Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Health in Cusco

In Cusco, the biggest health issues are related to the high altitude (known as soroche to the locals). If you suffer from soroche, you may experience headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, or vomiting. The best thing you can do for these symptoms is to rest and stay hydrated. It is also advisable to eat light meals at first. For example, soup is a great option. If this problem persists for more than 2 days, you may want to seek medical attention.


Another problem that many visitors experience when travelling to Peru is traveller´s diarrhoea. This can be disturbing to your travel plans, especially when you want to see MachuPicchu! To avoid this problem, make sure you choose clean restaurants and avoid street food. Always drink bottled or boiled water. Many problems arise when fruits or vegetables are cleaned with the tap water and served in a salad. Make sure to eat cooked vegetables or peel raw fruits and vegetables. For example, avocado is a great food to eat because you take off the peel. An apple can be okay too as long as you remove the peel. Be prepared and bring medications from home.


Finally, the UV rays in Cusco are extremely strong. Bring sunscreen with full spectrum protection, hats, and sunglasses. You can purchase sunscreen in Cusco, but it is expensive and often the quality is not as good as brands from other countries.

No comments:

Post a Comment