Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [469]
syringes and sterile needles
acetazolamide (Diamox; for altitude sickness)
* * *
The chief symptom of DVT is swelling or pain of the foot, ankle or calf, usually – but not always – on just one side. When a blood clot travels to the lungs, it may cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. Travelers with any of these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.
To prevent the development of DVT on long airplane flights, you should walk about the cabin, flex the leg muscles while sitting, drink plenty of fluids and avoid alcohol and tobacco.
Return to beginning of chapter
JET LAG
The onset of jet lag is common when crossing more than five time zones, resulting in insomnia, fatigue, malaise or nausea. To minimize jet lag, try drinking plenty of (nonalcoholic) fluids and eating light meals. Upon arrival, get exposure to natural sunlight and readjust your schedule (for meals, sleep etc) as soon as possible.
Return to beginning of chapter
IN PERU
Return to beginning of chapter
AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH CARE
There are several high-quality medical clinics in Lima open 24 hours for medical emergencies (for details Click here). They also function as hospitals and offer subspecialty consultations. For a guide to clinics in Lima, check out the website for the US embassy (lima.usembassy.gov/acs_peru.html). There are also many English-speaking physicians and dentists in private practice in Lima, which are listed on the same website. Good medical care may be more difficult to find in other cities and impossible to locate in rural areas.
Many doctors expect payment in cash, regardless of whether you have travel insurance. If you develop a life-threatening medical problem, you’ll probably want to be evacuated to a country with state-of-the-art medical care. Since this may cost tens of thousands of dollars, be sure you have insurance to cover this before you depart. You can find a list of medical evacuation and travel insurance companies on the website of the US State Department (travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1215.html).
The pharmacies in Peru are known as farmacias or boticas, and are identified by a green or red cross in the window. They’re generally reliable and offer most of the medications available in other countries. InkaFarma and Botica Fasa are two well-known pharmacy chains.
* * *
IMMUNIZATIONS
The only required vaccine for Peru is yellow fever, and that’s only if you’re arriving from a yellow-fever-infected country in Africa or the Americas. A number of vaccines are recommended.
* * *
Return to beginning of chapter
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Of the diseases listed below, malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever are spread by mosquitoes. For information about protecting yourself from mosquito bites, Click here.
Cholera
An intestinal infection, cholera is acquired through ingestion of contaminated food or water. The main symptom is profuse, watery diarrhea, which may cause life-threatening dehydration. The key treatment is drinking oral rehydration solution. Antibiotics are also given, usually tetracycline or doxycycline, but quinolone antibiotics (eg ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin) are also effective.
Cholera occurs regularly in Peru, but it’s rare among travelers. Cholera vaccine is no longer required to enter Peru, and is in fact no longer available in some countries, including the USA, because the old vaccine was relatively ineffective and caused side effects. There are new vaccines that are safer and more effective, but they’re not available in many countries and are only recommended for those at particularly high risk.
Dengue Fever
This is a viral infection found throughout South America. Dengue is transmitted by aedes mosquitoes, which usually bite during the daytime and are often found close to human habitations. They breed primarily in artificial water containers, such as cans, cisterns, metal drums, plastic containers and discarded tires. As a result, dengue is especially common in densely populated, urban environments, including Lima