Skip to main content

Coping with Traveler's Diarrhea

What is Traveler's Diarrhea?


Traveler's Diarrhea is a digestive tract disorder. It consists of abdominal cramps and diarrhea that's most often caused by consuming food or water that the body isn't familiar with.


 
If you're visiting an area where either the sanitary practices or the climate are different than what you're more likely to experience traveler's diarrhea. 
It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites.

Traveler's diarrhea typically goes away on its own within a few days. It can cause dehydration , which can be dangerous , especially for children . It's often contagious, however, and passed from person to person regardless of the cause.

What are the symptoms of Traveler's Diarrhea ?

Loose , watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps are the most universal symptoms in traveler's diarrhea.

Other symptoms may depend on the cause of the condition . Symptoms  can include : 

  • Nausea
  • vomiting
  • Fever
  • Bloating
  • Excessive gas
  • Loss of appetite
  • Urgent need to defecate

How it is diagnosed?

If your traveler's diarrhea hasn't resolved within three days or your symptoms may worsen then its dangerous for your health.
Physical tests may be taken like your temperature, pressing on abdomen, stool test to search for evidence of parasites , blood tests for infection. 

Complications :

The most common complication of traveler's diarrhea is dehydration. Dehydration can easily occur when the diarrhea causes the body to loose fluids at a faster rate than they can take them in. 
Vomiting and nausea , which sometimes accompany diarrhea can make this worse. Dehydration can be particularly dangerous for young children.

Symptoms of dehydration include :
  • dry mouth
  • increased thirst
  • decrease urine output
  • headache
  • dizziness
  • dry skin
  • confusion
Parasitic infections during traveler's diarrhea can cause:
  • seizures
  • fever
  • allergic reactions
  • bacterial infections

Treatment :

Treatment will depend upon the cause of the diarrhea .
The first line of defense will often be home remedies and over the counter(OTC) treatments to resolve mild cases of the illness.

When you get traveler's diarrhea avoid caffeine and alcohol. These may increase dehydration. However, continue to drink other fluids as much as possible to prevent dehydration.

If you're travelling , it's often a good idea to bring OTC treatments with you just in case you get traveler's diarrhea. Bismuth subsalicylate can be effective for treating mild cases of traveler's diarrhea.

Antimotility agents like imodium can also be used . They may prolong the illness but not allowing your body to eliminate it.

Prevention :

When visiting high risk countries , don't drink unsterilized water, this includes :
  • drinks with ice made with local water
  • fruit juices with added water
  • brushing your teeth or rinsing out your mouth with tap water
Try to drink bottled water, otherwise boil the water for at least three times.

To further prevent traveler's diarrhea , you should :
  • Avoid eating food from street vendors.
  • Be mindful of eating fruit washed in contaminated water.
  • Avoid unpasteurized dairy products, even ice cream.
  • Eat foods that are well cooked and served hot.
  • Avoid foods that are moist or stored at room temperature.
Wash your hands often, especially before eating and touching your face. Keep children from putting anything, including their hands into their mouth.  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

If you have any doubt. Let me know

Popular posts from this blog

Are We Brainwashed During Sleep?

 In a new study, researchers suggest that tonight while you sleep, something amazing will happen within your brain. Your neurons will go quiet. A few seconds later , blood flow out of your head . Then, a watery liquid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) will flow in, washing through your brain in rhythmic, pulsing waves. The study is the first to illustrate that the brain's CSF pulses during sleep,and that these motions are closely tied with brain wave activity and blood flow. The research was conducted by a team from Boston University. Earlier studies have suggested that CSF flow and slow-wave activity both help flush toxic,memory impairing proteins from the brain. As people age, their brains often generate fewer slow waves. In turn, this could affect the blood flow in the brain and reduce the pulsing of CSF during sleep., leading to buildup of toxic proteins and a decline in memory abilities. Although researchers have tended  to evaluate these processes separately, it now appea...
Post a Comment
Read more

PMIS : Latest post Covid-19 challenge for doctors

In a major cause of worry for doctors, several COVID-19 positive children in Mumbai are showing symptoms of a life threatening disorder. So far , two children have died after being diagnosed with the PMIS . What is PMIS ? Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS) is a very rare , but serious inflammatory condition that affects the children.  What are the symptoms of PMIS ? Mild symptoms of PMIS include fever, cough, sore throat and a rash. It can also cause swelling of the hands, feet and lymph nodes. In more severe cases, PMIS can also affect blood pressure , the heart and the kidneys. Symptoms of PMIS may not appear until several weeks after the initial infection. In some cases, families may not know their child had COVID-19 until they show symptoms of PMIS. In general , it is important to remember that symptoms of COVID-19 tend to be milder or do not appear as often in children. What causes PMIS ? The cause of PMIS is not known , but doctors think that it is related to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lockdown induced Painful periods ?

PAINFUL PERIODS IN LOCKDOWN :  Many women have complained of painful and erratic periods in the last three months.The nationwide lockdown resulting from COVID-19 pandemic has affected the menstrual cycles in a mysterious way , bringing unprecendented changes in the flow , duration and pain scale. "Women have faced high-stress levels during lockdown due to uncertainity of life , work , resultant financial crisis, etc. Balancing home and work has also been a problem. Stress hormone 'cortisol' has a direct effect on periods. It can cause  a considerable delay in periods or no periods at all. STress can also raise insulin imbalance in the body which gives way to the secretion of the leptin hormone. This causes cycles to be delayed by 7 to 8 days or more. The reason that women are experiencing painful and erratic periods during the lockdown is sttress, change in sleeping patterns , irregular diet and even excessive exercising. "Cortisol and the hypothalamic pituitary axis ...
Post a Comment
Read more