HOLIDAY HEALTH HAZARDS

1) GETTING ON A PLANE
Although only one in 6,000 healthy people are likely to develop deep vein thrombosis on long-haul flights - leading to a potentially fatal blood clot - the risk is twice that for those in their 40s or with a family history of blood clots, and up to ten times that for women who are pregnant, have recently had a baby or who take the Pill. Travel sickness, meanwhile, affects one in three holidaymakers, according to Dr Ian McIntosh, co-founder of the British Travel Health Association, while jet lag can hit anyone like a brick wall.
DON'T RISK IT: To ward off DVT, slip on some flight socks (£12.99, Scholl). Clench your calf muscles every few minutes and take a stroll down the plane every hour. For motion sickness, take a medication containing hyoscine that helps balance the control mechanism in the inner ear responsible for your nausea (Kwells, £2.25 for 12, pharmacy2u.co.uk). Avoid travel sickness on a plane by sitting in an area between the wings where there's less movement. And if you're on a long-haul flight, booking a flight that takes off in the morning, set your watch to the time in your destination, and try to eat and sleep accordingly. When you get to your destination, don't doze during the day and spend as much time outside as possible, as daylight helps reset your body clock.

2) OVERDOING THE ALCOHOL
According to Dr Susan Shirreffs, "Alcohol's a diuretic, so it'll cause you to lose more fluid than you actually take in. Dehydration prevents the body's major organs from functioning properly, while the lack of water and excess heat add massively to the concentration of free-radicals, speeding up your body's ageing process." Perhaps the biggest immediate danger is potentially fatal heatstroke, she explains, as your body won't be able to regulate its own temperature adequately.
DON'T RISK IT: Keep a bottle of water by your side and keep sipping all day. "By the time you're feeling thirsty it can often be too late." She advises that for every alcoholic drink, sink a glass of H20 on top of your usual daily quota.

3) NOT TAKING YOUR MALARIA PILLS
Three million British tourists risk catching malaria by failing to seek health advice before jetting off on holiday, according to latest figures. About 2,000 Brits return with malaria annually, 18 of whom died last year.
DON'T RISK IT: Be sure to check with your GP at least six weeks before you head off if you could be susceptible. "You need to start taking your tablets several weeks before you go, so think ahead," says George Kassianos, of the UK Malaria Guidelines Committee. Make sure you choose insect repellents containing DEET (N-diethylmetatoluamide). "Other measures include covering up in the early morning and evening, when most mosquitoes are biting, use a mosquito net and coils at night, and take garlic pills or Brewer's Yeast capsules."

4) HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX
According to research, almost a fifth of the over 30s have potentially dangerous liaisons with someone new while away each year.
DON'T RISK IT: "One in ten sexually active people have had an infection of some sort, so always use a condom, however charming they might be," says Karen Rogstad, a consultant in genito-urinary medicine. Take UK-certified condoms with you for maximum protection if you think you might have sex abroad. And if you have had sex with someone on your break - whether you're using a condom or not - get checked out at your nearest GUM clinic (ruthinking.co.uk) on your return to the UK.

5) EATING ANYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU
Diarrhoea while you're on holiday is typically caused by a member of the E.coli family - a group of bugs that normally live in our guts without actually causing us any trouble. "Over a third of British holidaymakers who travel abroad get some form of food poisoning and, in the majority of cases, it's completely preventable," explains Dr Ian McIntosh, co-founder of the British Travel Health Association.
DON'T RISK IT: Only drink the local tap water if you know it to be safe. If not, drink bottled water and use it to brush your teeth and make ice for your drinks, McIntosh advises. Salads need to be thoroughly washed, and fruit peeled. He also advises taking a probiotic supplement (Boots Feel The Difference Probiotic Supplements, £7.99 for 30 capsules). "This make your insides more resistant to infection."

6) EATING EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU
"In the heat, the amount of energy we need from food can fall by up to 40 per cent," explains state-registered dietician Anita Bean. The average woman puts on two pounds with every week's holiday they take, according to a recent study in The New England Journal Of Medicine. Once gained, the excess weight stays on, which could mean ending up a stone and a half heavier after ten years of holidays.
DON'T RISK IT: The key is to pre-empt hunger pangs, Bean says. "You'll have a lot of spare time on your hands and be eating out a lot, so the temptation to snack all day and overeat will be huge," she says. "Drink a large glass of water before every meal and keep a bowl of fruit to hand, as you will often confuse thirst for hunger," she advises. Other stay-slim strategies? Swap high-calorie cocktails for spritzers or gin and diet tonics; go for the bread basket instead of garlic bread; and ask for dishes to be steamed, poached, grilled or boiled, wherever possible.