Symptoms
5 common travel illnesses a video doctor can help with
Not every travel illness needs a clinic. Five complaints an English-speaking doctor can assess by video, and the signs that mean you should be seen in person.
The short answer
A video consultation suits non-emergency travel illnesses a doctor can assess by looking and asking: skin rashes and allergic reactions, mild digestive upset, cold and flu like symptoms, insect bites that may be infected, and minor eye or ear discomfort. It cannot examine you, run a test or treat an emergency. What it does is tell you what is likely going on, what to do next, and whether you need to be seen in person.
Worth knowing
- Video consultations are for non-emergency problems only. Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms need local emergency services, not a call.
- Anything visible suits video best: a rash, hives, or a bite that has turned red and swollen can be shown to the doctor directly.
- Problems that are assessed by conversation, like an upset stomach or a cold, work well too, because the questions matter more than the examination.
- Being told to go and be seen in person is a useful outcome, not a wasted call. You leave knowing what kind of care to look for.
- Look up the local emergency number when you arrive somewhere new, before you need it.
In this guide
You wake up to the view you spent months looking forward to, but something feels off. It is not a full-blown emergency, and yet a worrying new symptom has checked in with you. The last thing you want is to spend a precious travel day finding a clinic, navigating a language barrier and waiting in an unfamiliar waiting room.
For many common travel ailments, getting medical guidance can be much simpler. A video consultation with an English-speaking doctor offers a practical, reassuring first step, and it brings a medical opinion to your hotel room or holiday rental.
This article walks through five travel health concerns that are often well suited to a video consultation, so you can tell when it is the right first move and when it is not.
When should you skip the call and get help in person?
Before looking at what a video doctor can help with, it is worth knowing when you need to skip the call entirely. Contact local emergency services without delay if you or someone you are travelling with has any of the following:
- Severe or rapidly worsening symptoms
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain
- Fainting or confusion
- Significant bleeding
- Severe, unbearable pain
- A serious injury, for example from a fall or an accident
- Signs of severe dehydration
- Any pain or bleeding during pregnancy
A good travel habit is to look up the local emergency number for your destination when you arrive, rather than when you need it. Across the European Union you can call 112 free of charge, from a landline or a mobile, and it works in some countries outside the EU too. In the UK the emergency number is 999.
1. Skin rashes, allergies and minor irritations
It is a common travel story: you find an unexplained rash after a day at the beach, notice hives after dinner, or develop an itchy patch of skin after a hike. New sunscreens, unfamiliar foods, different laundry detergents and contact with local plants can all be culprits.
How a video consultation helps. A video call is well suited to this. A doctor can get a clear look at the rash, ask targeted questions about your recent activities and diet, and assess whether it looks like an allergic reaction, heat rash or contact dermatitis. The exception is a reaction with swelling of the lips or throat, breathing trouble or faintness, which needs emergency care; how to tell if an allergic reaction is an emergency sets out the difference.
Potential outcome. Based on what they see and hear, the doctor can recommend an over-the-counter antihistamine or a soothing cream from a local pharmacy. If they suspect something that needs a closer look or a prescription-strength treatment, they will guide you to the right kind of in-person care.
2. Mild digestive upset and travellers' diarrhoea
Perhaps the most classic of all travel complaints is the upset stomach that follows a delicious but unfamiliar meal. Most cases are mild and settle on their own, and diarrhoea usually stops within five to seven days. The uncertainty is in knowing whether your case is the usual kind.
How a video consultation helps. A doctor cannot examine your abdomen over video, but they can assess the severity through a detailed conversation. They will ask about the frequency and nature of your symptoms, whether you have a fever, and what you have recently eaten. From there they can advise on hydration, what to stick to and what to avoid.
Potential outcome. Clear guidance on managing your symptoms, advice on over-the-counter remedies, and, most importantly, the signs that mean you should be seen in person: not keeping fluids down, dark or reduced urine, blood in your stool, or diarrhoea lasting more than a week. There is more detail in our guide to food poisoning on holiday.
3. Cold and flu like symptoms
A scratchy throat, a persistent cough or that general run-down feeling can put a damper on any itinerary. It is easy to pick up a cold on a plane or in a crowded tourist spot, and hard to know whether it is a simple virus or something more. If the cold has cleared but the cough has not, our guide to a lingering cough abroad explains how long is normal and when to get it checked.
How a video consultation helps. A doctor can listen to your symptoms, ask about fever and body aches, and may be able to get a look at your throat on camera. That helps them tell a standard cold apart from something needing further attention, such as a severe sore throat that could be strep, which needs an in-person test to confirm. They can also check that your symptoms do not point to a more serious respiratory problem.
Potential outcome. For a common cold, reassurance and advice on managing it with rest, fluids and pharmacy remedies. If your symptoms suggest something else, the doctor will explain why an in-person visit is the right next step.
4. Reactions to insect bites and stings
A mosquito bite on your ankle has become surprisingly red, swollen and itchy. Is that a normal reaction, or is it getting infected?
How a video consultation helps. This is another area where a visual assessment is invaluable. You can show the bite directly to the doctor, who can look for a simple local reaction as against spreading redness, warmth or pus. A bite is one of the ways bacteria get through broken skin, and skin that is hot, painful and swollen is how that infection shows itself. They will also ask whether you feel generally unwell or have a fever.
