Heading out to travel in new and exotic places can be one of the most exciting occurrences in your life, but there are also safety considerations that you have to take into account. There are horror stories of people not being prepared for some things, especially in tourist destinations where people are unfamiliar with the culture.

So, if you plan on heading out, even in the next year or so, to a tourist destination that is outside of your normal spectrum, make sure to take the five following safety precautions.

Be Aware of the Condition of Your Medical Records

New medical organizations techniques when it comes to your records are really improving worldwide medical services, but there are still some things that you should be aware of. For instance, you should be familiar with the latest HIPAA standards so that you understand the functional rules for transferring and keeping private medical information in different facilities, and how that data is protected. In a foreign country, you don’t want to end up surprised that they don’t have access to something important.

Have a Working Will

And it may sound a bit morbid, but there’s always a chance for accidents when out traveling, so creating a working will is not a bad idea, even if it’s a simple one. The last thing that you want is for there to be confusion among your family if something bad were to happen, so having that document ready is important, especially if you’re going to be out doing something that could potentially be dangerous – like hiking up a mountain for instance.

Create a Medical Safety Card

In addition, if you’re going somewhere you don’t speak the language, be sure to create a medical safety card that has necessary information on it in the local language. For instance, there should be a card in your wallet that says you’re allergic to penicillin, or maybe you have a blood disease of some sort. That information can save your life!

Think About Travel Conditions

A few different types of travel conditions can be very stressful on your body, so for the purpose of health concerns, think about things like the motion of the ocean if you’re traveling by boat, or the pressure in the air if you’re traveling in an airplane.

Food Allergies Can Create Issues

Lastly, you should look up common ingredients in the food where you’re going to be traveling to. If you have allergies to things like fruit, or nuts, or any other specific food, but don’t know if it’s going to be in the main dishes, you can get in big trouble fast in terms of allergic reactions.