This is not another advice from a panic mother or girlfriend who wants you to carry half of the pharmacy with you on every trip. This is also not a sponsored post where I will mention all the things in my travel health kit that I actually never carry with me. This is a simple and honest advice from an experienced female traveler who doesn’t want to risk having a headache in the middle of the desert. This is also a very important reminder why you should take care of your health insurance for traveling abroad.

My time abroad is usually very limited and I don’t want to spend it searching for the nearest pharmacy. I don’t have any specific health problems however these are the things that are always in my travel health kit (I have divided them into groups so hopefully they will help you to make your own list):

1. Medications prescribed by your doctor

If you have some specific health issues you obviously need to pack your medications first. Fortunately, in my case I only need Antihistamine tablets to treat occasional allergies and birth control pills that I have been using since… well forever 😊

2. Pain relief medications

Speaking of that headache in the middle of the desert – unfortunately it happens to me all the time, and there are only one pills in the world that can help me. They are from Slovene manufacturer so I won’t bother you with brand name. If you are less demanding, you can buy pain relievers on every corner, however it is good to have them with you if you are on a plane or traveling to some distant parts with no civilization.

3. Plasters

An absolute must for all travelers. I carry plasters everywhere and I take tons of them with me when I travel. You can easily get blisters especially if you travel off season and your legs are not used to flip flops. Or you can just cut your finger while chopping some food… or step on a shark’s tale 😉

4. Immune system & vaccinations

Let’s be honest, traveling is always stressful and especially if you are visiting some distant countries it is highly likely that you will get some infections, or at least cold or a flu. For this reason, I start taking beta-glucan tablets (made by a company I work for) a couple of days prior to my travel to boost my immune system. I also take soar throat relievers and nasal spray just in case. Also, don’t forget to check if you need to take any vaccinations if you are traveling to the areas with increased risk of infections.

5. Ionic toothbrush

I take my oral hygiene very seriously and since I found this magical ionic toothbrush I carry it with me all the time. Again, this is Slovene brand and if you want more information you can always drop me a line.

6. Sunscreen

Those birth control pills, together with some heavy sunbathing in the past, have caused quite a few problems with my skin. One of them is called hyperpigmentation – I get dark spots on my face as soon as I just so much as look out of the window. Therefore, I never leave the house without a proper sunscreen – for my face I use Paula’s Choice products and for the body I just pick any sunscreen that has good recommendations from skin organizations.

At last but not the least I feel obliged to remind you: take that health insurance for traveling abroad.

Recently I had a small encounter with bed bugs (staying in a cheap motel in Long Island, California) and I almost got a heart attack when I saw the receipt from a hospital. I was charged 922$ just to get a quick diagnosis and ointment prescription. Luckily, I have year-round travel health insurance and I am now more than ever convinced this is a smart idea.

What about you guys? What do you carry with you in your first aid travel health kit? Have I missed out something important? Scroll down for comments 😉