Monday, February 28, 2011

Student Health Care at its Finest Dream Come True at Travel Clinic of New York City.

The world is at your fingertips; these are your days of youth, freedom and the excitement that anything-can-happen. You are a student in the throes of studying the world, but you are also out to have fun. Do not allow the innocence of youth to derail what can be a spectacular future for you. One of the best ways to protect your dreams is by access to a professional student travel health facility such as the Travel Clinic of New York City.

Remember that the experiences you are embarking on are not just full of drama, but a bit of danger as well. This article is not intended to frighten but to merely remind you of what lies ahead—and the healthy potential that can be reached by just an ounce of prevention. Everything from bug bites to dirty water can turn an otherwise wonderful journey into trouble. That is why student travel health services are so important.

As a student your travel health needs are abundant. Surely, it depends upon where in this wide world you are setting out to conquer. Yet each and every place has its own worries.
Why not sit across from a board-certified doctor who specializes in just such things in order to get your life-long memories off to a healthy start?

Allow one of our trusted and professional medical doctors to brief you on everything from jet lag and dehydration, to accident prevention and medication side effects. Even more importantly, allow the doctor to geographically analyze your destination in order to figure out your immunization needs.

Located at 274 Madison Avenue between 39th and 40th streets, the Travel Clinic of NYC is easily accessible by all five boroughs. There’s nothing better than getting the advice of a trained professional before embarking on any trip. We offer full services including travel prescriptions and advice. Remember, your medication, although available inside the United States, may not be available at your destination overseas. Therefore it is important to see us before leaving in order to stock up on all medication necessary to complete your trip. Your student travel health needs should never be underestimated.

It is important to carry a sufficient amount of your prescribed medication with you to last for the duration of your travels. We also know how important it is to pack this medication on your person or in your carry-on luggage as opposed to your check-in baggage in order to avoid a serious problem if your luggage is lost or stolen.

It is this kind of professional care and peek into “trade secrets,” that you can expect from the Travel Clinic of NY, along with a host of various other factors. For instance, it is important that any student using syringes for the administering of their medication to carry with them a doctor’s note explaining why you are traveling with hypodermic needles. Taking the advice of our board-certified doctors will help you to avoid any problems that will interfere with a successful journey.

As a student your travel health needs can be the difference between an adventure-you-cherish—or a bad dream. Just call 212-696-5900, or simply log onto TravelClinicNY.com to get started off on the right foot. Never forget, a successful journey begins with the first step—and a call to the Travel Clinic of NY!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Travel Vaccination Spotlight: Rabies

When most people think of rabies, they think of filthy junk-yard dogs foaming at the mouth. However, rabies isn’t limited to canines. Rabies can affect all warm-blooded animals, including humans. And with only a handful of rabies-free pockets across the world, they’re an important travel vaccination everyone should receive.

About Rabies

To be fair, most infections do stem from dog bites. Other common carriers include cats, monkeys, tigers, rabbits, rats, mongooses, and squirrels. But aside from foaming mouths, what exactly is rabies?

Rabies is an acute viral infection usually transmitted by the bite or scratch of an infected animal. The virus attacks nerves and muscles throughout the body. Essentially, after attacking the central nervous system, rabies causes brain disease and death.

However, treatment after exposure, known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), is highly successful in preventing the disease if administered promptly, generally within ten days of infection.

Symptoms

Early Symptoms

• Fever
• Headache
• General weakness or discomfort

Later Symptoms

• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Slight/Partial Paralysis
• Excitaton
• Hallucinations
• Agitation
• Hypersalivation
• Difficult Swallowing
• Hydrophobia (fear of water)

Travel Vaccinations for Rabies

Any traveler who plans on living in a high-risk area for over a month should be vaccinated. Also, any traveler who plans on excessive contact with animals should also be vaccinated.

The rabies travel vaccination comes in 3 injections on day 0, day 7, and day 21 or 28. Like most other travel vaccinations, rabies should be planned in advance. For more information about rabies and travel vaccinations, be sure to contact your local travel clinic.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Planning A Trip? Visit the Travel Clinic Of New York -Travel Inoculation Champion

“Travel” and “inoculations” are two words that go together like “apple” and “pie.” They are quintessential and should not be separated. If you are planning a trip overseas your first order of business is seeing a professional in the area of travel medicine and if you live in the New York City area then the place to contact is Travel Clinic of New York.

Located at 274 Madison Avenue in the heart of New York City (and easily accessible by the entire city, as well as the outlying boroughs) this clinic is just the place to begin your journey. Travel Clinic of NY is an industry leader in all aspects of travel healthcare, including travel inoculations. While there you will be seen by a board-certified doctor—and not a nurse or nurse practioner, as in so many other facilities.

