PULSE HOW TO STAY HEALTHY AWAY FROM HOME.

Traveling, especially during the peak holiday time, can make you vulnerable to any number of illnesses. And if you're traveling abroad, the risk of contracting a more serious condition, such as malaria, is even greater.

But travelers can protect themselves by practicing preventive care before they leave, says Dr. Adrian Cohen, medical director for the reality TV show ``Survivor.''

Health is usually at the bottom of people's travel checklist - if it's there at all.

``It's the mind set,'' says Cohen, who lives in Sydney, Australia. ``(We get) so excited about getting a couple of weeks that we get carried away and we're thinking about the result and not the process.''

For a healthier trip, follow Cohen's tips:

Plan ahead: Get travel insurance and travel health insurance to protect yourself from financial loss in case of an emergency or natural disaster. Cohen, along with GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company, established www.travelsafely.com. The Web site has links to the Centers for Disease Control's Destination Risk Information page, the International Society of Travel Medicine's Web site and information about hepatitis and malaria.

You can also download a copy of Cohen's brochure, ``Surviving Your Vacation: Healthy Travel Advice From Dr. Adrian Cohen.''

See a doctor who specializes in travel medicine: These doctors are especially knowledgeable about diseases indigenous to specific countries. They can give you medications, vaccines and other advice necessary for your trip.

Malaria and hepatitis A and B are of special concern, says Cohen. Malaria, a potentially fatal disease caused by a parasite and usually contracted through a mosquito bite, is found in popular destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean. By taking malaria medication before, during and after your vacation, you are doing yourself a favor.

Hepatitis A is contracted through eating contaminated food or drinking bad water, and hepatitis B is contracted through bodily fluids, such as blood. These liver diseases can be prevented through vaccination.

Visit the International Society of Travel Medicine's Web site at www.istm.org for more information.

Pack a health kit: Along with your bathing suit and suntan oil, compile a list of essential medical items. Your kit can include basics like bandages, aspirin and anti-itch cream, but should also include an adequate supply of any prescription medication you may take. Cohen also recommends bringing along a legible copy of your medical prescriptions and, if your wear glasses or contact lenses, your optometric prescription as well.

Cohen stresses that carefully planning all aspects of your vacation, including your health, is the best way to ensure a great trip.

``It's really about taking initiative and looking after (yourself), and that's what we want people to do,'' Cohen says. ``We don't want people to fear travel at all.''

- Nicole Sunkes

ROUGH BUT READY: When you pack your destination travel book before vacation, make a little extra room in your bag for ``The Rough Guide to Travel Health,'' (Rough Guides; $15.95). Chock-full of tips on ways to avoid common travelers' diseases, it also shows you how to obtain travel health insurance and contains specific information for pregnant and diabetic travelers. A definite must-have for any globe trotter.

- N.S.

I MET THIS FUNGI ON VACATION ...: If you don't carry a bottle of anti-bacterial hand gel with you everywhere you go, you will after you read this book. ``Microterrors: The Complete Guide to Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections That Threaten Our Health'' (Firefly Books; $19.95), by University of Liverpool professor Tony Hart, is a full-color guide to the nastiest microscopic organisms out there. The book is organized into four groups of organisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa), and each section features color pictures. The bugs are listed by name, disease or condition they cause, with a little background information about each, and a guide that will tell you how to prevent contracting said malady. Surgical gloves, anyone?

- N.S.

RED CROSS GIFT IDEAS: Give the gift of life with a $40 gift certificate for a CPR or first-aid class from the American Red Cross. The certificates can be redeemed at any Red Cross chapter in Southern California. One-person and family emergency preparedness kits, ranging from $20 to $50, are also available for purchase online at www.redcross-la.org. Gift certificates for CPR and first-aid classes can be purchased by calling [phone].

- Sherry Joe Crosby

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(1) COHEN

(2) no caption (book: ``The Rough Guide to Travel Health'')

(3) no caption (book: ``Microterrors: The Complete Guide to Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections That Threaten Our Health'')