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Oh my aching bones...

So we're traveling in Africa and my husband bangs up his knee.

"Here goes our trip," I thought to myself. "There's no way we can continue with one of us limping and moaning."

Enter ARNICA the hero.

On the banks of the Zambezi River, a fellow traveler noted Richard's gimp and offered to lend her tube of Arnica creme. Neither one of us had heard of it, but at this point we were willing to try anything.

Even the first application made a difference and subsequent ones took care of the problem altogether.

Arnica montana is a centuries-old anti-inflamatory made from plants in the sunflower family. It is used to alleviate the pain of strains, sprains, sore muscles, achy joints, and nasty bruises. Used topically, the ointment speeds the natural healing process. My current favorite is Arnicare made by Boiron (http://www.boironusa.com/), but there are several other brands.

In addition, Arnica tablets can be taken orally to further speed the relief.

Actually, the real hero in this story is the fellow traveler who witnessed a wince and provided a remedy.

Mal de Mer and More

For years I have used Sea-Bands (http://www.sea-band.com/) to prevent motion sickness – and they really worked. All I did was slip on the stretchy wristbands and make sure the white plastic button on the inside of the bands was positioned to push on the Nei-Kuan acupressure points on the inside of my wrists. Voilà! No more leaning over the side of the boat.

The only drawback is that the bands don’t hold up very well. With age, they stretch – especially if they get wet – so that the button doesn’t stay in place, rendering them ineffective.

Since Mr. Nausea is not my favorite traveling companion, I was glad to discover PsiBands (http://www.psibands.com/) that operate on the exact same drug-free principle, but are made of latex-free medical grade synthetic rubber. Not only are they waterproof, but they are also fully adjustable (like a watchband).

PsiBands were invented by two young mothers who were looking for a way to control the effects of morning sickness. They are also recommended to control the nausea caused by chemotherapy and anesthesia.

PsiBands are available nationwide at more than 5,000 Rite Aid locations, as well as other chains such as REI, Longs Drugs, Pharmaca, and Drugworld stores. Online, they are available through Amazon.com and Drugstore.com. Price varies per retailer, but ranges from US$14.99 – 19.99.

Psi is pronounced “sigh,” as in breathe a sign of relief – which is just what you’ll do when you wear them.

Socially Embarrassing Snoring

I recently started a travel story with a reference to my husband’s snoring Several readers commented that it was funny (comparing the noise I sleep with every night to that of hippos grumbling in the Zambezi River), but – in truth – snoring isn't a laughing matter.

I know travelers who are afraid to fall asleep on a flight because they fear embarrassing themselves with their own hippo rendition. Likewise, they avoid any situation where thin walls separate sleeping spaces.

What’s a snorer to do? My husband has experimented with several potential remedies, and what works best for him are the Breathe Right adhesive nasal strips (http://www.breatheright.com/), which help to hold open the airway in the nose. The strips work best if he uses Flonase, a prescription nasal spray, first, but even a Breathe Right alone helps. When he first started using them, they fell off during the night. Then he figured out that they’d stick if he wiped alcohol on his nose before applying the strip.

Dr. Marc Kayem, of the Snoring and Apnea Center of California, also suggests that snorers avoid alcohol, antihistamines and tranquilizers, and heavy meals for four hours before sleeping.

Those who only snore on their backs, can put a tennis ball inside a sock and pin the sock to the back of their pajama top. Every time they roll onto their backs the discomfort of the ball will cause them to move into another position.

Back to the Zambezi River…I loved the night sounds of the African bush so much that before leaving Zambia, I bought a “Sound Safari” CD. The grumbling hippos are my favorite musicians.

Let's Talk About "The Trots"

Whether you call it Montezuma's Revenge, Delhi Belly, or the Aztec Two-Step, you know what I mean. One minute you are enjoying your vacation and the next you feel like you're in the ugliest stages of colonoscopy prep.

This condition is most likely to strike a) in developing countries and b) at the most inopportune time. One particularly memorable episode involved a flight between Puerta Vallarta and Oaxaca and a pilot who apparently didn't know how to turn off the seatbelt light. At the time, I felt sure he knew of my plight and was seizing the occasion to express some long held anti-American sentiment.

Another vivid experience caused me to extend my stay at a B&B in Ballarat, Australia - which blows to bits the belief that this malady only strikes in the Third World. Here, however, there was a silver lining to my cloud: the doctor insisted I drink something that would restore my electrolyte balance and, thus, I learned a valuable lesson.

