Asia and India (Lonely Planet Healthy Travel) Book

Warning: this book may put you off travelling forever. It seems everywhere you go there's risk of terrible debilitating illness. There's dengue fever, malaria and Japanese B encephalitis carried by mosquitoes. Hepatitis, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, internal parasites and polio spread by food and water. Not to mention the likelihood of sandfly fever, hookworms that bury in your feet, parasites which lay eggs under your skin and even the Black Plague, which really does still exist in some parts of Asia (spread by fleas). The well-designed symptom charts may induce severe hypochondria--and the squeamish may want to skip more lurid descriptions and the diagnosis charts for varieties of diarrhoea. Lonely Planet's handy, pocket sized guide is written by British doctor (and seasoned backpacker) Isabelle Young and approved by a panel of medical experts--which gives it authority over the usual travellers hearsay. Although detailed in its descriptions of more unusual illnesses, the guide is also very practical, dealing with the more mundane problems of colds, cuts, sunstroke, and indigestion. It also provides useful information on first aid, immunisation and emergency resuscitation. It would prove very useful in remote areas of India, Burma or Laos where doctor's may be few and far between. Even seasoned backpackers will find useful new tips--it suggests that menstruating women should avoid monkeys in case of attack and that a tooth cavity should be plugged with sugar-free chewing gum until a dentist is found. And, in case you were wondering, "You should obviously seek medical advice as soon as possible if you think you have plague".--Sarah ChampionRead More