Health Guide
Common Illnesses
Common Illnesses
Eye Stye (Hordeolum) in Arugam Bay: Why It Happens Here and How to Treat It
Heat, sweat, sunscreen, and sandy hands make eye styes common in Arugam Bay. Here's how to tell a stye from conjunctivitis and when it needs more than a warm compress.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Boils and Skin Abscesses in Arugam Bay: When They Need to Be Drained
Heat, sweat, and sand turn a blocked hair follicle into a painful boil fast in Arugam Bay. Here's how to tell a boil from a pimple and when it needs draining.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Giardia and Intestinal Parasites After Travel in Sri Lanka: When Diarrhea Won't Go Away
Most traveler's diarrhea clears in a few days. If yours has dragged on for a week or more, with bloating and no appetite, a parasite like Giardia could be why.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Heartburn and Acid Reflux from Spicy Sri Lankan Food: What Actually Helps
Sri Lankan curry is wonderful and brutal on a sensitive stomach. Here's why spicy food triggers heartburn here specifically, and how to settle it fast.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Ingrown Toenails in Arugam Bay: Flip-Flops, Sand, and When It Needs Treatment
A sore, red big toe after days in flip-flops is usually an ingrown toenail. Here's why Arugam Bay makes them worse, what you can treat yourself, and when to come in.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Kidney Stones and Dehydration in Arugam Bay: Why the Tropical Heat Raises Your Risk
Heat, long surf sessions, and not drinking enough water make kidney stones more common in travelers here. Learn the warning signs and how to protect yourself.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Yeast Infections and Thrush While Traveling: Why Sri Lanka's Humidity Makes It Worse
Heat, humidity, and wet swimwear make yeast infections and thrush far more common on the road. Here's why, how to treat one, and how to prevent it in Arugam Bay.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Common Cold and Flu in Sri Lanka: Managing Respiratory Illness While Traveling
A blocked nose and sore throat in Arugam Bay usually is just a cold. Here's how to tell it apart from something more serious, and how to treat it fast.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Tropical Skin Fungal Infections in Arugam Bay: Ringworm, Athlete's Foot, and Staying Dry
Itchy ring-shaped patches, peeling skin between the toes, or a rash that won't clear with regular cream? Sri Lanka's heat and humidity make fungal skin infections common. Here's how we treat them.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Red, Itchy Eyes in Arugam Bay: Conjunctivitis, Sand, and Salt Water
Red, gritty, or watering eyes are one of the most common complaints we see. Learn how to tell salt-water irritation from conjunctivitis, and when to come in.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Swimmer's Ear in Arugam Bay: The Infection That Isn't Surfer's Ear
Painful, itchy, discharging ear after a week of surfing or swimming in Arugam Bay? That's swimmer's ear, not surfer's ear. Here's how we treat it and how to stop it coming back.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Traveller's Constipation in Sri Lanka: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Constipation is one of the most common travel complaints, and one of the least talked about. Here's why it happens in Sri Lanka's heat and how to get things moving again.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Hepatitis A in Sri Lanka: What It Is and Why the Vaccine Is Worth It
Hepatitis A spreads through contaminated food and water and can knock travelers out for weeks. Here's what it looks like, how it's treated, and why the vaccine matters.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Typhoid Fever in Sri Lanka: Why It Isn't Just Food Poisoning
Typhoid is a slower, more serious food-and-water-borne fever than ordinary traveler's diarrhea. Here's how to tell the difference and when it needs testing.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Ear Wax Removal in Arugam Bay: Blocked Ears After Surfing
Blocked, muffled ear after surfing or swimming in Arugam Bay? We safely remove ear wax and check for infection the same day. Here's what's going on and what not to do.
5 min read
Common Illnesses
UTIs While Traveling in Sri Lanka: Prevention and Treatment
Long travel days, dehydration, and wet swimwear make urinary tract infections common on the road. Here's how to prevent one and what to do if it happens in Arugam Bay.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Dehydration in the Tropics: Oral Rehydration Salts and When You Need an IV Drip
Heat, surfing, and stomach bugs dehydrate travelers fast in Sri Lanka. Learn how to rehydrate properly, and when oral salts are not enough and you need a drip.
7 min read
Common Illnesses
Fever in the Tropics: When It's Serious and When It Isn't
A fever in Sri Lanka could be a cold, dengue, a urinary infection, or something less common. Here's how to tell when to ride it out at home and when to see a doctor.
6 min read
Common Illnesses
Food Poisoning and Traveler's Diarrhea in Sri Lanka
Traveler's diarrhea hits most visitors at some point. Here's how to treat it, when to worry, and how to avoid it without missing out on the food.
7 min read