• 22
  Oct
  2009

• Insurance Deals with Illness Related To Longer-Term Travel

  
  Filed Under: Blogging
  Author: Blog Writer
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A recent study by scientists from the Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass. and the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network indicates that travel that extends beyond six months is associated with elevated health risks. The study underscores the importance of international travel health insurance for all those who undertake overseas trips.

Data collected from six continents over a period of 12 years suggest that those who traveled for over six months were more likely to suffer from fatigue, chronic diarrhea, malaria, and post-infectious bowel syndrome. Those undertaking longer trips also suffered from psychological problems such as depression, stress, and fatigue.

The study also found that a high number of missionary and volunteer workers suffered from stress and other ailments. Missionary workers often work under minimal sanitary conditions and stressful situations, and that doubtless contributes to the high percentage of illnesses among missionaries. Adequate missionary insurance will help deal with the problem.

The stress of dealing with the physical condition in an alien land begets psychological problems as well. While medical problems might be something that the traveler might not be able to totally eradicate, adequate international travel medical insurance will take the stress out of the equation. However, it is important to wash hands often and take care when traveling abroad.