#infectious diseases #parasitic infections #travel+2

From Cold To Heat: How To Prepare for Acclimatization

28 octobre 2025

3 min de lecture

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Most of us like the transition from cold weather in the winter to warmer weather in the spring and summer. However, it is important to make sure your body acclimates well to changes in temperatures. This can also be important when traveling from a warm area to a cold one, or vice versa. How can you help your body do this, and how important is it?

Points clés

Most of us like the transition from cold weather in the winter to warmer weather in the spring and summer.
How do you mitigate acclimatization?
If you are traveling with a child

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Auteur de l'article

Dr. Darya

Cardiologist

How do you mitigate acclimatization?

Acclimatization is the process of the body's adaptation to new environmental conditions including temperature and humidity, light exposure, and daylight hours in 24 hours. The greater the difference in climate, the harder it is for the body to readjust. For a successful period of acclimatization, you need to give your body time.

You can help with this by not stressing the body. If you are traveling from one extreme temperature to another, you should avoid intense physical activity in the first days of your trip. Also, limit serious sun exposure during peak hours (which can be from 11 to 15 hours per day). Limit alcohol, and try not to disrupt your regular diet too much. You can take melatonin before going to bed to make it easier to adapt to a change of time zones.

Additionally, make sure to drink lots of water. Being in a hot, dry, or mountainous climate increases the risk of dehydration, which can lead to headaches, dizziness, and dangerous consequences such as hypertension, heart attack, and thrombosis. When you are in a hot climate, you should drink at least 64–96 ounces of water per day. Remember that coffee and alcohol have a diuretic effect, meaning they increase the loss of fluid. If you drink coffee, you should drink at least 1 glass of clean water per 1 small cup of coffee to maintain fluid balance. If you drink alcohol, to avoid dehydration, drink at least 1 cup of water per drink of alcohol — whether it be liquor, wine, or beer.

A change of climate exposes you to many new infectious agents, so the risk of respiratory and intestinal infections increases. Even healthy people can experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea as a reaction to unfamiliar food and water. Weather shocks can exacerbate chronic conditions. Prepare for possible problems in advance and make sure to stock up on medications for the most likely ailments.

Acclimatization may take 2 to 7 days for a healthy adult and up to 14 days for a child. The optimum travel time is at least 10 days for adults and at least 21 days for children.

If you are traveling with a child

For children under 3 years of age, it is best not to change the climate too drastically, because moving between temperatures too quickly can be too much stress for the baby's body. Make sure that your child sleeps during the day and follows the usual daily routine to make the acclimatization successful. If you will be traveling between multiple time zones, try to adjust the child's schedule a little bit at home to prepare for the change.

Give your child more simple and healthy food including vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. When traveling, keep the child fed with his or her usual diet, and avoid feeding new dishes. It is better to let the child eat familiar foods. Just like adults, children need to drink lots of water and avoid sugary drinks. When you return home, give your child time to recuperate. This may include keeping the child home from school or daycare for a day or more.

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