (not suitable for children under two years old). These drugs prevent the peristaltic action of the intestine, which stops stomach cramps and suppresses the diarrhoea. Only use these drugs when you're on the road and do not have regular access to a toilet. If diarrhoea persists for more than 48 hours and is also accompanied by headache, vomiting, or blood in the stool or if you’re taking any other medication at the time, you should contact a doctor. The doctor can send a stool sample to a lab for analysis to determine the source of the problem. Diarrhoea can end suddenly, but can leave a lingering feeling of lethargy since your intestines need time to recover.

To prevent diarrhoea
Only consume water and soft drinks from properly closed and sealed tins or bottles, or drink boiled water; such as tea or coffee. Ice is trustworthy in the form of machine-produced ice cubes. Fruit juice is safe, provided no water has been added. Food, particularly meat and fish, must be well cooked. We advise against the western-style salads offered in salad bars (in expensive hotels). Hamburgers (personal experience) are generally a lot less safe than the normal meat the locals eat. It's not always safe to eat from street stalls in Cambodia. Eat where it's busy, the time between food preparation and consumption is therefore the shortest, which is good for the hygiene. Take note of how the plates, glasses and cutlery are washed. There is often no running water and only a bucket with soap in it, baking in the sun. If that is the case, it's sensible to find somewhere else to eat. Restaurants where you can see how clean it is are recommended. With regards to street stalls, it’s probably smart not to eat meat at the end of the day; the meat can sometimes have been lying around all day un-refrigerated. A tried and trusted housewife's remedy to prevent dehydration during diarrhoea is to drink cola and bouillon (not at the same time). Cola can be bought everywhere and you can bring stock cubes and a single-cup beverage with you from the UK.

If you have a fever, bowel problems or other physical complaints of an unknown nature after you return home (up to several months after your return home), contact your doctor and let him/ her know you've been in Cambodia and inform him/her on the length of your stay and what you've done there. If you've spent a lot of time with the local population you should have a Mantoux or TBC test done.