Turns out that one of the reasons we feel so rotten when travelers' diarrhea strikes is that all that fluid loss causes not only dehydration, but also out of whack electrolytes. Gatorade helps, but isn't always available, so I carry a powdered sports drink. My current favorite is GU2O, which I buy at REI. You can also improvise by mixing 1 quart/liter of clean water, 2 tablespoons of sugar or honey, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.

While you're waiting to feel better, stick to the BRAT diet - bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast - and drink as many clear liquids as you can. Gingerale and cooled camomile tea are good choices.

As far as medications go, Imodium or Lomotil will help with the symptoms, but my doctor thinks it's better to let nature take its course. Instead he recommends Levaquin, an antibiotic that is also effective in treating urinary tract infections and respiratory infections, so I NEVER leave home without it.

Staying healthy on the road is a lot easier if you go prepared (no pun intended).

PROTEIN 2GO

Well, I've got bad news for the Cinnabon people. A new product I've "discovered" is going to make it easier for me to resist their fragrant globs of sugar and refined carbohydrates. In the past when my hunger alarm went off while waiting for a flight, the aroma of their buns lured me like a crack peddler on a dark corner.

Enter PROTEIN 2GO - convenient little envelopes of Designer Whey powder that I can just dump into my water bottle, shake, and drink. For 50 calories, I get 10 grams of protein, generous portions of several B vitamins, some calcium, and almost no fat or carbs.

The bonus is that it tastes good - except for the French Vanilla, which I don't recommend. The Pomegranate Fruit and the Double Chocolate are my favorites, but a couple of my friends like the Orange Mango best.

Each envelope weighs only .53 ounces, and it isn't liquid so it won't send the TSA people into a frenzy. Just carry an empty water bottle through security, fill it on the other side, tear open a package of Protein 2GO, dump it in, shake, and enjoy. It'll taste good; it will keep you from being hungry; and it will help you avoid the robbers who masquerade as food vendors at the airport.

You can buy Protein 2 GO at GNC stores, which are in almost every mall. Use the store finder at http://www.gnc.com/. You can also request free samples at www.DesignerWhey.com/samples.

Good-bye, Cinnabon guys.

Photo courtesy Designer Whey.

Simply Gargle

I'm really not into "lifting" things from restaurants, but more than once - when struck with a sore throat on the road - I've had to "borrow" a salt shaker from a dining table. Nothing soothes that my-tonsils-are-on-fire feeling like a little NACL gargle.

Now some ingenious folks have come up with single-dose plastic pouches of salt water rinse that promise to 1) heal my throat and 2) keep me from being arrested.

The product is called Simply Gargle Salt Water Rinse. It's sold at RiteAid, Walmart, and all the usual suspects. There's a list of retailers at http://www.simplygargle.com/. In addition to salt, the on-the-go remedy also contains antioxidants and astringents, such as vitamin C, grape seed extract, sage extract, rosemary extract, and rosehips extract. They aren't giving it away, but when I'm traveling I'd pay almost anything to feel better -- even $6.99 for 12 doses. Free samples are available via the website.

Note to Ann, who said "I have just recently noticed that whenever I eat red onions I start having rapid heartbeat and becoming very nauseous, to the point of vomiting."

Yikes! That's a horrific response. I'd say stop eating onions and get thee to a doctor - it could be something more complicated than an allergy.

Select Wisely

I'm allergic to onions, which makes ordering in a restaurant a real chore. The wait staff often doesn't know what's in a dish - and groan when I ask them to check with the chef. It's bad enough when this drama is played out in English, but even more challenging when we're overseas and have the added complication of a foreign language.

Given this, you can imagine how excited I was to hear about a company that makes plastic-coated wallet-size cards that say things like "Does this food contain onions?" or - for waiters that don't seem to be paying attention - "I have a life-threatening onion allergy."

The cards are available in 15+ languages and cover allergies to more than 40 foods. They can also be customized for folks who are vegetarian, lactose intolerant, require gluten-free meals, etc.

I've been impressed with the response to the cards. They look "official," so waiters actually pay attention to them and, because they are coated, they can be wiped off and used over and over.

My friend Scott is deathly allergic to cucumbers, so before he left for China, I gave him two cards - one in Mandarin and one in Cantonese - that said "If I eat this food or any food that has been cooked with it or touched it, I will need immediate medical attention."

It worked and it saved him a lot of hassle.

The cards can be ordered from http://www.selectwisely.com/.