Stay Healthy
You’ve
come a long
way and spent a lot of money to study in Cairo. It would be unfortunate
to spend much of your precious time sick. Invariable, most students do
get at least some stomach problems at some point. If you do, eat light
food until you get better, like rice and yogurt, and be more careful
about your food. Good nutrition can also help in protecting against
other health problems, like fatigue and colds. Take your vitamins and
drink plenty of water.
Food
Be
careful. Avoid drinking tap water. Bottled water is ubiquitous and
cheap. Eat in clean looking restaurants or at home. Make sure to scrub the fruits and vegetables before eating them,
pealing them if possible, and soaking them in some water with vinegar
to kill the bacteria. Be very careful and accustom your stomach to
Egypt a little bit at a time. Avoid juice places (especially sugar cane
juice) the first few weeks as well. Many stomach problems originate
here. Delivery and fast food is so convenient and relatively
inexpensive that many students depend on it heavily. Avoid too much
fast food, for obvious health reasons.
Exercise
Most
people in Cairo do a lot of walking. This is the best form of exercise.
If you would like to do more, there are several gyms (including
separate gyms for women). Many of the men’s gyms also offer martial
arts classes. Some of the sporting clubs also allow guests to use their
facilities, and some offer separate and private swim times for women. (Muhajiba
swimsuits can be bought from a store in City Center mall. The store is
on the east end of the mall, two floors above the entry level.)
Dental Work and Optometry
Dental
work is safe, good, and inexpensive in Cairo, as are eye exams and
glasses. If you need a procedure done, you can feel safe having it done
here. Sometimes your embassy can make some recommendations for doctors.
(A list is available at the American Embassy.) Al Noor Eye Hospital offers 25 LE eye exams with the most modern equipment. Inexpensive, but
good quality, glasses can be found at Malika (see map). The bigger
chains (Baraka, Maghrabi) offer designer glasses, but can be just as
expensive as back home!
Medical Attention
There
are hospitals mentioned in this guide with good doctors. If you need a
special doctor, see if your embassy has any recommendations. All
doctors speak English.
