Does an upset stomach plague your holiday?
The typical Brit returns home from their summer holiday having experienced at least four problems on their sunshine break, it has emerged.
Researchers found despite describing their holiday as 'relaxing' and 'enjoyable' more than half the study admitted there was always something major that could have gone smoother.
Top grumbles include preventable health woes like tummy trouble and suffering from sunburn, with others including rough plane rides and the language barrier making life difficult.
The research, which was commissioned by healthcare hub www.allabouthealth.org.uk, found a third of the 2,000 people studied went on holiday unprepared for holiday health problems, with a quarter having to change their plans because something went wrong and one fifth seeing a holiday completely ruined by illness.
Allabouthealth.org.uk pharmacist Joanne Carey said: “There’s always a lot to think about when venturing abroad and amid all the excitement and the rush to get away, sometimes holiday health preparation can be overlooked.
“What the results show is that nearly a quarter of the disappointment or problems that occur on holiday do so as a result of illness or injury.
“A holiday shouldn’t be tarnished by health problems that in many cases can be prevented with some forward planning.”
Dirty hotel rooms, unexpected building work and fierce competition for sun loungers were also common difficulties experienced and made the top 20 list. Heat stroke, family members coming down with illness and travel sickness were also likely to taint people’s holiday memories.
The study showed that over a third of holiday makers worry about things going wrong while away and one in seven worry ‘most of the time’. Despite this one in four people have travelled without medical insurance - mainly because they preferred to ‘take the gamble’.
Unfortunately, one in eight people have suffered a bad medical experience when abroad.
More than a quarter of holidays abroad don’t go to plan because of members of the party falling ill while away, with one in four describing their holiday experience as ‘stressful’.
An unlucky 44 per cent often have trouble with insect bites while holidaying abroad and one in six don’t take precautions before exposing themselves to the sun.
Perhaps not surprisingly, an eighth touched down in the UK with a health problem being their most memorable experience of their time away from home.
In fact, Joanne Carey added: “A holiday should be enjoyable so preparing for health problems should be as important as packing your suitcase.
“The chances of health problems can always be reduced with a bit of preparation.”