Page 36 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

34 BASICS HealtH
mounds of chicken and rice stand around in the mosquito (active from dusk to dawn), its symptoms
hot sun for hours. Make sure the food is well cooked – fever, chills, headaches and muscle pains – are
in front of you and, if the stall has been dishing up easily confused with flu.
food all day, that any raw meat or fish has been It is most effectively combated through preven-
stored in a cooler box with ice before cooking – and tion – wearing long loose sleeves and trousers for
avoid anything swimming in mayonnaise. protection, dousing yourself in repellent and
sleeping under a mosquito net or in screened
Intestinal problems rooms. Most effective chemical insect repellents
contain Deet, with the 25–35 percent varieties
travellers’ diarrhoea (tD) lasting a few days is the considered adequate for most needs. However, a
most common ailment encountered, as likely to be few recent studies have started to raise questions
due to the change in diet and climate as to about Deet’s possible neurological side-effects as
contaminated food or water-carrying bacteria, well as damage to the environment. Whatever the
viruses or parasites. If you’re afflicted by the runs, medical opinions on the subject, you have to
the best cure is to rest and rehydrate, drinking wonder about a solution that will melt your pen if it
plenty of clean water with rehydration salts. Sachets gets too close. Recently, more organic,
of Dioralyte or electolade are worth keeping in your non-chemical products, based on oils such as
first-aid kit, though equivalents are easily found in eucalyptus, citronella, cedar or verbena, are
pharmacies in the major urban centres. Diarrhoea appearing on the market. they are generally more
remedies such as Imodium and lomotil should only expensive but give less fierce protection, which
be used in emergencies, such as when embarking wears off much more quickly. they can be effective
on a long-distance plane journey or a jungle trek, enough when used with other preventive
since stopping the flow is not actually healthy. If measures, although if you are in a malarial area you
symptoms persist, especially if there is blood in the might want to stick to Deet. Mosquito coils are
stool or vomiting occurs, consult a doctor, who will widely available across Panama, even in small
probably prescribe a course of antibiotics. villages; if you’re seeking a natural alternative,
candles can help deter the insects. In neither case
Sunburn and dehydration should they be used in enclosed indoor environ-
ments. It’s a good idea to carry a travel mosquito
Skin cancer is on the increase, largely because of net if you’re intending to travel widely in the Darién
overexposure to UV radiation – indeed it is the or spend time in the national parks.
most prevalent form of cancer in the US. In the a range of anti-malarial tablets are on the
fierce tropical sun of Panama, a high-factor sun market, all of which should be bought prior to
cream (SPF 15 or higher with both UVa and UVB arriving in Panama and started in advance of
protection), a sun hat and sunglasses are an visiting the malarial area, though a public medical
absolute must. Up to forty percent of the sun’s rays centre (centro de salud) in a malarial area should
can be reflected back up from water or sand, even stock a supply for post-exposure treatment. West of
if you’re sitting in the shade; nor is an overcast day the Canal, chloroquine is the drug of choice,
free from damaging UV light. When travelling in a generally taken once a week a fortnight in advance
dugout – a likely scenario if exploring the Darién of entering a malarial area and for four weeks after-
or Guna Yala – you could be faced with hours wards. east of the Canal, where mosquitoes are
without any protection. Serious sunburn, chloroquine-resistant, mefloquine (also known as
sunstroke and heatstroke are therefore all very real larium) is often prescribed, though it can have
health hazards and far more likely than catching a particularly severe side effects. Malarone is a less
tropical disease. Keeping up your fluid intake to controversial alternative but is currently the most
avoid dehydration is essential. expensive anti-malarial drug on the market. It is
taken daily only two days before entering an
Malaria infected area, to be continued for a week after
leaving. Whatever you choose, it is important to
there is low risk of malaria in more remote areas of finish the course of anti-malarials because of the
the Caribbean lowlands in Bocas and Veraguas, and time lag between bite and infection. If you become
a slightly higher risk east of the Canal, in the Darién ill with flu-like symptoms after returning home,
and in more isolated areas of Guna Yala. transmitted consult a doctor and inform them you’ve been to a
by a parasite in the saliva of an infected anopheles malarial risk area.

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