Nearly 20 percent of the three million Australian travellers each year will lose precious holiday time due to illness, new research has found.

Maintaining your health while overseas is important and according to travel medicine specialist Travelvax, there are a few guidelines to follow to ensure you stay healthy while travelling.

Make sure you have a travel insurance policy that covers for medical problems.  Your local travel agent can recommend a policy suited to the traveller’s distinctive requirements for the different parts of the globe.

Vaccinations may be compulsory to enter certain countries or to return to Australia, so check with your GP to determine which health/vaccination requirements apply to your itinerary.  Plan this at least six weeks before you travel as some vaccinations require an initial shot followed by one or two boosters.  Record these in an International Vaccination Certificate Record book.

If you take medication regularly make sure you have enough for the trip, with some spare, as the supplies may not be available overseas.  It is recommended these are packed in your hand luggage that is kept on your person and not your suitcase as it may get lost or delayed.  Also carry a Medication Authority form to demonstrate to authorities that the medication has been prescribed by a medical practitioner.

While in flight be sure to read the airlines health and safety card with recommendations on how to avoid Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Know your destination and its health suggestions.  If required, avoid local cuisine from vendors on the street and especially avoid salads, seafood, dairy products, drinks containing ice cubes and plain water (unless bottled, then check that the seal is unbroken).

Global nutritional supplements manufacturer USANA health sciences nutritionist Ravinder Lilly agrees that maintaining health while travelling is vital, as it can affect the body in such a way that it lowers immunities.

“If you are planning on travelling overseas or a long distance domestic trip, you should consider taking extra precautions now, in order to defend against sickness,” Ms Lilly said.

Ms Lilly suggested while in flight stay hydrated as humidity on a plane is much lower than on dry land.  Avoid too much alcohol and caffeinated drinks while in flight as they can make dehydration worse, causing headaches.

A simple yet top tip to staying healthy while travelling is to wash your hands.   Most likely during your travels you will be in contact with a lot of common areas used by a high volume of other people such as buses, trains, planes, light switches and lift buttons.  Hand sanitizer comes in handy on occasions where you don’t have access to soap or cleaning supplies.

According to Ms Lilly preparation is the key to avoiding illness whilst travelling.

“Although there are a lot of factors to consider before taking off on a trip your health is the most important, so plan ahead and prepare in order to defend against any nasty bugs,” Ms Lilly concluded.