What happens when you're traveling and you suddenly find yourself sick or injured? Locating the nearest doctor or hospital might not be so easy if you can't even speak the local language.
As smartphones take over the world, we've come up with a list of a few emergency medical travel apps every globetrotter should download (and, hopefully, never have to use). Read on for a list of the apps and their features, which range from storing emergency contacts to helping you translate the names of your medications.
TravelSmartiOS and Android, free
Using GPS capabilities, this app provides you with numbers for emergency services by destination and also offers a comprehensive list of hospitals in 129 countries, all of which have been vetted by Allianz Global Assistance (a reputable travel insurance company). To make communicating abroad even easier, it allows you to translate first aid terms and offers a "drug dictionary" with names of common medications in a variety of languages.
iOS, free
This app was created by Air Ambulance Card, a service that flies travelers home to hospitals in the U.S. and Canada if they become sick or are injured abroad. In addition to mapping you to the nearest hospital, Find-ER can store helpful information like emergency contacts, doctor and pharmacy names and phone numbers, and a list of any conditions you have or medications you're taking.
Health Care Abroad
iOS, $2.99
Would you know what to do if you came down with a nasty case of "Montezuma's revenge"? What's the fastest cure for seasickness? What are the signs of heat exhaustion? This app can help you to determine what's up when you're feeling out of it and point you in the direction of the fastest remedies. Although it was created by WaKi Apps Limited, it's backed by Dr. Deborah Mills -- also known as Dr. Deb, "The Travel Doctor" -- who has a 20-year track record of caring for travelers' ailments.
iOS and Android, free
In addition to providing a listing of ailments and their symptoms, this app, engineered by Healthagen (which develops medical technology), can help you to find the nearest hospital and lets you know how long your estimated wait time will be at certain emergency rooms and urgent care facilities. It will even let you check in at emergency clinics remotely via your smartphone, or make appointments with select doctors if an emergency visit isn't warranted. Additionally, the app allows you to store information like emergency contacts, medical conditions and medications you're taking.
iOS, $1.99; Android, $1.98; abridged Android version, free
If you've ever wanted to store all of your medical records in one app, try this one by Matrix Mobile Applications. It will house everything from your height, weight and blood type to your allergies and most recent vaccinations and medications, as well as insurance information. It can also help you find emergency services (fire, ambulance and police) in more than 200 countries, and it stores emergency contacts.
16 Offbeat Travel Apps Worth a Download
iOS, $2.99
This trusty app from FullScreenNow.com can be used to call local emergency numbers -- including those for police, fire and ambulance -- based on your current location in more than 120 countries. There's also a "shake for emergency" feature, which will tell your phone, when shaken, to dial an emergency number for you if you're unable to do it yourself.
