Getting Sick in Amman: A Medical Guide for Tourists and Expats

Getting sick away from home is unsettling. You don't know where to go, how the health system works, or whether anyone will speak your language. The good news is that most of what affects visitors to Jordan is common and manageable: an upset stomach, too much sun, or a twisted ankle on the trails at Petra. This guide explains where to go for each problem, what to bring with you, and when it really is an emergency.

What is the emergency number in Jordan?

911 is Jordan's unified emergency number. One call reaches ambulance, police and civil defence, it is free, and it operates 24 hours a day in Arabic and English. Save it in your phone now, before you need it. When you call, say where you are as clearly as you can: the name of your hotel or a nearby landmark, or your location from the map app on your phone. For the full details and the older direct lines, see our guide to Jordan's emergency number, 911.

Where do I go if I get sick in Amman? Three levels of care

1. The pharmacy: for minor problems

In Jordan, a pharmacist is a common and sensible first stop for minor problems. Pharmacies are everywhere in Amman, and many stay open late into the night. A pharmacist can advise on a mild upset stomach, oral rehydration sachets, colds and sore throats, sunburn and small cuts, and will tell you if you need to see a doctor. If you need a pharmacy late at night, ask your hotel reception or search your map app for one that is open now.

2. Walk-in urgent care: for anything that needs a doctor today

When you need a doctor today but it isn't life-threatening, urgent care is the right place: diarrhoea or vomiting that isn't settling, a fever, a very sore throat, a cut that may need stitches, a sprain you can't walk on, or an ear or urine infection. You don't need an appointment, and the doctor can order tests or an X-ray if needed.

3. The emergency department or 911: for anything life-threatening

Chest pain, difficulty breathing, stroke signs, serious injuries, heavy bleeding, collapse, and confusion after time in the heat all need the emergency department or a 911 call straight away. If you're not sure which level fits, our guide to ER vs urgent care in Amman explains the difference.

What do I do about traveller's diarrhoea or food poisoning in Jordan?

Traveller's diarrhoea is the most predictable travel-related illness, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of it settles by itself: the NHS says diarrhoea usually stops within 5 to 7 days, and vomiting within 1 or 2 days. The priority is replacing fluids: sip small amounts often, and ask a pharmacist for oral rehydration sachets.

• Go to urgent care the same day if you can't keep fluids down, your urine is dark and scanty, you have a high fever, or symptoms last more than a few days.
• Go to the ER for blood in your stool, vomit with blood or that looks like coffee grounds, severe tummy pain, or severe dizziness or fainting.
• Young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with long-term conditions dehydrate faster, so don't wait as long with them.

For the details, see our guide to food poisoning and when to go to the ER. If tummy pain is the main symptom, read stomach pain: when to go to the ER.

Heat and dehydration: Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea

Jordan's summers are hot and dry, and hours of walking at Petra or in Wadi Rum under the sun can wear down even healthy people. The CDC warns that heat-related illness such as heatstroke can be deadly, and advises eating and drinking regularly, wearing loose, lightweight clothing, limiting activity in the hottest hours, and having salty snacks with water if you are outdoors for many hours.

• Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, tiredness. Move somewhere cool, take off extra clothing, drink water or a rehydration drink, and cool the skin with water and fanning. The NHS says the person should start to feel better within 30 minutes.
• Heatstroke, call 911: if they are not better after 30 minutes of cooling, or there is confusion, hot skin that isn't sweating, fast breathing, a seizure or loss of consciousness.

Read more in our guide to heatstroke warning signs in Amman.

The Dead Sea: keep your face out of the water

Dead Sea water is extremely salty. Float on your back, keep your face above the water, and don't splash or put your head under. If it gets in your eyes, don't rub them; rinse with plenty of clean fresh water, and see a doctor if the pain continues or your vision is affected. If someone swallows or breathes in Dead Sea water and then keeps coughing, vomits or has any trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the ER straight away. Don't wait to see if it settles.