Potential outcome. For a standard bite, advice on managing the itching and the swelling. If there are signs of infection they will tell you to be seen in person, because you may need prescription antibiotics.
5. Minor eye or ear discomfort
Waking up with a red, gritty-feeling eye, or an outer ear that aches after a day in the pool, can be alarming when you are a long way from your own doctor.
How a video consultation helps. For eye problems, a doctor can look for redness and discharge and assess how likely viral or bacterial conjunctivitis is, and whether pink eye changes the pool, the kids' club or the flight home. For ear pain they cannot use an otoscope to see inside the ear canal, but they can ask questions that narrow it down, such as whether pulling on your earlobe makes the pain worse, which points towards an outer ear infection.
Potential outcome. The doctor may recommend specific eye or ear drops available at a local pharmacy. They will also know when your symptoms need an in-person examination, to rule out a middle-ear infection or something in the eye.
A quick guide to when video helps
A summary of when a video consultation is a good first step, and when you will need in-person care instead.
| Concern | How a video consultation can help | When to be seen in person |
|---|---|---|
| Skin rashes | Visual assessment, questions about what changed, advice on creams. | If the rash is severe, spreading quickly, or comes with a fever. |
| Mild digestive upset | Severity assessment, hydration advice, guidance on what to eat. | If you have a high fever, severe pain, or signs of dehydration. |
| Cold and flu symptoms | Telling a simple virus apart from something more, advice on relief. | If you have difficulty breathing, a very high fever, or a severe sore throat. |
| Insect bites | A visual check for infection, guidance on swelling and itching. | If the bite shows signs of infection or you feel generally unwell. |
| Minor eye or ear trouble | A visual check of the eye, questions that narrow down ear pain. | For severe pain, changes to your vision, or a suspected middle-ear infection. |
Getting medical guidance is simpler than you think
For any of these non-emergency concerns, a medical opinion buys you a clear plan and the peace of mind to get back to your trip.
Pomodoc connects travellers with English-speaking doctors by video, so you can get that guidance from your hotel room. The goal of the consultation is to understand what is happening and work out the right next step, whether that is rest, a trip to the pharmacy, or a visit to a local clinic. It helps to have your symptoms and any medicines you take ready before you dial in, and our guide to preparing for a video consultation covers what to have to hand.
Even if the doctor recommends in-person care, the call has done its job. It has replaced uncertainty with a concrete direction. If you are weighing the two routes up, video or in person sets out what each one is good for, and how to see a doctor online abroad covers your other options.
In short
- Non-emergencies only. Call local emergency services for severe or life-threatening symptoms.
- Best for anything visible. Skin rashes and insect bites can be shown to the doctor directly.
- Good for the rest too. Colds, mild stomach upset and minor eye or ear trouble are assessed by conversation.
- A referral is a result. A key role of the doctor is telling you whether you need to be seen.
- Clear guidance in English. It reduces the stress and gets you to the right care faster.
Common questions
What if my symptom is not on this list?
A video consultation is still a reasonable starting point for many non-emergency problems. An English-speaking doctor can assess your symptoms and advise on the best course of action, whatever the concern. The exceptions are the emergency signs listed above, which need local emergency services rather than a call.
Is a video consultation private?
It is a confidential medical appointment, in the same way a visit to a doctor's office is. You are talking to a licensed doctor about your health, and that conversation is between the two of you.
What happens if the doctor says I need to be seen in person?
That is a useful outcome rather than a wasted appointment. Instead of guessing from your hotel room, you now know what kind of care to look for and how urgently, which is exactly what you could not work out on your own.
Can a video doctor prescribe something for a travel illness?
Sometimes, and it depends on the medicine and the country you are in. Your doctor may issue one when it’s clinically appropriate and local rules permit. Often the answer is an over-the-counter product from a local pharmacy instead. There is more in our guide to prescriptions abroad.
Can I use a video doctor abroad without travel insurance?
Yes. You can pay directly for a consultation rather than going through an insurer, which for a minor problem is often the faster route. Keep the receipt, because many policies reimburse an out of pocket medical cost afterwards. Telemedicine without insurance goes through how that works.
Sources
- Diarrhoea and vomitingNHSThat diarrhoea usually stops within five to seven days, and the signs that mean urgent help: not keeping fluids down, dark or reduced urine, blood in the stool, and diarrhoea lasting more than a week.
- CellulitisNHSThat bacteria can infect deeper layers of skin through a break such as an insect bite, and that the infection shows as skin that is painful, hot and swollen.
- 112: the European emergency numberEuropean CommissionThat 112 is reachable everywhere in the European Union free of charge, from fixed and mobile phones, and is used in some countries outside the EU.
- When to call 999NHSThat 999 is the UK number for life-threatening emergencies.
Keep reading
SymptomsFood poisoning on holiday: what to do firstThe first few hours, what actually helps, and the symptoms that mean it is time to involve a doctor.
Getting careVideo or in person: which care do you actually need?What each one can and cannot do, the signs that rule video out entirely, and how to prepare for either.
Getting careHow to see a doctor online while you are abroadSeeing a doctor by video is one of five realistic options. What each one costs you in time, and how to pick without losing the afternoon.