There have been numerous news reports over the past few years about the physically ill effects of travel: stories of people falling sick and/or dying from ingesting tainted alcohol while in Costa Rica and Mexico; an article about a man dying of Ebola after visiting The Democratic Republic of the Congo; and an account of 300 vacationers fleeing a resort in Egypt after experiencing severe gastrointestinal issues are just a few of the latest.
And while it’s easy to assume that disease and illness are only worrisome when you’re traveling to developing or heavily populated countries, you can’t just look at a certain list to determine where it’s safe to go. For instance, all the countries mentioned above are also “E-2 visa countries,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean all E-2 visa countries are prone to the same type of problems.
On the contrary, you’ll find countries with health-related concerns affecting travelers from different parts of the world in every part of the world, regardless of any particular list to which their cultures and/or habits might be applied. Point in fact, the U.S. is experiencing an outbreak of measles, making even our first-world powerhouse a dangerous place for some residents and visitors alike.
So, then, is traveling good or bad for your health? Take a look at the following facts and decide for yourself!
- The CDC lists 40 or more diseases that affect travelers in every country of the world. Apparently, disease knows no borders.
- Even noncommunicable disease can be a problem, as one report of multiple studies shows correlation (if not causation) between travel and poor diet, insomnia, decreased focus and weight gain.
- Traveling frequently for business, where flying is routine, is also associated with an increase in medical problems, such as deep vein thrombosis, heart issues, ear damage due to changing air pressure and more.
- However, traveling for pleasure has been shown to decrease stress by removing people from the sources of their anxiety.
- It also boosts creativity by exposing them to new places and people.
- In addition, visiting a new place encourages activity, as tourists walk more and sit less. After all, when on vacation, people want to see and experience as much as possible, making them more active than they might be at home.
- It even strengthens cognition by requiring travelers to adapt to new cultures, listen to new languages and learn new information, thereby “exercising” their brains and building brain “muscle.”
As you can see from this list, there are both drawbacks and benefits to traveling. And whether you head two states over or across the pond, you’ll probably have some good and some not so good experiences. How you choose to view and process them will inevitably impact your overall health, regardless of the types of bugs to which you might be exposed. With this in mind, what do you think? Is traveling ultimately more harmful or more beneficial to your well-being?
