Travel health in Chile

Chile is a fairly risk-free country to travel in as far as health problems are concerned. No inoculations are required, though you might want to consider a hepatitis A jab, as a precaution. Check, too, that your tetanus boosters are up to date. Many travelers experience the occasional stomach upset, and sunstroke is also quite common, especially at high altitudes.

Chile is well endowed with pharmacies (farmacias) – even smaller towns usually have at least a handful. If you need to see a doctor, make an appointment at the outpatient department of the nearest hospital, usually known as a clínica. The majority of clínicas are private, and expensive, so make sure your travel insurance provides good medical cover.

Rabies

Rabies, though only a remote risk, does exist in Chile. If you get bitten or scratched by a dog, you should seek medical attention immediately. The disease can be cured, but only through a series of stomach injections administered before the onset of symptoms, which can appear within 24 hours or lie dormant for months, and include irrational behavior, fear of water and foaming at the mouth. There is a vaccine, but it’s expensive and doesn’t prevent you from contracting rabies, though it does buy you time to get to hospital.

Altitude sickness

Anyone traveling in Chile’s northern altiplano, where altitudes commonly reach 4500m – or indeed anyone going higher than 3000m in the cordillera – needs to be aware of the risks of altitude sickness, locally known as soroche or apunamiento. This debilitating and sometimes dangerous condition is caused by the reduced atmospheric pressure and corresponding reduction in oxygen that occurs around 3000m above sea level. Basic symptoms include breathlessness, headaches, nausea and extreme tiredness, rather like a bad hangover. There’s no way of predicting whether or not you’ll be susceptible to the condition, which seems to strike quite randomly, affecting people differently from one ascent to another. You can, however, take steps to avoid it by ascending slowly and allowing yourself to acclimatize. In particular, don’t be tempted to whizz straight up to the altiplano from sea level, but spend a night or two acclimatizing en route. You should also avoid alcohol and salt, and drink lots of water. The bitter-tasting coca leaves chewed by many locals in the altiplano (where they’re widely available at markets and village stores) can help ease headaches and the sense of exhaustion.

Although extremely unpleasant, the basic form of altitude sickness is essentially harmless and passes after about 24 hours (if it doesn’t, descend at least 500m). However, in its more serious forms, altitude sickness can be dangerous and even life-threatening. One to two percent of people traveling to 4000m develop HAPO (high-altitude pulmonary oedema), caused by the build-up of liquid in the lungs. Symptoms include fever, an increased pulse rate and coughing up white fluid; sufferers should descend immediately, whereupon recovery is usually quick and complete. Rarer, but more serious, is HACO (high-altitude cerebral oedema), which occurs when the brain gets waterlogged with fluid. Symptoms include loss of balance, severe lassitude, weakness or numbness on one side of the body and a confused mental state. If you or a fellow traveler display any of these symptoms, descend immediately and get to a doctor; HACO can be fatal within 24 hours.

Sunburn and dehydration

In many parts of Chile, sunburn and dehydration are threats. They are obviously more of a problem in the excessively dry climate of the north, but even in the south of the country, it’s easy to underestimate the strength of the summer sun. To prevent sunburn, take a high-factor sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat. It’s also essential to drink plenty of fluids before you go out, and always carry large quantities of water with you when you’re hiking in the sun. You lose a lot of salt when you sweat, so make sure to add more to your food, or take a rehydration solution.

Hypothermia

Another potential enemy, especially at high altitudes and in Chile’s far southern reaches, is hypothermia. Because early symptoms can include an almost euphoric sense of sleepiness and disorientation, your body’s core temperature can plummet to danger level before you know what has happened. Chile’s northern deserts have such clear air that it can drop to -4ºF (-20ºC) at night, which makes you very vulnerable to hypothermia while sleeping if proper precautions aren’t taken. If you do get hypothermia, the best thing to do is take your clothes off and jump into a sleeping bag with someone else – sharing another person’s body heat is the most effective way of restoring your own. If you’re alone, or have no willing partners, then get out of the wind and the rain, remove all wet or damp clothes, get dry and drink plenty of hot fluids.

Medical resources

• Canadian Society for International Health Canada https://cagh-acsm.org Extensive list of travel health centres.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention US http://cdc.gov/travel. Official US government travel health site.
• Hospital for Tropical Diseases Travel Clinic UK www.thehtd.org. Leading travel clinic and hospital.
• International Society for Travel Medicine US http://istm.org. Has a full list of travel health clinics.
• MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) UK check http://masta-travel-health.com for the nearest clinic.
• Tropical Medical Bureau Ireland http://tmb.ie. The TMB has 22 travel clinics across the country.
• The Travel Doctor – TMVC Australia http://traveldoctor.com.au. Lists travel clinics in Australia.