Travel smart: Lab tests to consider before and after your trip

Published June 9, 2026

From weekend getaways to bucket list adventures, you want your travels to flow smoothly. Ensuring your health both before and after travel is key. Lab tests can give you insights into your wellness, provide information about vaccination status, and offer peace of mind.

Plan ahead for a safe, healthy trip

Exciting weekend adventures or trips close to home may require less extensive preparations, but it’s still good to consider what you might run into. Start planning a couple weeks ahead. For international travels, you’ll want to plan months in advance to prep for potential exposure to infectious diseases, insects, parasites, and access to clean food and water.¹

questhealth.com offers a wide range of testing options with no doctor visit required. Included with your purchase, you have the ability to speak to an independent healthcare provider to talk through results. For some lab tests, treatment options may be available.

Tests to consider before you leave

Understanding your metabolic function, hydration, and vitamin D status helps you know if you have chronic conditions under control, your heart is healthy, and your immune system is strong. The results of a fitness panel give insight into factors that affect your stamina or fitness performance. This lets you tailor your diet or exercise routine before a trip.

Make sure your vaccines are up-to-date

When traveling overseas—or even in the US—making sure you’re up-to-date on your vaccines can help keep you safe. Some countries—including many in South America and Africa— require travelers to show proof of certain vaccines. Saudi Arabia requires the meningococcal vaccine for the Hajj pilgrimage.¹

Checking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Travel Notices is also a good idea. This list alerts you to active outbreaks and may help you decide if you need vaccines or boosters.²

A vaccination status test panel tests the levels of antibodies for various infectious diseases from previous infection or vaccination. The test also provides proof of vaccination status if needed. Some countries or volunteer or mission trips may want to see proof.

Know your tuberculosis status

Tuberculosis (TB) is an illness caused by a bacterial infection. Some people are exposed to TB but do not get sick. They have what’s called latent, or inactive, TB. Up to 13 million people in the US may have inactive TB.³ You cannot spread the infection when it’s inactive.⁴

TB can become active if you have a weakened immune system and your body is unable to stop the TB germs from growing. TB is common in certain countries including those in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. When traveling somewhere TB actively spreads, it’s helpful to know your status before you travel and to test again when you return. ⁴

Caring for yourself when you get home

Travel can be exhausting, and sometimes you can feel off or sick when you return. Despite your best efforts, you may still be exposed to bacteria, parasites, or infections. If you have symptoms that persist for a week or more after travel, some tests may help you understand what’s going on.

Uncover the cause of lingering tummy troubles

Stomach distress is common during and after travel. Did the airplane food disagree with you? Were you exposed to bacteria from unclean water? It can be hard to tell what’s causing your discomfort. If you have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, headaches, or muscle aches, a stool test may help uncover the cause.

Sexual health testing at home

About a third of travelers have sex with a new partner, according to the CDC. Condoms are the best way to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but they aren’t always used consistently, and they can’t prevent every infection. STIs spread during sexual activity and skin-to-skin contact. Because many infections don’t cause symptoms in the early stages, you could spread the infection without knowing it.⁵

If there’s a possibility you were exposed to an STI while traveling, it’s important to get tested soon. Early detection allows you to access treatment, avoid complications, and prevent spread.⁵

Symptoms of an STI include

• Pain during sex or urination
• Rashes, sores, or ulcers on your genitals, throat, or skin
• Discharge from your genitals or anus
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

At questhealth.com, you can discreetly buy tests to screen for STIs with no doctor’s appointment. Tests also include the ability to speak with an independent healthcare provider about your results. Depending on your test results, treatment options may be available.

Check for tick-borne illnesses

If you spent time outdoors, possibly getting cozy with ticks, watch for signs of Lyme disease or alpha-gal.

Lyme disease spreads through the bite of deer ticks. The tick needs to be attached for 36 to 48 hours to spread the bacteria that causes the disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease begin about 3 to 30 days after a tick bite. The earliest and most common sign is a rash that expands over several days. It can begin to look like a bullseye. The rash may feel warm but doesn’t itch or hurt.⁶

These symptoms can appear days or months after a bite:

• Headaches and neck stiffness
• Drooping on one or both sides of your face
• Body aches and pains
• Dizziness or shortness of breath
• Rashes on other parts of your body
• Joint swelling and pain
• Shooting pain or numbness in your hands or feet

Alpha-gal is a molecule transmitted by a tick bite that causes an allergy to red meat, including beef, pork, lamb, venison, and rabbit. People exposed to alpha-gal experience allergic reactions, such as hives, nausea, difficulty breathing, or dizziness, after eating red meat or dairy products.⁷

If you have symptoms of Lyme disease or a new allergy to red meat or dairy, consider getting tested.