Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sun-related maladies
The Lao hot season, roughly March to May, can be brutal, especially in the lowlands. To
prevent
sunburn
, fair-skinned people should wear sunblock and consider purchasing a wide-
brimmed straw hat. UV protective sunglasses are useful for cutting the sun's glare, which can
be especially harsh during river journeys. The threat of
dehydration
increases with physical
exertion. Even if you don't feel thirsty, drink plenty of water. Not having to urinate or passing
dark-coloured urine are sure signs that your system is not getting enough liquids.
Heat exhaustion
, signified by headaches, dizziness and nausea, is treated by resting in a
cool place and increasing your liquid intake until the symptoms disappear.
Heatstroke
, indic-
ated by high body temperature, flushed skin and a lack of perspiration, can be life-threatening
if not treated immediately. Reducing the body's temperature by immersion in tepid water is
an initial treatment but no substitute for prompt medical attention. Heat and high humidity
sometimes cause
prickly heat
, an itchy rash that is easily avoided by wearing loose-fitting
cotton clothing.
Critters that bite and sting
In Laos the
bugs
are thick, especially during the rainy season when they swarm round light
bulbs and pummel bare skin until you feel like a trampoline at a flea circus. Fortunately, most
flying insects pose no threat and are simply looking for a place to land and rest up.
Visitors who spend the night in hill-tribe villages where hygiene is poor risk being infected
by
scabies
. These microscopic creatures are just as loathsome as their name suggests, causing
severe itching by burrowing under the skin and laying eggs. Scabies is most commonly con-
tracted by sleeping on dirty bedclothes or being in prolonged physical contact with someone
who is infected. More common are
head lice
, especially among children in rural areas. Like
scabies, it takes physical contact, such as sleeping next to an infected person, to contract
head lice, though it may also be possible to contract head lice by wearing a hat belonging to
someone who is infected.
The
leeches
most commonly encountered in Laos are about the size and shape of an inch-
worm, and travellers are most likely to pick them up while trekking through wooded areas.
Take extra care when relieving yourself during breaks on long-distance bus rides. The habit
of pushing deep into a bush for privacy gives leeches just enough time to grab hold of your
shoes or trousers. Later they will crawl their way beneath clothing and attach themselves to
joint areas (ankles, knees, elbows) where veins are near the surface of the skin. An anaesthet-
ic and anticoagulant in the leeches' saliva allows the little vampires to gorge themselves on
blood without the host feeling any pain. Tucking your trouser-legs into your socks is an easy
way to foil leeches. Wounds left by sucking leeches should be washed and bandaged as soon
as possible to avoid infection.