This doctor will sit down with you for a lengthy consultation, taking special care to review your entire travel itinerary for all geographical locations you are visiting and advise you on the inoculations that are necessary for you to remain healthy on your trip. Included in this consultation will be previous medical history and known allergies. With travel comes responsibility—and this New York City medical establishment will start you off on the right foot.

What exactly are travel inoculations? Well, they are the virus and disease preventing shots that will arm you against illness as you venture into new adventures away from New York City and the United States. Many diseases and viruses are still common and prevalent throughout the world, and the Travel Clinic of NY is completely up-to-date on all threats to your well being.

While at the clinic, you can receive protection against yellow fever, hepatitis (both A & B), tetanus, typhoid, polio, rabies, and meningococcal meningitis. Each one of these diseases still reek havoc across the globe yet are totally preventable with the inoculations.

In addition, the previously mentioned illnesses, the Travel Clinic can also inoculate against Japanese encephalitis and has a complete and professional malaria prevention program for those in need.

How can one begin the process of protecting oneself? Easy! Just log onto TravelClinicNY.com and make an appointment online or simply call 212-696-5900 to speak to one of their competent staff members about making an appointment. Extended weekday hours are available as are weekend hours.

Remember, you’ve already invested so much into your trip, it’s important to protect yourself with these quick and easy inoculations.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

How To Protect Yourself From Nature’s Colorful Curse: Yellow Fever

Yellow fever is a tricky adversary and it still exists in many countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Central and South America. Anyone planning a trip to any of these regions should take all precautions necessary to protect themselves from this powerful and devastating scourge.

There are many things that the world traveler can do to make sure they are protected from this awful disease. Yellow fever is spread by the bite of a mosquito, specifically the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito species. Mosquitoes in the above mentioned geographical areas carry the yellow fever virus and should be avoided whenever and however possible.

To avoid mosquito bites be aware of peak mosquito hours. Although most mosquito peak biting times are from dusk to dawn, the mosquito that carries yellow fever feeds primarily in the daytime. Using insect repellant is a must when in areas of concern. Diligently apply an EPA-registered insect repellant on all exposed skin. These repellents should include picaridin, DEET or the very “green” oil of lemon eucalyptus. Even the most insect repellent-drenched individual can receive a bite, so caution is advised.

Remember to wear the proper clothing when outdoors in infected areas. Proper clothing includes long sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks. The fact is that most mosquitoes can bite right through thin clothing, so applying the insect repellent to your clothes will afford you another layer of protection.

At the end of the day, retiring under mosquito netting is great way to avoid bites while asleep. While these precautions make total sense, a yellow fever vaccination is your best bet against infection. Anyone traveling to infected areas is highly recommended to visit a designated yellow fever vaccination center. The vaccine has been used for decades and is safe and effective. In fact, one shot is good for ten years of protection. A booster shot is recommended after that time.

If located in the New York City area (including the five boroughs) and in need of a yellow fever vaccination—or any other travel related advice and/or medication—visit the Travel Clinic of New York. This clinic is a highly respected institution located in the heart of midtown at 274 Madison Avenue, suite 304, New York, NY 10016.

Before embarking on any trip log onto TravelClinicNY.com to receive all the information you will need to remain healthy and safe on your journey.

Travel Vaccinations: Africa

When you travel out of the country, it’s important to be aware of travel vaccinations. Other areas of the world, like Africa, are prone to different diseases than the United States. However, with today’s medicine, this shouldn’t stop you from exploring the world. By visiting a travel clinic and staying up on travel vaccinations, you protect yourself from potentially harmful diseases.

Africa

As the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia, Africa offers a great deal in the means of tourism. From the pyramids at Giza to Table Top Mountain outside of Cape Town, Africa harbors an array of breathtaking spectacles and vibrant culture.

Plan your Travel Vaccinations
Planning is vital to the success of any trip. And this should include your travel vaccinations. Some vaccinations, like Rabies, come in a series and needs to be planned with a travel clinic several months in advance. Typically, your regular doctor won’t be able to administer all the vaccinations, so it’s important that you find a reliable travel clinic.

Travel Vaccinations for Africa

Most African countries require you to be up to date on the following childhood vaccinations:

• Hepatitis B
• Diphtheria
• Tetanus
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Polio

Other recommendations include:

• Hepatitis A
• Meningococcal meningitis
• Rabies

Do Your Homework

If you know exactly what countries you’ll be visiting, make sure you do your homework on that country. Sometimes, different countries require different travel vaccinations. For example, a number of African countries require a yellow fever vaccination. By doing some research and contacting your embassy, you should be able to unveil any restrictions fairly easily.

And, as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.