Scooting off to a far-off place that was on your travel list for a long time is one of those exhilarating moments. However, your relaxing moment in the place that you had been dreaming to spend time in all year can be punctured by those pesky insects. Whether you are trekking in the mountains, hiking in the forests, or sunbathing on the beach, ticks, mosquitoes, and bugs will never let you be in peace. Even if you are in the safety of a hotel room, your peace may still be disturbed by bed bugs. Insect bites, especially when you are trying to unwind at your favorite retreat, can not only be annoying but can also turn out to be dangerous. For insect bites are not just a mere nuisance, but can also put one in danger of contracting various diseases such as malaria. Thus, one must be wary of such dangers and aware of the techniques to prevent and reduce insect bites so that your holiday is not ruined.
1) Dressing properly
When out in nature, as if on a hiking trail, wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and long boots that don’t leave any exposed space near your ankles. Avoid wearing shorts, tempting as they may be as they increase one’s mobility during trekking. However, they also make one prone to insect bites. Also, avoid wearing clothing that has gaps in them, e.g. ones present near the knees to give a rugged look to your jeans. Not looking fashionable is better than getting a threatening fever.
2) Use insect repellents
Repellents are useful in that they allow you to dress however you want. Insect repellents do not actually kill insects, but work to prevent insects from landing on you. They thus offer protection from all kinds of insects, but should be used with caution. The problem with their usage is that they need to be applied all over the exposed skin, which means near the eyes, and that can be dangerous. Furthermore, if you have a wound on your skin, avoid applying an insect repellent at all costs as there is a danger of chemicals entering your bloodstream.
3) Time your trip properly
If you plan to go out in the wilderness, you can reduce the possibility of getting bitten by timing your outdoor excursion. Mosquitoes are usually out and about at certain times of the day like dawn and dusk. If you want to go trekking outside, plan your trip in a way that you will be back inside before the sun starts to set. Moreover, if you are walking on a trail, make sure you walk in the middle so that you stay away from the plants lining the trail that could possibly be home to all kinds of bugs.
4) Use an insect net
If you are camping in the outdoors or are inside but can’t afford to keep the windows closed due to the humidity or temperature, insect nets come in handy. If you intend to sleep under the open sky, put an insect net around your bed, or if you are inside you can put it on any open doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes flying in to disturb your peace. However, insect nets can only be used when you are stationary, and it is not feasible to use them while you are on the move outside.
5) Use medication
If you don’t want to bother yourself with worrying all the time about whether you have taken the necessary precautions to prevent insect bites, you can go for medication. There are over-the-counter drugs available that can help prevent diseases like malaria, which one runs the greatest risk of contracting in nature as mosquitoes are the most common insect found in the outdoors. To not be at the mercy of this disease, you can take antimalarials, which are used for the prevention and treatment of malaria. You can get such medicine online pharmacies like Click Pharmacy, which offers a range of antimalarials that you can take if you are planning to travel to an area where the chances of getting this disease are high. According to Click Pharmacy’s website, you can take these medicines up to 48 hours before entering a risk-prone area and continue to take them during the duration of your stay in that area. It is important to note that the medicine does not prevent you from being bitten by a mosquito, but destroys the malaria parasite when it enters your bloodstream.
