Allergies in Vietnam

It is always important to be cautious and bring antihistamines when travelling, especially if the destination's weather or culture is extremely different from your point of origin.

In Vietnam, although the climate is dry and hot, it also has cool months. Temperatures can often reach 40 degrees Celsius and can cause heat allergies for people who are new to this kind of weather. Rashes and hives may start to appear because of the heat. Aside from carrying around medicine, it is also advisable to avoid the sun for long periods, bring an umbrella when going out and drink lots of water to cool your body down.

Nuts, herbs and other spices are also staples of Vietnamese food. If you are already aware of your body's possible reactions to these, it will be safer for you to let the waiters know about it so they can inform the cook to take out the nuts from your food.

Even when buying food from the convenient stores, check the label to see if nuts are present. In Vietnamese, nuts are written as Dau Phong.

Seafood is also occasionally included in Vietnamese dishes. To be sure, you can carry a paper or food card indicating all the foods you are allergic with and show this to either the chef or waiter upon ordering.

Upon arriving in Vietnam, it is advisable that you visit a doctor and have your pre-existing conditions checked so he/she can advise you what to avoid in the country to lower the risk of your allergy attacks. Having reliable international health insurance is also a must to avoid emergency cash-outs in case you need to see a doctor.