8 things to note when traveling during the National Day holiday, don't let illness hurt you

The National Day Golden Week is coming soon. The travel guide for those who want to take a vacation has been prepared. "Eat, drink, play, travel, shopping and entertainment" are ready to go! Experts from the Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University remind everyone that during long-distance travel, eating, drinking and playing should also be combined with work and rest. Don't let diseases hurt you during the relaxing holidays!

1. Don’t eat too much, be careful of foreign objects stuck in the trachea

Wang Xihua, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University, reminds everyone to be careful when "eating and drinking to excess" with friends and family, and not to let foreign objects such as chicken bones, peanuts, melon seed shells, and chili skins slip through and "block" the trachea.

Wang Xihua said that laughing or talking while eating can easily cause bones to get stuck in the trachea or esophagus, so you should concentrate when eating, slow down and chew slowly. Any attempt to force the foreign body to be swallowed or removed by oneself may cause perforation of the esophagus or trachea, or even puncture the aorta, causing fatal bleeding. Therefore, if you accidentally swallow a bone while eating, you should stop eating immediately and go to the nearest hospital for treatment.

2. Don’t always let big fish and meat take the lead

Tong Jiayi, chief physician of the Department of Cardiology, reminds patients with heart disease and hypertension that they should eat a light diet during the holidays, eat more vegetables and fruits, and avoid eating greasy food or overeating due to excitement. Be sure to control your blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar, pay attention to rest, maintain adequate physical strength, avoid crowded areas, and prepare medicines in case of emergency.

3. Drink moderately to enjoy the holidays

Chen Hong, chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, reminds everyone that patients with hepatobiliary diseases should avoid drinking alcohol, otherwise it may induce acute cholecystitis or pancreatitis; those with a history of liver disease should control the intake of high-protein foods, such as fish, shrimp, etc., otherwise "hepatic coma" may occur; when traveling, you should carry some regular medicines with you to prevent gastrointestinal diseases. Also, you should drink less alcohol during the holidays. Excessive drinking can easily cause gastric bleeding, acute pancreatitis, and even severe pancreatitis or death from drunkenness. If you feel unwell, go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying treatment.

4. Be careful about esophageal rupture caused by vomiting after drinking

Xue Tao, director of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiothoracic Surgery, said that both natural and artificial vomiting can cause esophageal rupture. Some people think that they can sober up by scratching their throat and vomiting, so they use their hands to stimulate the throat. This condition can sometimes cause the esophagus to rupture.

He pointed out that patients with esophageal rupture are sometimes easily diagnosed with diseases such as gastric ulcer, angina pectoris, and chest pain. Since patients with esophageal rupture rarely vomit blood, even if their esophagus has ruptured, they may not know it and continue to eat. As a result, the food they eat leaks into the chest cavity and causes infection. Therefore, if you find yourself experiencing chest pain after eating, you should stop eating immediately and go to a regular hospital for treatment in time.

5. Sitting for a long time playing mahjong can cause cardiopulmonary embolism

Acute pulmonary embolism is a serious pulmonary circulation emergency, especially acute large-area pulmonary embolism is very dangerous. If rescue is not timely, the mortality rate is high. Sitting for long periods of time, such as taking a train, lying in bed during confinement after childbirth, playing mahjong, playing games, etc., are risk factors for pulmonary embolism. It is not uncommon for patients to suffer from pulmonary embolism due to playing mahjong. Deputy Chief Physician of the Respiratory Department Yang Yuan suggested that people who sit for a long time should stand up and move their limbs every one or two hours and change their sitting position intermittently. Especially the elderly and pregnant women should try to avoid sitting for long periods of time.

6. Don’t torture your waist when you go shopping in high heels

During the long holidays, female friends will start shopping again by wearing high heels. However, Wu Xiaotao, director of spinal surgery, pointed out that when walking in high heels, the body will lean forward and the curvature of the back will increase. Heelless shoes, flat shoes, and flip-flops are just as bad. These completely heelless, flat shoes have no shock absorption or arch support, which can make your gait very unstable, and your weight cannot be evenly distributed on the spine, which may cause damage to the intervertebral discs and cause muscle spasms and pain throughout the body. Climbing a mountain in high heels is even more of a form of self-abuse.

He suggested that for flat shoes with zero heels, there should be a thickened insole on the inside of the shoe, with the central bulge fitting perfectly into the concave part in the middle of the foot. Studies have shown that when walking or standing for long periods of time, it is best to choose shoes with a 2 cm heel. When climbing, it is recommended to choose hiking shoes with cushions.

7. The lumbar spine is quietly injured during the bumpy journey

Long distance travel means long periods of sitting. Wu Xiaotao pointed out that the continuous vibration of vehicles will produce continuous impact on the spine, aggravating back pain. Although the vibrations are less when flying in an airplane, the damage to the spine may be greater due to changes in air pressure.

Therefore, it is recommended that you get up from your seat and stretch your body every 1-2 hours while on the road. If you are not allowed to leave your seat, it is best to do some movements of moving your upper body forward or crossing your arms and raising them every once in a while.

8. Don’t forget to bring 3 essential medicines when traveling

Chen Guoming, deputy director of the pharmacy department, reminds everyone not to forget to bring essential medicines (such as motion sickness medicine, cold medicine, anti-intestinal infection medicine, etc.) when traveling during long holidays. Most motion sickness medicines work for a long time, and taking too much can increase the chance of adverse reactions, such as dizziness. Common adverse reactions include dizziness, headache, palpitations, dry mouth, gastrointestinal discomfort, etc. Therefore, taking too much motion sickness medicine not only fails to "cure dizziness", but may "cause dizziness".

For some people who travel long distances, they may not be able to adapt to the foreign climate and may easily catch a cold. It is recommended that you prepare cold medicine, Chinese patent medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine and Western medicine before traveling. In the early stage of a cold, you can take some cold powder. If it is in the middle or late stage of a cold, it is recommended to use antibiotics. If the condition still worsens and the cold is accompanied by a high fever, you should go to a local large hospital for treatment in time. Do not delay for a long time to avoid acute myocarditis caused by the cold.

When traveling, if you are not careful about what you eat or cannot adapt to local eating habits, it is easy to cause gastrointestinal discomfort or diarrhea. The most common cause is diarrhea or acute gastroenteritis caused by eating unclean food when away from home, so it is necessary to carry anti-intestinal infection drugs with you.