Traveler’s Diarrhea
WORLDWIDE | Tuesday, 30 June 2009 | Views [1159]
Traveler’s Diarrhea is perhaps the most common problem to be faced by travelers, anywhere. The causes of traveler’s diarrhea can range from viral to bacterial but the most common is E. Coli bacteria.
WorldNomads.com's roving medical expert Dr. Erik McLaughlin MD advises common sense + good hygiene as the best way to prevent this.
If the cook has a sore on their hand, try to avoid eating there. If the place looks dirty, chances are the food will be dirty, too. Ensure your food is properly cooked, drink clean water (bottled or purified) and watch fruits and veggies that are not washed with clean water. Pouring that bottled water over ice cubes made from unclean water will not help... skip the ice unless you know where the water came from.
From dehydration to re-hydration
The biggest problem with traveler’s diarrhea is dehydration and first line treatment is oral rehydration. Not only does rehydration often require more water than people think, it also requires some special electrolytes in the water they drink.
A sports drink (Gatorade, powerade, lucozade, etc) often works well and several glasses of this should be drunk each day there are symptoms of TD. If you get into a tight spot and cannot find a sports drink, you can make your own with a pinch of salt and a few spoons of sugar into a glass of clean water. Even if the person has vomiting and appears to be throwing up all their liquids, keep drinking! Some of the fluid is getting into the body.
Sometimes the diarrhea can be so severe one needs to seek medical help. A few signs that you've reached this stage include the presence of blood in the diarrhea, fevers and severe abdominal cramping. These are all signs that the bacteria are invading the body by penetrating the intestinal lining.
Better in than out?
The use of loperamide (anti-diarrheal medicine) is controversial. While loperamide does prevent diarrhea, that may not always be a good thing. If a traveler has an invasive and especially strong infection you are essentially trapping the bacteria in the intestine/colon where it can do the most amount of damage. Diarrhea is the body’s way of excreting these damaging microbes. Travelers who do not know the cause of their diarrhea should use loperamide with caution as they may be doing more harm than good.
Medications to treat traveler’s diarrhea include the quinolone family, especially the world famous ciprofloxacine. Some parts of the world are developing resistance to this antibiotic and azithromycin is considered a good alternative. Savvy travelers can speak with their doctor, prior to departure, about taking a supply of antibiotics to be used if they develop a severe case of TD. These medications should not be taken as prevention - better to hold them in reserve for when symptoms strike.
Those travelers who simply cannot afford to be slowed down by diarrhea (business meetings, honeymoons, athletes, etc) can speak with their doctor about using bismuth subsalicylate (pepto bismol) as preventative measures. Taking 2 tabs every morning and two tabs every night for the duration of the trip has been shown to decrease rates of TD. This may not be for everybody and good advice is to speak with your doctor prior to using this regimen.
No TP for my TD?
Tags: travel health, diarrhea, diahorrea, gastro, hydration
Add your comments