Other common problems for visitors: sunburn, sprains, cuts and stings

• Sunburn: get out of the sun, cool the skin with cool water, and drink plenty. A pharmacist can suggest something to ease the pain. See a doctor for large blisters, fever and chills, dizziness, or sunburn in a young child.
• Sprained ankle on the Petra trails: rock steps and slopes make twisted ankles common. Rest the foot, apply ice wrapped in a cloth, and raise it. If you can't put any weight on it, the pain is severe, or the ankle looks deformed, go to urgent care in case you need an X-ray.
• Cuts: press on the wound with a clean cloth. A deep or gaping cut, or one that keeps bleeding despite firm pressure, needs to be checked and may need stitches.
• Scorpion stings: scorpions live in desert and rocky areas. Most stings in adults are painful but not dangerous; in children they are an emergency.
• Respiratory infections: colds and sore throats are common with travel and air-conditioning. Rest, fluids and a pharmacist's advice are usually enough. Shortness of breath or chest pain means the ER.

For more, read sprained ankle recovery and when you need an X-ray and scorpion stings and snake bites in Jordan.

When to come in now, and when the pharmacy is enough

Call 911

• Chest pain or pressure, or severe difficulty breathing.
• Face drooping, arm weakness or sudden difficulty speaking.
• Collapse, unconsciousness or a seizure.
• Confusion with hot skin after time in the heat.
• Heavy bleeding that won't stop, or a serious injury such as a fall from a height or a road accident.
• Swelling of the face or throat with difficulty breathing after a sting, food or medicine.

Go to the ER now

• Ongoing vomiting where you can't keep fluids down, with dizziness or very little urine.
• Blood in your stool or vomit.
• Severe tummy pain.
• A scorpion sting in a child, or any snake bite.
• Swallowing or breathing in Dead Sea water, followed by ongoing coughing, vomiting or trouble breathing.
• A high fever with a stiff neck or a rash that doesn't fade when pressed.

Same-day urgent care

• Diarrhoea or vomiting that isn't better after a few days, or comes with a fever.
• A sprain you can't walk on, or a cut that may need stitches.
• A fever, a very sore throat, earache, or burning when you pee.
• Sunburn with large blisters or a fever.
• Running out of a regular medicine you need.

Home care and a pharmacy are usually fine

• A mild upset stomach while you are still drinking and peeing normally.
• A cold or mild sore throat with comfortable breathing.
• Mild sunburn, or small scrapes and shallow cuts.
• A mild sprain you can still walk on.

Quick guide: where to go for each problem

This table is a rough guide, not a substitute for an examination. If in doubt, get checked:

What should I bring to a clinic?

• Your passport or residence ID.
• Your travel insurance policy and your insurer's emergency assistance number.
• A list of your medicines and doses, and any allergies, including drug allergies.
• The medicines themselves, in their original packs if you can.
• A summary of any long-term condition, such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma.
• A phone number you can be reached on, and your hotel name or address.

What about travel insurance?

The CDC advises travellers to check what their health plan covers abroad and to consider travel health and medical evacuation insurance. Every policy is different, so read yours before you travel and save the emergency assistance number in your phone. Many insurers ask you to call them before treatment or as soon as it starts, and they will explain how your cover works and what paperwork to keep. In a real emergency, get care first and call your insurer afterwards.

Medicines and vaccines before you travel

Bring all the medicines you might need, plus extra in case of delays, in their original packs, with a prescription or a letter from your doctor. Write down the generic name of each medicine, not just the brand name, because brand names differ between countries. The CDC notes that some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries, so check with Jordan's embassy if you carry controlled medicines. Vaccines are something to arrange before the trip: check the CDC's Jordan page and talk to your doctor well before you travel.

Is there a 24-hour clinic in Amman with English-speaking staff?

Emergency Plus on Muhammad Ahmad Tarif St. in Dabouq, west Amman, is open 24 hours a day, every day, and you can walk in without an appointment. Emergency physicians are in the building around the clock, and staff speak Arabic and English. There is an on-site laboratory, X-ray and ultrasound, so the doctor can examine you and may order blood or urine tests or an X-ray if needed. Critical cases are seen first. If you need a test or treatment that isn't available on site, the team will tell you where to go. You can come to urgent care or the emergency department at any hour.

Sources

• CDC Travelers' Health — Jordan
• CDC Yellow Book — Travelers' Diarrhea
• NHS — Diarrhoea and Vomiting
• NHS — Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke
• NHS — Sprains and Strains